The All Beings Zen Sangha welcomes and affirms all who come here to seek the Way, and who will work toward respectful acceptance of others across our many differences, harmonizing the one and the many. May all beings be happy!
Suzanne Ehrenhalt will lead the tea discussion on “The Clover Adams Memorial statue and its Buddhist influences. The statue is located in D.C.’s Rock Creek Cemetery in Fort Totten.” ( Cloud Zendo only). All are welcome. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 995606 We begin with 5 minutes of silent tea drinking. All are welcome.
Myōshin Carlos Moura will offer information and share photographs on the topic of Oryoki. All Beings Zen Sangha Sesshin (meditation retreats) often a formal proscribed manor of serving food, eating the food and cleaning up after the eating is finished. Come and join the discussion and share your experience and knowledge about this important part of our practice. All are welcome. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 995606
Thursday October 13, 2022: 7pm Guest speaker Rev. Ben Connelly to visit ABZS and speak about “Yogacara and collective liberation”. In-person and via our cloud zendo. We will begin with a 20 minute period of zazen. We will recite the before lecture chant before Sensei Connolly begins their talk. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 837695. Connolly Sensei will have books available for sale and signing for those in person.
In his new book, Vasubandhu’s “Three Natures,” a plain-English commentary, Ben Connelly shows the power of integrating early Buddhist psychology with the Mahāyāna emphasis on collective liberation. You’ll discover how wisdom from fourth-century India can be harnessed to heal and transform systems of harm within ourselves and our communities.
You can find the book here, publication date is Oct. 4th:
Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Katagiri lineage.
He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts including police training and addiction recovery groups. He works with multifaith groups focused on intersectional liberation, racial justice, and climate justice. Ben is based at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, travels to teach across the United States, has written for Tricycle and Lion’s Roar magazines, and is author of Inside the Grass Hut, Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara, Vasubandhu’s “Three Natures”, and Mindfulness and Intimacy.
Inryū Sensei will offer information and share photographs and a small video on the topic of walking meditation. All Beings Zen Sangha gatherings often include Kinhin (slow walking) to break up intervals of sitting meditation. What other forms does walking meditation take? How is it helpful in your practice? Come and join the discussion and share your experience and knowledge about this important part of our practice. All are welcome. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 995606
Inryū Sensei will offer background about the traditional Sejiki Ceremony (feeding the hungry ghosts) which ABZS will have a ceremony and observance of on Oct 30th, 2022 at 4pm (outdoors). If we have time we can also view a few photographs from our recent Jukai and Tokudo ceremonies and have discussion about those events. All are welcome. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 995606
Please join All Beings Zen Sangha for a Tokudo (Priest Ordination Ceremony) at 2pm on September 25, 2022. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 455457 .
Tonight we will have a period of Zazen followed by a 10 minute period of Kinhin. Inryū Sensei will offer information about the beginning of the Fall Ango and the celebratory events happening this weekend (Jukai Ceremony on Saturday for Grace McClain and Priest Ordination for Seidō David Sarpal. We will have a Shuso Entering Ceremony for Shogaku Alan Brenner followed by chanting the refuges in Pal. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha. .
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.
If you are asked for a password please use this 837695
Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.
Order of Service
Greeting by the Kokyo
25 Minute Zazen Period
10 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)
Four Great Vows
Inryū Sensei’s instruction for the Ango/Announcement about weekend ceremonies
Shuso Entering Ceremony
Heart Sutra in English
Refuges in Pali
THE FOUR GREAT VOWS
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.
Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajña paramita,
clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty
and thus relieved all suffering.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.
Form itself is emptiness,
emptiness itself form.
Sensations, perceptions, formations,
and consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra,
all dharmas are marked by emptiness;
they neither arise nor cease,
are neither defiled nor pure,
neither increase nor decrease.
Therefore, given emptiness, there is
no form, no sensation, no perception,
no formation no consciousness;
no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind;
no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,
no touch, no object of mind;
no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness
There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance…
neither old age and death,
nor extinction of old age and death;
no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path;
no knowledge and no attainment.
With nothing to attain,
a bodhisattva relies on prajña paramita,
and thus the mind is without hindrance.
Without hindrance, there is no fear.
Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana.
All buddhas of past, present, and future
rely on prajña paramita and thereby attain
unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, know the prajña paramita ⨀ as
the great miraculous mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the supreme mantra,
the incomparable mantra,
which removes all suffering
and is true, not false.
Therefore we proclaim the prajña paramita mantra,
the mantra that says:
“Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.”
All Buddhas
All Buddhas, ten directions, Three times
All Honored Ones, Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas
Wisdom beyond wisdom
Maha Prajna Paramita
Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)
Accapella, inflections as follows:
➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
Tuesday Dharma Tea: Inryu Sensei will offer information and lead a discussion about the “Rakusu” and “Kechimyaku” given to people being offered Jukai (lay ordination) and Tokudo (priest ordination) in the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi Lineage of Soto Zen Buddhism. Use this link to join. if asked for a password use 995606.
Our first 5 minutes are spent in silence drinking tea. All are welcome.
Tonight we will have a short service following by two periods of Zazen with a short period of walking meditation in between the zazen periods. The Kokyo will offer announcement and we will close with chanting the refuges. You are welcome to stay online following the chanting of the refuges to share greetings with the sangha. .
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.
If you are asked for a password please use this 837695
Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.
Order of Service
Greeting by the Kokyo
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
Heart Sutra in English
All Buddhas Chant
25 Minute Zazen Period
5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)
25 Minute Zazen Period
Four Great Vows
Refuges in Pali
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
KAN ZEON
NA MU BUTSU
YO BUTSU U IN
YO BUTSU U EN
BUP PO SO EN
JO RAKU GA JO
CHO NEN KANZEON
BO NEN KANZEON
NEN NEN JU SHIN KI
NEN NEN FU RI SHIN
Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajña paramita,
clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty
and thus relieved all suffering.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.
Form itself is emptiness,
emptiness itself form.
Sensations, perceptions, formations,
and consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra,
all dharmas are marked by emptiness;
they neither arise nor cease,
are neither defiled nor pure,
neither increase nor decrease.
Therefore, given emptiness, there is
no form, no sensation, no perception,
no formation no consciousness;
no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind;
no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,
no touch, no object of mind;
no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness
There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance…
neither old age and death,
nor extinction of old age and death;
no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path;
no knowledge and no attainment.
With nothing to attain,
a bodhisattva relies on prajña paramita,
and thus the mind is without hindrance.
Without hindrance, there is no fear.
Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana.
All buddhas of past, present, and future
rely on prajña paramita and thereby attain
unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, know the prajña paramita ⨀ as
the great miraculous mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the supreme mantra,
the incomparable mantra,
which removes all suffering
and is true, not false.
Therefore we proclaim the prajña paramita mantra,
the mantra that says:
“Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.”
All Buddhas
All Buddhas, ten directions, Three times
All Honored Ones, Bodhisattvas-Mahasattvas
Wisdom beyond wisdom
Maha Prajna Paramita
THE FOUR GREAT VOWS
Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.
Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.
Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)
Accapella, inflections as follows:
➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii
BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI
Saturday September 10, 2022: Book Discussion Join All Beings Zen Sangha for a book discussion of the “Shamanic Bones of Zen” written by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel. 2pm- 3pm Eastern time (online only). Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 635618
