“The most destabilizing thing I know is trying to impose harmony on other people. Because it always finds a way to explode. Everything finds a way to come out.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
D is for drama y’all. Because if you can’t avoid it, might as well take it for a dance. And speaking of golden invitations to untame the unruly discords of your mind into quiet wilds of serenely social celebration, we are just two weeks away from our Fall Retreat (11/8-11/11) hosted right here at ACZC in the city. Registration will be up until Sunday 11/3, so if you haven’t registered yet, or otherwise let us know you’re coming, please do! so that our hardworking planing committee can properly plan for you. Full attendance is highly encouraged, commuter options are available, and if you can’t make it for the full thing, partial attendance is also highly encouraged. Registration and info is up here. And as always feel free to reach out if you have any questions at all.
But speaking of harmonious hangs with types of all stripes, this week on the podcast we are very pleased to bring you, You are Invited (Harmony & Discord) w/ Dave Cuomo. Dave looks into harmony and discord, and whether trying to all just get along means suppressing our unruly little individualities (as much of our teachings and training seem to suggest), weaving myths and legends from across continents and centuries along the way, and bonus! A fresh original translation of the Sandokai (aka Harmony of Difference and Equality). Is your personal achievement as dangerous to society as some might say? Is inconsistent practice a worthy practice of its own? Can we invite discord to the party without ruining the party? Find out here!
Up now at http://aczc.org/aczcpodcast or on all your favorite podcast platforms.
And hey, here’s a koan for the week:
Case in point:
Minister Lu Gen said to Nanquan, “Old Sengzhao was truly something special. You could tell he really understood it, like when he said, ‘Heaven and the earth are born of the same root, everything is one.’”
Nanquan pointed at a peony in the front yard and said, “People these days see a flower as if it were a dream.”
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 - 10/26, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Sara Campbell - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen, and then the famously far flung (but never less present) Sara Campbell joins us to talk about women in Buddhism with a report from a workshop on the sacred feminine she recently attended with our old friend Jitsujo. See y’all there!
Monday - 10/28, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Tanya Orlov - One half hour of sweet sweet zazen and then ACZC’s own resident Tanya is back in the hot seat to give us some thoughts and wrap up on her time spent living here at the center. Join us!
Wednesday - 10/30, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion w/ Dave Cuomo - Minister Lu’s geeking out over some well worn wisdoms, while Nanquan pines for the peony of his waking lucid dreams to help him embrace our most profound cliches. Have our revelations gone trite? Is Nanquan here to wake us all up, or are we all stuck in this same crazy dream together?? Let’s discuss!
Friday - 11/1, 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in English followed by Sengcan’s faithful ode to carving love letters to the dearly unknowable in the tree of truth - The Faith in Mind Inscription. 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