Liberty’s Laments
ACZC Happenings, 2/17 - 2/23
“There's a freedom, a pit, a dropping off into something you don't know and don't necessarily trust… It takes a strange kind of trust to let go of everything you’ve known as yourself.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
Sorry, not sorry, but when the dharma gets weird what can we do but get a little weird with it? Thanks for sharing your own unique brand of weird with us is what we’re trying to say, and for not seeming to mind when we can’t (or won’t…) hide our own.
But speaking of not stifling experience with our silly notions of sense, tomorrow (Saturday 2/17 at 1pm) after our usual sit & discussion, our own ACZC band leader and sonic expert, Robert Holliday, will be treating us to a Deep Listening Study Circle, including sonic meditations, movement, and dream exercises all about community, play, and being here now whatever that happens to mean right then. No experience or skills required! (More info on the idea here). Note: this will be the first in a series of six classes (not all hosted at ACZC) but there is no continuing commitment required for the casually curious.
Also, zoom news for our big first ever Hossenshiki Dharma Combat weekend coming up - the Saturday 2/24, 4pm Honsoku Haiyaku Gyocha (formal tea and talk on the koan of the combat at Sozenji Temple (3020 W Beverly Blvd, Montebello, CA 90640)) and the Sunday 2/25, 10am Formal Hossenshiki Dharma Combat at Sozenji Temple WILL be hosted on Gyokei’s zoom channel, NOT on ACZC’s regular zoom channel. Email us here for access link and codes for those events. Also all are welcome to join those in person of course!
And then the big Monday 2/26, 7:30pm (less formal) Dharma Combat at ACZC WILL be hosted on our usual zoom channel.
Also don’t forget the following weekend (Friday 3/1 - Sunday 3/3) will see our Spring Commuter Retreat right here in the city at ACZC for easy attendance by all, which you are welcome to attend in person, on zoom, or in whatever sort of hybrid of those you would like. Offered on a sliding scale based on your own expected attendance and what you can afford. Registration and more info here!
But speaking of taking the time to listen to the sweet dharmic songs sung by the garden crawly critters right here at home, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Liberty’s Laments (Year of the Wood Dragon) w/ Dave Cuomo. Dave celebrates the year of the wood dragon with some evocative Zen lit on dragons, frogs, and earthworms singing through the hollow trees of you and me. What can we hold onto when everything falls away? What’s the voice that speaks through you when you run out of things to say? Who’s the little person deep inside stoking the flames of our anxiety, and can we talk them into taking a well deserved break? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
And hey, here’s a koan for the week:
Case in point:
A monk asked Caoshan, “What will you do when you hang up your funeral attire?”
Caoshan said, “I will have fulfilled my duty to my family.”
The monk said, “What will you do after you’ve fulfilled your duty to your family?”
Caoshan said, “I’d like to get drunk.”
This Week in Zen! All times posted in Pacific time zone, all sessions hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 2/17, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Henry Zander - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen and then our good friend Henry is back to give us a field report and update on his work with our sister sangha, the Lincoln Zen Center. What sort of stillness are they studying in the great vast plains?? Let’s find out.
Saturday - 2/17, 1pm - 3pm
Deep Listening Study Circle w/ Robert Holliday- Sonic meditations, movement, and dream exercises hosted by ACZC’s band leader and sonic expert, Robert. Join us!
Monday - 2/18, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Dave Cuomo - One half hour of zazen and then Dave is back in the hot seat with a special request to shed a little light on some of those dark morning chants we’re so fond of. So this week! - an autobiographical tour of the Heart Sutra. What’s all this ado about nothing, and what’s it to us whether our eyes and ears exist or not?? Find out here.
Wednesday - 2/20, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Mota - Caoshan gives some real talk about family. Do we love our kids? Should we tell them??Would a little whiskey help grease the gears of love?? Let’s discuss.
Thursday - 2/21 at 7pm - 8:30pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - And Nina is back for an evening of winding down and waking up with one hour of Slow Flow Zen Yoga, followed by one half hour of the sweetest zazen you will sit all week. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday Early - 2/22 at 5am-6am
Rise and shine y’all, it’s the season for a little zazen before our zazen. Especially a good opportunity for those who work early, or live in an earlier time zone. In person and on zoom! Same format as our usual morning sits - one simple hour of sitting with an optional five minute stretch break offered in the middle.
Friday - 2/22 at 8am
Chanting & Zen Breakfast - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by the sweet strains of the ultimate truth of taking a nap in the hay - The Straw Hut Song. Poetry for the ages! And then stick around for ACZC’s fresh hot take on traditional Zen breakfast (house milled multi grain porridge! Mmm…). A nutritious (and delicious) part of this complete practice. Let’s dig in.
Tuesday - Friday, 7am - 8am
Morning Sit - One simple hour of what we do best - just sitting. Optional five minute stretch break offered in the middle.
See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC