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!
Dōgen saw himself, at least in part, as a “translator” of the wisdom of the Chinese ancestors into the Japanese language. In the Shōbōgenzō, he directly quotes from Chinese texts in over 300 instances. Similarly, the goal of the Sōtō Zen Translation Project has been to render into English the words of Dōgen and his followers.
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program. Tonight we will have a short service before one period of Zazen. We will then have our monthly Wellbeing Service and the chanting of the refuges. If you would like stay after refuges and do a welcome and check-in please do
If you are asked for a password please use this 041285
ABZS does keep an attendance of participation in sangha events* this is done for the welfare of it’s members and for guidance in future programing
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
Heart Sutra in English
30 minutes period of zazen
5 minute period of Kinhin (slow walking meditation)
Wellbeing Service
Enmei X 9
Loving Kindness Meditation
Dedication of merit.
Refuges in Pali
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,
Tuesday October 17, 2023 2pm Eastern , 2023 – Join All Beings Zen Sangha Guiding Teacher Inryǔ Poncé=Barger for a photo show and explanation about the migration of the library, zendo and archival materials from Dragons Leap in San Francisco to ABZS in Washington DC. These items are gifted to us by our very first formal Soto Zen Guiding Teacher Dairyǔ Michael Wenger. Dairyǔ and his wife Barbara are retiring and moving to Enso Village (a retirement community/houseing complex newly built in Healdsburg, CA.
Thursday, October 12, 2023 7PM – In person and in our cloud zendo. Guest Teacher Rev. Liên Shutt will talk about her new book. Rev. Liên will be in-person with books for sale and to sign in our urban zendo. We will also have the event offered in our cloud zendo. Use this link to join and if asked for a password use 041285
Order of Practice
Short Service in Spanish
10 minutes of Zazen
Guest Speaker Dharma Offering
Refuges in Pali
Book signing
Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Ac-cess: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2021 with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön and Kaira Jewel Lingo. For Season 2, Sister Peace and Dalila Bothwell joined the team.
Join us next week Tuesday October 17, 2023 at 2pm for a slide show about the Migration of the Dragons Leap Library and Archive to All Beings Zen Sangha. Inryǔ Sensei will offer photographs and description of the Library and Archive gifted to us from our first Guiding Teacher Dairyǔ Michael Wenger from his temple in San Francisco (Dragons Leap). Dairyǔ and his wife Barbara are retiring and moving to Enso Village (a retirement community/houseing complex newly built in Healdsburg, CA.
For the All Beings Zen Sangha Tuesday Teas at Two, a topic is introduced and then a few questions are proposed for discussion by those present. The Teas are online only.
We start with 5 minutes of silent tea drinking. Sensei Inryǔ will offer photographs and background on the migration of the library from West to East coast. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 842721
The dharma tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern. All are welcome.
Tonight we will have a short service followed by two periods of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between). We will have our monthly pass the feather sharing and conclude by chanting the refuges in Pali. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.
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.
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 (text available at highlighted links)
For this three-month practice period, I will be Benji, aka Inryū’s administrative assistant ~~ helper with various Ango activities.
What does this mean? Well, for starters I am the middle-man to help you connect with Sangha! Inryū Sensei will be accepting Dokusan meetings all Ango, which gives the opportunity to have private one-on-one conversations with our teacher. Practice period is a wonderful time to go inward + dive deeper within our practice; as we enter this three-month Dharma Gate, it’s nice to receive teaching and direction. Another way to lean on Sangha is by sitting down/having a phone call with one of our senior practice leaders (Shinren, Shoryu, Myoshin, Seido, Koryu). If either of these interest you, I’m your person to schedule these 🤗
As you may know from past Ango’s, we will start to have Way Seeking Mind Talks on Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings (after a shorter period of zazen), as well as Tuesday Tea Talks at 2pm. Way Seeking Mind talks, I find, can be also understood as Way ‘Finding’ Talks! These are talks where we get to talk about our lives, and how we found our Zen practice in the start or maybe even within this year. Now, Tuesday Tea Talks are a bit more casual, but also creative! On Tuesday’s, we convene to hear the speaker of the week talk (or present via powerpoint and the likes) about whatever Buddhist-related topic they wish. It is as long or short as you want the talk, and could even just be a big ole’ discussion with Sangha! Super interesting, but also grounding to have tea in the afternoon with Sangha.
We would like to hear from all of you, so at your earliest convenience please contact me at zenjoyclay@gmail.com to schedule your Way Seeking Mind talk (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) and a Tuesday Tea Talk if possible. Practice period is from September 28 through December 21. If you have any questions about anything, or if I can be of assistance to you this practice period in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to help. 🙏zenjoyclay@gmail.com
Today – Tuesday Dharma Tea at 2PM for October 3, 2023 led by Zen’etsue Clay. Join us for the resumption of our Tuesday Teas. This first online Tuesday Tea 2-2:45pm Eastern will be a fun introduction to Mahaprajapati.
For the All Beings Zen Sangha Tuesday Teas at Two, a topic is introduced and then a few questions are proposed for discussion by those present. The Teas are online only.
We start with 5 minutes of silent tea drinking. Zen’etsu Clay Crowell (our Fall Benji) will provide an introduction to the Life of an early Buddhist woman “Mahaprajapati”. Please use this link to join. If asked for a password use 842721
The dharma tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern. All are welcome.
What you can expect. Our usual 5 minutes of silent tea drinking. Information and Poetry to discuss and 5 minutes of silence at the end of the online gathering. Online only. The Dharma Tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern.
To join us via zoom use this link. If asked for a password use 879071
Following a 40 minute period of zazen there will be a Full Moon Ceremony.
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.
Photograph by Inryǔ Sensei
RYAKU FUSATSU
Full Moon Bodhisattva Ceremony
Repentance (3 X call and response)
All my ancient twisted karma
From beginningless greed, hate, and delusion
Born through body, speech, and mind
I now fully avow.
Homages (1 X call and response)
Homage to the Seven Buddhas before Buddha.
Homage to Shakyamuni Buddha.
Homage to Maitreya Buddha.
Homage to Manjusri Bodhisattva.
Homage to Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
Homage to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.
Homage to the Succession of Ancestors.
Four Bodhisattva Vows (1X call and response)
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
ALL: I take refuge in Buddha.
Doshi: Before all beings,
Immersing body and mind
Deeply in the Way
Awakening true mind.
ALL: I take refuge in Dharma.
Doshi: Before all beings,
Entering deeply the merciful ocean
Of Buddha’s Way.
ALL: I take refuge in Sangha.
Doshi: Before all being,
Bringing harmony to everyone,
Free from hindrance.
Pure Precepts
All: I vow to refrain from all evil
Doshi: It is the abode of the law of all Buddhas;
it is the source of the law of all Buddhas.
All: I vow to make every effort to live in enlightenment.
Doshi: It is the teaching of anuttara samyaksambodhi
and the path of the one who practices and that which is
practiced.
All: I vow to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings.
Doshi: It is transcending profane and holy and taking self
and others across.
Grave Precepts
All: I vow not to kill
Doshi: By not killing life the Buddha tree seed grows,
transmit the life of Buddha and do not kill.
All: I vow not to take what is not given.
Doshi: The self and objects are such as they are, two yet
one. The gate of liberation stands open.
All: I vow not to misuse sexuality
Doshi: Let the three wheels of self, object, and action be
Pure. With nothing to desire one goes along
Together with the Buddhas.
All: I vow to refrain from false speech.
Doshi: The Dharma Wheel turns from the beginning. There
Is neither surplus nor lack. The sweet dew
Saturates all and harvests the truth.
All: I vow to refrain from intoxicants.
Doshi: Originally pure, don’t defile. This is the great
Awareness.
All: I vow not to slander.
Doshi: In the Buddhadharma, go together, appreciate
Together, realize together, and actualize together.
Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program. Tonight we will have short service with Heart Sutra in Mandarin followed by one period of Zazen and Inryu Sensei will talk a little about the Fall Ango and we will introduce the Benji who will be serving the sangha for the Ango. We will close by chanting the Refuges in Pali. If you would like stay after refuges and do a welcome and check-in please do.
If you are asked for a password please use this 041285
Brushwork by Dairyǔ Michael Wenger
ABZS does keep an attendance of participation in sangha events* this is done for the welfare of it’s members and for guidance in future programing
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.
