“It's that delusion of lack — that we're never gonna have the experience that we want, that we're never gonna have a job that pays our bills again, that I’m never gonna have little fizzy moments of excitement and escape, that we're never gonna have whatever it is that’s really driving that grasping. And that's not desire, that's craving.” - Sara Campbell
Hello Sangha!
The temperature is rising and so is the tenor over here at your favorite little blue house! ZenLit Night has been 🔥🔥🔥 en fuego 🔥🔥🔥 lately between our spirited discussions of Keizan Jokin’s dizzying instructions for meditation and a certain story about the great ocean not being a big fan of corpses that has apparently been stumping Zennies for, oh, a thousand years or so.
What we’re trying to say is that our brave lot has been fearlessly charging in and having its way with these old words, and it’s been a blast! We love all of our events, natch, but there’s something special about Wednesday nights in particular — everyone gets a turn to weigh in on these mysterious old tales and the ways in which they remain eerily relevant to our modern lives. It’s both educational and a great way to get to know your fellow sangha members. Win-win!
This Wednesday we’re embarking on a three part series about one of the classics of the Zen canon that you have most likely chanted at some point (or many points!) over the years. That is the poem formerly known as the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, which, surprise!, we’ll be calling the Golden Mirror Meditation Verse from here on out, thanks to Dave’s sparkling new translation. So if you’ve never been to ZenLit night, consider this your invitation. As always, just bring yourself and a sense of curiosity. Wonders await!
And then this weekend brings the Sturgeon 🐟 Moon, which we’ll celebrate on Sunday night at our monthly Full Moon Ceremony 🌝, aka the Ryaku Fusatsu! Join us to remember and reaffirm our practice vows in this ancient ceremony with beautiful chanting and haunting bells. It’s a special one.
And speaking of special treats, 🎙️🥤 This week on the podcast we are very excited to present “The Big Gulp (Healthy Desire) w/ Sara Campbell”🎙️🥤
Sara takes an honest look at desire to see if she can afford a fulfilling life with potentially less filling pay. How can desires lead to fulfillment? Is too little ambition just as dangerous as too much? If we really followed Buddha’s prescriptions could the internet even exist?? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
📖 Hot Off the Presses: This week’s ZenLit(™)! 📖
Golden Mirror Meditation Verse (part 1!)
A teaching like this
has been quietly passed to us by buddhas and ancestors
It’s yours now
protect it well
A silver bowl filled with snow
an egret hidden by the moonlight
Categorized, it won’t conform,
mingling freely, it finds its place
Its meaning is not found in words
a moment arrives, a moment is met
Actions just create a rut
missteps stumble into looking back and getting stuck
Avoiding or engaging are both a mistake
it’s like a great raging fire
Reduced to poetry
it turns toxic
Radiant at midnight
it hides at dawn
It’s a paragon
that ends all pain
It wasn’t created,
but has something to say
Like gazing into a golden mirror
body and reflection behold each other
You are not it
actually, it’s you
Like a healthy, normal
newborn babe
It doesn’t come, it doesn’t go
it doesn’t appear, it doesn’t stay
Soft and worn, kind and gentle
spoken, unspoken
In the end you still don’t get it
because words haven’t yet truly expressed it…
⚡️This Week in Zen! ⚡️
All times Pacific. All sessions are in-person + on Zoom unless otherwise noted (email us for Zoom info).
Saturday - 8/9, 10am - 12:15pm
Sit & Talk w/ Dave Cuomo - Our biggest day of the week! We’ll do two half-hour rounds of zazen, then Dave takes the hotseat with some fresh thoughts about making peace with yourself coming off his recent weeklong retreat with our friends at New York Zen Center. What bicoastal monk meditations will he have to share? Join us and let’s find out together!
Sunday - 8/10, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Full Moon Ceremony - One half hour of zazen followed by the oldest, and some say most beautiful, ceremony in Buddhism — the Ryaku Fusatsu, where we chant the precepts and remember why we practice together. All are welcome (no prior precept commitment required)!
Monday - 8/11, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Jordan Mylet - One half hour of zazen and then Jordan is back with a talk about the label of “Zen Buddhist” and how she feels identifying as that — what it used to mean, what it has come to mean, what it is supposed to mean according to others. See y’all there!
Wednesday - 8/13, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & ZenLit Night - This week we kick off a three part series on Dongshan’s Golden Mirror Meditation Verse, which you may recall as the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. We’re excited to parse Dave’s new translation of one of the most widely chanted verses in the Zen world — so much beauty to unpack. Join us and let’s dive in!
Thursday - 8/14, 7:30pm - 8:40pm
Evening Zazen - Two sweet and simple 30 minute rounds of serene evening sitting to wind down your day and week. See y’all there!
Friday - 8/8, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra ❤️ in English along with Shitou’s Declaration of Unity, followed by our women ancestors. 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