Your Kindness & Your Hatefulness
ACZC Happenings, 4/6 - 4/12
“Can we keep the goofy light heartedness of being rebel antagonists, along side the sincerity of really caring? Can we care and be funny at the same time?
And you know what I've seen us do? Exactly that. And that delights me. Thank you everybody.” - Dave Cuomo
Hello Sangha!
Wait, first, important news, tomorrow’s (Saturday) sit will be a normal 10am to 12:30 affair, not a whole half day sit.
And now, y’all I had big plans (hi, Dave here… but maybe you knew that) to be sitting on an airplane composing you a beautiful and heartfelt see y’all soon letter, but I just found out the wifi’s out on board and we board in five minutes. So let me get right to the important things…
Samm drew us that freakin adorable mole up there, who along with Henry, will be personing the cartoons this Spring. Thanks Sam and Henry! And Leon Sandler’s gonna be making us tiktok videos along with our whole koan crew, and Sara Campbell’s gonna be writing us newsletters because she’s as skilled at word play on the page as she is on the dharma talk stage. And Tanya’s gonna be organizing our volunteers, and Corey’s gonna be keeping the speakers seat scheduled and filled, and Robert is going to be our beating heart caretaker keeping everything going, Chris is gonna be keepin the calendar, Gyokei’s gonna support teach the hell out of this place, and Mota, Bonnie, Patrick, Emily, Heather, Jason, Tip, Jordan, Jenni and others are gonna be running discussions and running bells, sweeping floors, and making tea and doing everything to make this a place where Zen Center dreams are made. And you’re gonna sit around with them in time or in spirit keeping them company and benefiting all beings.
Thanks everyone. I’m gonna miss the crap out of you.
But speaking of swells of mixed emotions, this week on the podcast we are very excited to bring you Your Kindness & Your Hatefulness (See y’all soon) w/ Dave Cuomo. Dave gives us his See Y’all Soon address before hungry ghosting us for the Spring with a look at some favorite poetry about learning to see the world honestly through the nuances and subtleties, and what it means to be self fulfilled. Are we enough for ourselves? Can we light up the world without ever shining? Are American Buddhists too conflict averse? Or is Zen too amoral and heavily meditated to even concern itself? 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:
Kodo Sawaki said, “We’re always falling into ruts. Politicians and their followers, many schoolteachers, and opinion leaders work hard to manipulate people into biased, habitual ways of thinking. The ways we’re distorted are subtle, deliberate, and complicated. When we’re liberated from this distortion, we will find the true wisdom of Buddhism.”
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 - 4/6, 10am - 12:30pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Gyokei Yokoyama - Our biggest day of the week! Two half hour rounds of zazen, one walking meditation in the middle, and then Gyokei takes the hot seat for talk and kava java. Join us!
Monday - 4/8, 7:30pm - 9pm
Sit & Discussion w/ Gyokei Yokoyama - One half hour of zazen and then Gyokei is back again for talk and tea! because he’s a true zen hero (lot of that going around these days).
Wednesday - 4/10, 7:30pm - 9pm (Zoom Only)
Sit & Koan Discussion - Are we stuck in a rut? Are we being led around by the most distorted among us?? Let’s discuss.
Friday - 4/12 at 8am
Morning Chanting Service - This week! We chant the Heart Sutra in Japanese aka the Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo (gyabba gyabba hey!? do we have that right?), and send our regards to all our lineage ancestors from Buddha on down to now. 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