Mystically Curious
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 11/23 - 11/29⚡️
“It's not that we’re trying to be better people by sticking around and helping others, it's that you’re kidding yourself if you think you can get off this wheel alone.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
Ok first, we need your help, we need your voice, and despite everything we’ve ever said about non-judgement, we need your preference.
Due to popular demand we are bringing back T-Shirts as a Fundraiser Reward this year, and have four possible designs drawn up, but can only print one. And we just couldn’t bear to make such a weighty decision for you. So, we made a survey to let you, our wise and benevolent sangha, decide for yourselves which is best. Options are above, the button is right below.
Please take a quick click to the survey and vote for your favorite design to become our 2024 ACZC T Shirt! (Survey will be up until 11/29).
Which means, yes, next week we will have our 2024 Fall Fundraiser up and posted for you. We sincerely need the help this year, and have a pretty great assortment of rewards including t-shirts, full color calendars, hand made icons for your home, and exclusive rare and wonderful digital rewards. So, stay tuned and check back here next week for all the info!
But speaking of multi faceted unanswerable questions that inevitably find their way to one radiant answer, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to bring you Mystically Curious (Wellness?) w/ Dave Cuomo. Dave tries to find out if Zen is a wellness practice or a sincere spiritual practice and what the difference might or might not be. Is wellness good for you? Is Zen supposed to be good for you? Can meditation make you too powerful?? 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:
Linji asked the monastery director, “Where have you been?”
The director said, “I was in the city selling grain.”
Linji said, “Did you sell it all?”
The director said, “I sold it all.”
Linji drew the number one in the air with his staff and said, “Did you sell this one too?”
The director let out a shout. Linji hit him.
The head chef came in and Linji told him what happened.
The chef said, “The director doesn’t understand what you mean.”
Linji said, “And you do?”
The chef bowed. Linji hit him too.
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 - 11/23, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Heather Ross - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of sweet sweet zazen, and then Heather returns to the hot seat with some comforting questions to some confounding answers. Join us!
Monday - 11/25, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Patrick Carroll - One half hour of zazen and then our good friend Patrick is back in the hot seat to tackle Kodo Sawki’s famous encouragement, “zazen is good for nothing” and remind us why that’s all the more reason to sit down and do it. See y’all there.
Wednesday - 11/27, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Dave - Linji’s up to his old sticks and tricks with a fully Stooge-worthy battle of dharma wits. As a great chef once said, “Got time to lean, got time to glean (some of that good ol’ prajna wisdom, amiright?)” Is an honest day’s work ever really done? Can we sell out of something we never truly owned? Do our great rewards have to come with just desserts? Let’s discuss.
Friday - 11/29, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We honor the ancestors with the timeless and ever timely Hannya Shingyo and Daihishin Darani. Poetry for the ages! Come on out and lend us your voice.
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