Summer of Space
ACZC happenings, 5/13 - 5/19
“To really do this practice is to let go of the wheel and assume someone's driving. And that's gonna be terrifying every time.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
Thanks to all you wonderful humans, you zazen enthusiasts, you most dedicated students of the way for yet another week of being you (and also not you), and thanks especially to those who stuck around last Saturday afternoon to help do some tidying up around the ACZC grounds! We’re feeling spick, span, and sparkly over here — nothing like a little spring cleaning (and some tranquil hours of sitting, of course) to lift the ol’ spirits. As a special thank you for everything, please be sure to make it to the end of this email for a scrolldown surprise.
And speaking of lifting the ol’ spirits, this week on the podcast we’re pleased to present Summer of Space (Writer’s Block and the Faith In Mind Inscription) w/ Dave Cuomo.
Dave celebrates the lazy days of summer by trying to cure a decade long writer’s block with the help of The Artist’s Way and some sassy ancient commentary on the Xinxinming that sounds uncannily like our own inner critics. Why is Dave’s one trick to always be good at zazen? Why is Zen always telling itself it’s doing it wrong? And when we listen to those inner critics, do we get fueled by the friction or just tired and uninspired?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms!
Your koan for the week!
Case in point:
Sansheng asked Xuefeng, “If the golden fish has slipped through the net, what does it use for food?”
Xuefeng said, “When you get out of the net, I’ll tell you.”
Sansheng said, “The wise teacher with his 1500 students doesn’t even know what we’re talking about.”
Xuefeng said, “This old abbot has many things to attend to.”
This Week in Zen! All times are in Pacific time zone and all sessions are hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 5/13 at 10am
Yoga, Sit, & Discussion w/ Nina Snow - The one and only Nina Snow leads us in one hour of yoga, followed by one half hour of zazen, followed by a discussion on being a “bodhisattva with boundaries.” And as a special bonus! Our zendo spies tell us that sangha stalwart Robert Holliday will be returning this month to add a little sound bath to our yoga. We look forward to seeing y’all there.
Monday - 5/15 at 7:30pm
Sit & Talk w/ Leon Sandler - We’ll sit one half hour of zazen and then Leon returns to the hot seat for part two of his talk on Shohaku Okumura’s The Structure of the Self in Mahayana Buddhism. Join us!
Wednesday - 5/10 at 7:30pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Emily Eslami - Wait, are we meant to be the golden fish here? Is escaping the net even possible? And who’s teaching and being taught?? Let’s find out.
Thursday - 5/11 at 7pm (Zoom Only)
Yoga & Zazen w/ Nina Snow - Nina is back yet again for one hour of slow flow yoga to wind down our week followed by one half hour of the sweetest and easiest zazen you will sit all week. We can’t wait.
Friday - 5/12 at 8am
Heart Sutra Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by Tendō Shōgaku’s Zazenshin. Poetry for the ages! See you there.
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
OK, as promised, here’s your scrolldown surprise! Our supporting teacher Gyokei Yokoyama obtained these pictures from the folks at Sōji-ji and was generous enough to share them. Looks like Dave is in his element in the kitchen there and has a sweet smile on his face to boot! Enjoy.
