“When I read the old literature, the Zen Masters are never my role models. I identify with the idiot monks who don’t get it. Like, how do I humble myself to what I don’t understand? How do I respond to what I’ll never feel capable of? That helps me relax. It might even help me be more virtuous.” - Dave Cuomo
ZEN CENTER HAPPENINGS - WEEK OF 11/5 - 11/11
Hello Sangha!
Happy November y’all. The turn of a new month means it’s time once again for our Half Day Sit tomorrow (Saturday 11/5) starting at 10am, including zazen, a short and sweet well being chanting service for anyone and everyone who could use the well wishes, a discussion with Dave Cuomo, lunch, and of course more of that sweet sweet zazen. The lunch rumor is there is some deliciously seasonal pumpkin stew that will do its best not to excite our senses before we head back to our cushions. But hey, no promises. As always feel free to come for as much or as little of the day as you are able. (Full schedule posted here)
If anyone you know personally is sick or otherwise in need of good health well wishes, you can enter their names in the form you see here (bottom of the page) and we will be happy to include them in the Well Being Dedication.
Also coming up this Sunday at 7pm in the zendo or zoomdo(™) is our monthly Full Moon Ceremony - one half hour of zazen followed by some of the sweetest chanting opportunity you will find this side of the Saha World.
And then next weekend (11/11-11/14) is at last our long awaited Fall Retreat at Mt Baldy. In person registration is now closing, but we will leave the Zoom option up for you to register at your leisure. But all the excitement also means that next Saturday 11/12, we will not be hosting in person sitting at the center, however we will be hosting the usual sit & discussion at 10am that day on Zoom broadcast live from Mt Baldy. And we look very forward to seeing you all up there in person, in virtual, or in spirit.
But hey, speaking of the pure land lurking right beneath your seat, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Dave Cuomo with “Slumming It” (Vimalakirti Sutra ch 10 & 11). Our Vimalakirti series returns! as our eponymous hero opens up a portal to a sweet smelling alien pure land to order some lunch, while those blissed out beings get curious about what life is like over here in our Saha World on the wrong side of the karmic tracks. Will they be able to appreciate the gritty realism of our little corner of paradise? Why is our Buddha so hard on us with all of his tough love truths when other Buddhas get to teach just by their sweet sweet aromas? Is our messy world a practice opportunity or a perfection we’re just too ignorant to see? Will Shariputra and the gang remember to get the recipe for the best rice in the galaxy? Find out here!!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms
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, 11/5 at 10am
Half Day Sit - Our biggest day of the month! Two half hour rounds of zazen, one walking meditation in the middle, a short Well Being Ceremony to send well wishes to our friends and loved ones, a discussion with Dave, a short break for lunch, and then two more rounds of sweet sweet zazen. As always feel free to come for as much or as little of the day as you are able. (Full schedule posted here)
Sunday, 11/6 at 7 pm
Full Moon Ceremony - One half hour of zazen followed by the oldest (and some say most beautiful) ceremony in Buddhism - The Rayaku Fusatsu, aka let’s chant the precepts and remember why they were such good advice all over again. Join us!
Monday 11/7 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Robert Holliday (What Am I Doing Here??) - One half hour of zazen and then long time sangha friend Robert 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. Come on out and show your sangha support!
Wednesday 11/9 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion - This week! Case 8 of the Book of Serenity - We have an absolute koan classic for you this week with Baizhang’s Fox. An old man has been haunting the lectures, but there’s more to this lurker than meets the eye. What is he doing in the body of a fox? Can Baizhang free him from his furry little fate?? Are the enlightened among us subject to the same rules as everyone else??? Let’s discuss.
Thursday, 11/10 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - And our favorite yoga director returns to lead us in one hour of rousingly restful Slow Flow yoga, followed by one half hour of sweet sweet zazen. We’ll see y’all there.
Friday, 11/11 at 8am
Heart Sutra Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English, followed by Shitou’s ode to singing along with the dissonant harmony of everybody getting along (even when they don’t). Poetry for the ages! Come on out and lend us your voice.
Friday - Monday, 11/11-14
Fall Retreat - Zoom retreat registration still available! Also, there will be no in person sitting at the center Saturday 11/12, but we will still be hosting sit & discussion on Zoom at the usual 10am time (live from Mt Baldy!).
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