Silence!
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 8/1 - 8/7⚡️
“It’s so freeing to be a fly on the wall.”
- Beth Kaiserman
Hello Sangha!
First! We have a new and improved A/C here at ACZC. Come on in and join us in beating the heat!
Second: At this point in my life I probably know the Heart Sutra as something like my own breath. But, I probably know The Odyssey as something closer to my heart beat. I’ve been hearing the story since before I was old enough to hear my own thoughts, and now it’s so ingrained I don’t even notice how steadily it’s whispering itself into my ears until something comes along to remind me. So at the risk of getting topical on a three thousand year old story, Sara said I could commandeer the newsletter this week to write down some thoughts:
Some years ago, I was fresh off a brutal breakup and listening to Stephen Fry’s gorgeous retelling of the Trojan War as he recounted the wedding of Thetis and Pelius, the last great gathering of the gods at the end of myth and history before the world collapsed. The whole pantheon was there except Discord, because no one invited her, because who wants discord at a wedding? But she showed up anyway, as she does, and tossed her infamous golden apple into the party, addressed to an unspecified most beautiful god. And that was how Paris, a humble human shepherd, found himself called to judge a beauty contest between the divine spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Love. He chose Love (as most of us do in our way) which was sweet, and understandable, and swiftly led to the doom of his whole civilization. As it does.
I was in a mood that summer. I read the story, had a good warm cry at the inevitability of human fallibility, and then felt an urgent need to fix history. So I painted a portrait of Wise Athena happily munching on the apple that so obviously should have been hers. Clearly she was the wisest choice, call it prajna, call it buddha nature, call it whatever you like; I fixed history. Then I made a little vow to not date for a few years while I tried to sort myself out and find out what sort of things I might be capable of when not so focused on being attracted to someone.
A while later Samm moved to town fresh off a divorce, so I proudly showed her my Athena and told her about my little vow, assuming she’d understand in light of her own recent world-ending break up. She looked at my painting and said, “No. You have to invite Discord to the wedding.” We’ve been together a few years now and she was absolutely right, I do delight in our discord at least as much as our harmonies.
If Buddha is right, and everything we do inevitably leads to the peace and stillness of quiet extinction, that to me sounds like full encouragement to appreciate all the chaotic twists and turns in the path along the way. If we advocate anything here it’s being whatever you’re doing wholeheartedly, which means not trying to limit ourselves with a need for clarity, intelligibility, or moral simplicity. Maybe that sounds a bit wild, maybe the world isn’t clamoring yet for true spiritual anarchy, but I’m just saying; when you feel guilty, remember that your greatest achievements were built on some of your worst qualities. And when you feel proud, don’t forget that truly epic tragedies can only be born from your most admirable skills.
If you’re going to be a person, be a complicated person. Contain multitudes. Be the kind of sailor who believes their own tall tales long enough to make old friends out of distant strangers and leave them grateful for the opportunity to give you what you need. Whatever you do, don’t make sense to yourself. And when you do, remember to enjoy the lie for what it is.
But speaking of shouting silently into the void just to see if it shouts back, this week on the podcast we are pleased to present 🎙️ “Silence! (Silence) w/ Beth Kaiserman” 🎙️
Beth explores the lure of silence, how to find it, what it asks of us, and what it offers. How much of our energy and attention do we owe to our family and friends? What is conversation really for? How can we explain the inner worlds we fly through freely when we’re not thinking in words?? Find out here!
Up now at https://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 This Week in ZenLit(™): 📖
Yunyan was sick and Daowu said to him, “Where will I see you again when we’ve left these broken bodies?”
Yunyan said, “I will see you in the place where nothing is born and nothing dies.”
Daowu said, “What you should have said is the place where nothing is born and nothing dies is nowhere and so we need not see each other at all.”
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 8/1, 10am - 12:05pm
Sit & Talk w/ Matthew Sherling - Our biggest day of the week! We’ll do two half-hour rounds of zazen, and then Matthew is back for an Avalokiteshvara-inspired talk about deep listening. Are the difficult people in our lives secretly shapeshifters with something to teach us? Join us!
Monday - 8/3, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Talk w/ Heather Ross - One half hour of zazen and then Heather takes the hotseat for a talk about the fourth skandha, samskara. What do we find when we look more closely at our thoughts? See you there!
Wednesday - 8/5, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit(™) Night - This week! Yunyan gets sick and Daowu wonders what’s next for the two of them. Does dying change anything between us? Let’s discuss!
Friday - 8/7, 8am - 8:40am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Maka Hannya Haramitta Shingyo and our fresh new translation of the Heart Sutra, followed by the Zazenshin, our lineage ancestors, and the 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
This was a good one. Ty Dave