No Days Off
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 3/22 - 3/28⚡️
“I get it, Zen, but actually I do have problems and I came here for help.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
First, big shout out and thank you to everyone who came out for last Sunday’s Full Moon Ceremony! Which is always perfect every month of course, but sometimes it feels that little extra bit of perfect – bells ringing right in time, bows dancing their way down the zendo line, and a panopoly of voices that somehow all meld together in exactly their own right key. All told, just some good clean Zen fun! And we look very forward to seeing you again there next month.
But speaking of the fun that never ends even when it does. This week at Wednesday’s (3/26 - 7:30pm) ZenLit night, we will be bringing you our official story of the season - the koan Sara will be presenting and puzzling over for this year’s dharma combat (see below!). But first, we need your help in figuring out what it’s all about. Come on out and help us tease it out!
But speaking of doing things over and over (crimson and clover?), this week on the podcast we are pleased to present No Days Off (The 2 Truths) w/ Dave Cuomo. In this behind the scenes special from our first ever training ango, Dave puts on his sensei hat to give a lecture on the fundamental Buddhist teaching of the Two Truths. Part 1 of a two part series! Next week Sara will show and tell her homework as she puts the philosophy into practice with a personal talk on where the rubber of theory meets the road of reality. If the world really is empty why are other people always getting in our way? Why should we care about theory when the ultimate truth is unknowable? And what are we supposed to do when our Zen teachers just stare at us instead of giving us a straight answer?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
We heard you might be interested in some ZenLit(™) for the week. Voila! - Our story of the season:
A monk asked Dasui, “When the great kalpa fire comes and the universe is burned up into nothing, will all of this be destroyed?”
Dasui said “It will be destroyed”
The monk asked, “And everything goes along with it?”
Dasui said, “Everything goes along with it.”
The monk couldn’t accept this, so he went and asked Longji, “When the great kalpa fire comes and the universe is burned up into nothing, will all of this be destroyed?”
Longji said, “It will not be destroyed.”
The monk asked, “How will it not be destroyed?”
Longji said, “It’s all just the universe.”
The monk still couldn’t accept this, so he went to see Touzi and asked the same question. Touzi went to the altar, lit some incense, and said, “The great Buddha appears!” Then turned back to the monk and said, “you should go back and apologize to your teachers.”
So the monk went back to see Dasui, but by the time he arrived, Dasui had died. He went back to see Longji, but by the time he arrived, Longji had died. So he went back to Touzi, but by the time he arrived, Touzi had died 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 - 3/22, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Mota
Our biggest day of the week! We’ll begin with two half-hour rounds of zazen, followed by a talk from Mota, who returns to share reflections from his recent experiences navigating some challenging personal circumstances. Themes of impermanence, aging, and dying will be in the mix. Come on out and let’s show some sangha support! (Also! All Saturdays during our ango period now include a full half day of activities, including extra zazen at 7am and chanting of the Ryogon Shu (see below)! )
Monday - 3/24, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/Dave Cuomo - One half hour of zazen and then Dave takes a dive back in to the History of Zen with the story of how a monk named Shenhui invented the art of Zen marketing and then promptly had his name removed from all reputable records. See y’all there.
Wednesday - 3/26, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit Night - Sara steps up to the hot seat to flex her facilitator skills as we brings out our official ango koan we’ll be pulling apart in this year’s dharma combat. But first! We need your help in unpacking what it’s all about. What gets destroyed (or not) during the great conflagration at the end of the world? And what world are we even talking about?? Let’s discuss!
Thursday - 3/27, 7:30pm - 8:40pm
Evening Zazen - The latest addition to the ACZC lineup! Join us for two 30 minute rounds of evening sitting to wind down your day and week serenely. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday - 3/28, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English along with Sengcan’s ode to monk mode - Trusting the Mind Inscription. 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.
Tuesday - Saturday - Morning Ango Schedule
As always feel free to join for as much or as little of the schedule as you’re able.
6:30 - 7:00am………………Silent Coffee
7:00 - 8:10am………………Zazen & Kinhin
8:10 - 8:40am………………Chanting
8:40 - 9:10am…………..…Zen Breakfast
9:10 - 9:50am………………Work Practice
See y’all soon!
Love,
ACZC