Non Compete Clause
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 1/17 - 1/23⚡️
“Go for the turf nobody else is fighting over, and you can get away with things you wouldn’t believe.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
First! Zen Writing Workshop is tomorrow (1/17) at 1pm after the usual sit. Great for writers of all or no experience levels looking for a friendly supportive place to flex your creative muscles in a judgement free zone. And we would love to see you there. But speaking of scheduling things to do that also count as free time…
January has been off to a leisurely start over here. We’ve got a big year coming up between our second spring training ango, Zuisse ceremonies in Japan in May, our first ever camping retreat in June (!), and various editorial projects on the burner (and so much more!). Conversations are underway about getting our many ducks in a row, but in true Zen fashion, we’re doing our level best to just calmly go about our preparations and trust that it will all work out exactly the way it’s supposed to. That’s the way, right?
Or is it?
Every once in a while we have this moment of oh jeez, what if we forget something, and the scale of the task can break your brain a little bit, but what else is there to do but make a note and add it to the list? There’s that line in the Declaration of Unity, “Progress is not a measure of distance, but when we’re confused, mountains and rivers block the way.” As a brand new practitioner, it stumped this writer — how can you not see a mountain or river coming? But that’s the thing. Seeing them in the distance is often what trips you up. “OMG, I’ll never get over that mountain.” “That river is too deep and treacherous to cross!”
And yet we do hard things all that time, the way we do anything: step by step. So if you’re already feeling “behind” for the year, just know the way is right in front of you, now and always.
And speaking of accomplishing things that seem completely preposterous, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to present 🎙️ “Non Compete Clause (Buddha & Democracy)” with Dave Cuomo 🎙️. Dave tells the story of the time Buddha preserved democracy for 2000 years and started a radical social revolution that not only didn’t get anyone hurt or killed, but had the kings and power brokers of the day falling over themselves to support what he was doing. How did he pull that off without making enemies of the powers he was challenging? Can we learn to wield selfless goallessness effectively? What are we really trying to win and who are we really trying to convince?? Find out here!
Up now at https://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 This Week in ZenLit(™): 📖
Shexian once said, “For a time, the meaning may come but the words do not; for a time, the words may come but the meaning does not; for a time the meaning and words might come together; for a time maybe neither words nor meaning come.”
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 1/17, 10am - 12:05pm
Sit & Talk w/Mota - Our biggest day of the week! We’ll do two half-hour rounds of zazen, and then Mota returns to the hotseat with a deep dive into the middle way. What did our ancestors say about it, how did they live it, and how do we find it? Join us!
Saturday - 1/17, 1pm - 3:30pm
Zen Writing Workshop - Join us for ACZC’s signature mashup of zazen, freewriting, deep listening, and creative practice with friends! All are welcome, no previous writing experience required. Just bring a pen and a notebook and leave the rest to space. 🪐
Monday - 1/19, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Heather Ross - One half hour of zazen and then Heather is back for a talk about goodness, and how much is enough. Are we good?? Let’s find out.
Wednesday - 1/21, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit(™) Night - This week! The thrilling conclusion to our dissection and deconstruction of time with Dogen’s classic Uji ( The Time Being). Will the meaning and words finally arrive? Is meaning a donkey or are words the horse? Will time end with a bang or a whimper?? Let’s discuss.
Friday - 1/23, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We’ll chant the Heart Sutra and The Straw Hut Song, Shitou’s ode to the infinite in the everyday. Meet the ancestors, take in their teachings / weave some straw to make a hut, don’t give up. 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