On the Road
ACZC Happenings, August 26th - September 1st
“Really question what you perceive or know and don’t draw many conclusions from it. Also don't think you know nothing. You do know something, and if you abandon what you know to be true you've missed it altogether.” - Sara Campbell
Hello Sangha!
Ok no, the image and quote up there aren’t entirely related (even if they kind of are), but spoilers for the stories in Sara’s podcast for this week that was just too irresistible to not to put to paper. More on that below…
But speaking of grand adventures under the moonlight with your friends, registration is up for our Fall Mount Baldy Retreat (November 10th - 13th(Friday - Monday))! And we would love the chance to get to spend the weekend with you in a little social silence, immersing ourselves in some deep practice, and getting all that community and compassionate goodness set deep in our bones where we can draw on it all year long. Feel free to reach out with any questions you have, and we’ll see y’all up on the slopes!
But speaking of the home away from home that turns out to be a temple in your bones you can’t leave behind no matter how far you roam, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to bring you On the Road with Herman the Worm Boy w/ Sara Campbell. Sara sends us a dispatch from her post Zen Center exploits and dabbles in some serious storytelling with The Original Adventures of Herman the Worm Boy (as delightful as they sound) and the never ending quest for the One Mind with our old friend Huangbo. How do we take our practice out of the Zen Center and into to the real world? And what is this “real” world anyway? Is there such a thing as honest storytelling? And how should we explain our Zen hobby to our friends and family when they ask?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms!
And hey, here’s a koan of the week:
Case in Point:
Vimalakirti quizzed the great Bodhisattva Manjushri, “How exactly does a Bodhisattva enter into non duality?”
Manjushri said, “I would say, in everything you do let there be no speech, no explaining, no direction and no presentations. Abandon all questions and answers. This is how we enter into non duality.” Then he asked Vimalakirti, “Your turn, how should a Bodhisattva enter into non duality?”
Vimalakirti said nothing.
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 - 8/26 at 10am
Sit & Discussion w/ Emily Eslami - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen and then Emily is back with another trilling installment of her series on Shunryu Suzuki’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind where we discuss mistakes in practice. Are we making them? Is there such a thing?? Is there any help for us??? Let’s find out.
Monday - 8/28 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Ish Lipman (What Am I Doing Here??) - Long time sangha member Ish takes the hot seat to regale us with the story of what he’s doing and why he’s here while we just maybe learn something about those things for ourselves. Join us!
Wednesday - 8/30 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Dave Cuomo - This week! Vimalakirti returns for a pop quiz in a bodhisattvic battle of beneficence. Will Manjushri hold his own in this duel of non duality? Will we get to hear the lion’s roar of truth above the din of delusion?? Let’s find out.
Thursday - 8/31 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - And Nina is back for another wonderful hour of stretching and stillness to wind down our week and limber up those limbs before a little sweet sweet zazen. Join us for one full hour of yoga and a half hour sit to send you off toward bed and the most awakened sleep you could dream of. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday - 9/1 at 8am
Chanting & Zen Breakfast - This week! We honor the ancestors in pure unvarnished glory with the Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo and Daihishin darani. Poetry for the ages! And then stick around for ACZC’s own hot take on traditional Zen breakfast (fresh 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