{"id":730,"date":"2009-08-29T07:39:28","date_gmt":"2009-08-29T07:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/treeleafzen\/2009\/08\/a-special-live-from-treeleaf-r.html"},"modified":"2009-08-29T07:39:28","modified_gmt":"2009-08-29T07:39:28","slug":"a-special-live-from-treeleaf-r","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/08\/a-special-live-from-treeleaf-r.html","title":{"rendered":"A SPECIAL “LIVE FROM TREELEAF’ Real-Time Zazenkai — Celebrating the First Day of Our 100-Day ANGO!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our Special “Live from
\nTreeleaf” Zazen<\/span> marking the FIRST DAY <\/b>(although really without beginning or end) of our 100-DAY ‘ANGO’ PRACTICE SEASON <\/b><\/p>\n

OUR ANGO SITTING NETCAST CAN BE VIEWED HERE (on Ustream)<\/b><\/p>\n

ZAZEN NETCAST<\/a><\/b><\/div>\n

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE LINK WAS BROKEN YESTERDAY, BUT IS NOW WORKING<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

We run a little long in time today, about 1 hour 20 minutes<\/b>, as I want to talk a little about what Ango means. <\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
More information on participating in our Ango at Treeleaf (it is never too late to hop in) is provided at LINK: ANGO<\/a> <\/p>\n

It is not too late to join in! <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Master Dogen wrote “What is attentively maintained by all practicing buddhas, and what is thoroughly mastered by practicing buddhas is like this …. Although the everyday activities of practicing buddhas invariably allow buddhas to practice, practicing buddhas allow everyday activities to practice. This is to abandon your body for dharma, to abandon dharma for your body. This is to give up holding back your life, to hold on fully to your life”.<\/p>\n

<\/i>Even buddhas practice buddha, and they do so as and amid everyday activities. Those events of daily life are the place of practice, and are just one’s life. In everyday activities, the Teachings can be both learned and put into practice<\/b>. Allowing life to be fully life. <\/p>\n

Such will be the theme of this Ango … practice in the homes, offices, factories, with the people and situations with whom we find our self in our everyday activities<\/b>.<\/p>\n

In keeping with the philosophy and path of practice here at Treeleaf
\n(“life is our temple”), we will seek to obtain many of the same …
\n(and, I believe, quite a few additional and very special<\/span>)
\n… fruits and lessons of a traditional Ango while sitting within the
\n“monastery” of our day-to-day lives, jobs, problems, unending
\ndistractions and family responsibilities. <\/p>\n

In doing so, I believe, we will have the opportunity to taste the sweetness (and sometime bitterness … no one without the other<\/span>) of concentrated Zen practice … <\/p>\n

The most important point to keep in mind is that those work duties at the office, daily problems and family responsibilities ARE THE PRACTICE PLACE<\/span> as much as the Zafu (sitting cushion). T<\/b>he home kitchen is the temple kitchen, the office, store or factory is the garden when we practice Samu (work practice), etc.<\/span>  Each presents countless opportunities for practice, and for manifesting Wisdom and Compassion.<\/p>\n

The purpose is not to overwhelm; it is to mutually
\nwork together through a period of dedicated practice. We will do our
\nbest each and every day, and let Zazen soak into our life. But key to that is consistency, not giving up, finding the time and not quitting.
<\/span>
I propose that Ango participants
\nshould commit (as best they can, given the circumstance of their lives<\/u>) <\/b>to as many of the following as possible. In all cases, the
\nemphasis will be on increasing … not raw quantity … but the sincerity, commitment, vigor and seriousness<\/span> of what we undertake:<\/span> <\/p>\n