Original Flavor
ACZC Happenings, 2/4 - 2/10
“It's right there. It's been singing this whole time. You can hear it when you stop adding the background music to the movie or stop adding more lines, one after another. This flavor is a flavor that enhances other flavors.” - Gyokei Yokoyama
Hello Sangha!
And happy Snow Moon. That’s right, despite what the sunny and balmy skies of LA tell us, we’re going to trust the calendar and poetry of the seasons and celebrate the snowy full moon of February this coming Sunday at 7pm with a Full Moon Ceremony, aka repentance ceremony, aka let’s chant the precepts together and remember why they were such good advice in the first place. No prior precept commitment (or clean conscience required). Sometimes it’s just nice to say some good intentions and see how they feel coming out of your body. Join us for a half hour of zazen followed by some beautiful bells and lovely lilting chants, and let’s sing something sweet to this saha world, shall we?
And yes, tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month which means it’s the Half Day Sit at 10am. There will be two half hour rounds of zazen, a short Well Being Ceremony, a discussion with Dave Cuomo on Dainin Katagiri’s “Cutting Off the Flow of Time,” a short break for lunch, and then two more rounds of glorious zazen. Lunch will be served for those joining in person, and as always feel free to join for as much or as little of the day you’re able. We’ll see y’all there.
But, speaking of dabbling in some delectable dharma bites, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Gyokei Yokoyama w/ Original Flavor. Bitter, salty, spicy, sour, or sweet - Gyokei gives us a subtle and patient recipe for finding our own true original flavor that brings out the best in all the rest. What melodies are waiting to sing to us in uncomfortable silences? Can we learn to trust the mind that lies behind our own self esteem? And is it ever really possible to taste what truly makes us special?? Find out here.
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms
And hey, case in point, here’s a koan for the week:
A monk asked Yunmen, “When no thoughts come up, are we bypassing something?”
Yunmen said, "Mount Sumeru!”*
*(A very big mountain at the center of the cosmos (or so we’re told). Like, very big… 640,000 miles wide as it is tall (or so we’re told). Whoa.)
This Week in Zen! All sessions hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 2/4 at 10am
Half Day Sit w/ Dave Cuomo - Our biggest day of the month! Two half hour rounds of zazen, a brief Well Being Ceremony, a discussion with Dave, a brief break for lunch, and then we’re back for two more rounds of zazen. (As always feel free to come for as much or as little of the day as you’re able). See y’all there!
If anyone you know (personally) is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can add their names to the form you see here (bottom of the page) and we will be happy to include them in this month’s Well Being Dedication.
Sunday - 2/5 at 7pm
Full Moon Ceremony - One half hour of zazen followed by the oldest (and some say most beautiful) ceremony in Buddhism - The Rayaku Fusatsu, aka repentance ceremony. Join us!
Monday - 2/6 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Henry Zander (What Am I Doing Here??) - One half hour of zazen and then Henry 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. Let’s discuss!
Wednesday - 2/8 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Leon Sandler - Leon leads us in a collaborative group discussion on Case 19 of the Book of Serenity. This week - a monk gets good at meditating. Which is confusing. Can old master Yunmen help him find greater heights to climb?? Let’s find out!
Thursday - 2/9 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - Nina gently guides us through a perfect Thursday evening of wind down yoga followed by one half hour of sweet sweet zazen. We’ll see y’all there!
Friday - 2/10 at 8am
Heart Sutra Chanting Service - This week! We honor the ancestors with a rousing chant of the Sino-Sanskrit Heart Sutra, followed by the greatest little dharani you could ask for, the Dai Hi Shin Dharani! 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