Snarkcerity
⚡️ACZC Happenings, 2/28 - 3/6⚡️
“You’re the center of the world, the most important thing in the universe as far as you’re concerned, but none of this is about you, and actually you don’t exist. To me, that’s funny.
This practice won’t improve anything about your life, but if you do it, your life will probably improve in ways you’d never have imagined and probably no longer care to consider. That’s funny.
We believe in and practice absolutely nothing, wholeheartedly and sincerely. To me, that’s very funny.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
It’s Friday, and as you can see from the cartoon above, our boy Hotei has already clocked out! If you can’t read Chinese, he says, “Brothers and Sisters, let it go, and together we topple the pillars that stand.” Or as an old sage once said, “F@#k it, Dude. Let’s go bowling.” 🎳
A very informal survey told us y’all might wear a t-shirt with this on it if we made it, so maybe a mid-year merch drop is in our near future? (Stay tuned!) Or perhaps it’s time to start our first official ACZC Bowling Team (Buddha Bowl, of course)?? Let us know what you think.
In the meantime, join us for our monthly Full Moon Ceremony on Sunday at 7pm! It’s the Worm Moon 🪱 this month, a little nod to spring’s impending arrival, and a great time to acknowledge our ancient, twisted karma and revisit our vows to liberate all beings. Hope to see you there!
And speaking of reminding ourselves of what we’re doing here, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to present 🎙️“Snarkcerity (Zen 101) w/ Dave Cuomo”🎙️
Dave gives us a brass-tacks intro to Zen and ACZC for beginners of all experience levels while making the case that Zen is the funniest world religion. Are we the only sincerely sarcastic spirituality? What’s the ACZC prescription for a full life of lay practice, and why should we follow it? Is this the way to grow into our best life and weirdest selves?? Find out here!
Up now at https://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 This Week in ZenLit(™): 📖
Xinxinming (the thrilling conclusion!)
…Like the darkness
rise above and forget about conditions
See all things as one together
return and remember what you are
Erase the basis
and it’s beyond compare
Stop moving and there is no movement
when movement stops, nothing ends
Both halves are incomplete
so how can they be one?
Study this until its end
and find no path or rules to rely on
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 2/28, 10am - 12:05pm
Sit & Talk w/Dave Cuomo - Our biggest day of the week! We’ll do two half-hour rounds of zazen, and then our favorite head teacher Dave is back for a talk about the meaning of darkness. 🏴🏴🏴 See you there!
Sunday - 3/1, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Full Moon Ceremony - Join us for a short and sweet half hour of zazen before we do the lyrical and melodious Ryaku Fusatsu, where we recite the precepts in glorious one-note harmony and remember why they were such good advice in the first place. All are welcome, no prior precept commitment required.
Monday - 3/2, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Talk w/Robert Holliday - One half hour of zazen and then Robert takes the hotseat for a talk about control. What can Bodhidharma and the Lankavatara Sutra tell us about moving without effort? Join us and let’s find out!
Wednesday - 3/4, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit(™) Night - The thrilling conclusion to our series on ACZC’s new translation of “Trust in the Heart & Mind Inscription,” aka The Xinxinming. Come on out even if you’ve never even heard of the Xinxinming or cracked a dusty text!
Friday - 3/6, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week we’ll chant the Heart Sutra and the Straw Hut Song, followed by our women ancestors. I cannot live where normal people live / I do not love what normal people love. 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