“If somebody is an a-hole, they must be going through something tough. And they’re making it as bad or worse for themselves as they are for anyone they're hurting. So they deserve just as much care as anybody else suffering from the what they're dealing out. That's a hard truth I want to wrestle with. Because I believe it, but I'm not always instinctively there yet.”
- Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
We don’t know about you, but it hasn’t been the most eventful week on the home front. Just the usual routine of zazen and work and chores and life. Which is…nice! 2024 has been a whirlwind year so far, so a little tranquility is in order. No incidents, no drama, no problem!
We did get this sweet photo of Dave’s new visitor at Toshoiji, though. No complaints!
And speaking of various no’s, this week on the podcast we are pleased to present Yeah, No (The ❤️ Sutra) with Dave Cuomo. Dave takes us on a historical, literary, and autobiographical tour of the Heart Sutra to see what exactly it has to say that’s so important we’ve been belting it out every morning for a couple thousand years. Is there a practical meaning behind the nonsense of it all? How do we wish love to the dead in a way that enlivens everyone? Are we ultimately existentially alone? Is emptiness a yawning chasm of despair or the gate of liberation standing wide open and just waiting for us to walk through? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
How about a koan for the week?
These days, young hoodlums often say they committed crimes because of their abusive childhoods and awful circumstances. Which kind of upbringing is good, and which is bad, after all? Is being born poor good? Is being born rich bad? The problem is that even though you were born human, you haven’t found your true self, the way you really wish to live. That’s a terrible circumstance!
This Week in Zen! All times posted in Pacific time zone, all sessions hosted in person and on Zoom unless otherwise marked (email us for quick and easy Zoom access info):
Saturday - 4/27, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Emily Eslami - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen, one walking meditation in the middle, and then Emily continues her revisiting of Shunryu Suzuki’s classic, Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. This week she’ll lead us through a discussion of the Nirvana, the Waterfall chapter. Join us!
Monday - 4/29, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Tanya Orlov - One half hour of zazen and then the fairest ACZC resident of them all (sorry Dave!), Tanya Orlov, will lead us through a talk and discussion on that old Buddhist chestnut, karma. Is it really a thing? What even is it?? Come and let’s find out together!
Wednesday - 5/1, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Emily Eslami - Emily’s back once again to confound and question and, just maybe, awaken us at koan night! She’ll lead us in a discussion of Chapter 7 of The Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo. See you there.
Friday - 5/3 at 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week we’re chanting Zazenshin and reciting the names of our female ancestors going back to the Buddha. 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