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!
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.
*ABZS does keep attendance for events to support programing and the welfare of the sangha.*
Tuesday November 14, 2023 – Tuesday Dharma Tea “Enjoy Your Life” by Shōku Cristina Benavides. Come join our Tuesday Dharma Tea talk as we learn about Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s talk about “Enjoying your Life”. Online only. Join by using this link. If asked for a password use 842721.
We start with 5 minutes of silent tea drinking. Shōku Cristina will offer information on the topic.
The dharma tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern. All are welcome.
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. Shōku Cristina will offer information on the topic.
The dharma tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern. All are welcome.
*** Please support the sangha financially if you can*** See sidebar for methods to donate.
Sunday November 12, 2023 – Full Day Sit– Starting at 6:30am for early-birds (includes breakfast and lunch) or 9:00am for late-joiners (includes lunch) ending at 4:30pmat Urban Zendo in person and online – Zazen, kinhin, oryoki breakfast and lunch. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 566800 . In person and onlline only.
To join us via zoom use this link. If asked for a password use 693631
Way Seeking Mind Talk by Suzanne Ehrenhalt in the morning, following a brief period of zazen. in person and online.
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.
*ABZS does keep attendance for events to support programing and the welfare of the sangha.*
Tuesday November 7, 2023 – Tuesday Dharma Tea “The Life of Mahaprajapatipt 2” by Zen’Etsu Clay Crowell. Come join our Tuesday Dharma Tea talk as we unravel second-part of the life of Mahaprajapati, the Buddha’s Aunt/Mother. Online only. Join by using this link. If asked for a password use 842721.
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 2023 Benji) will offer information on the second half of the life of “Mahaprajapati”.
The dharma tea concludes at 2:45pm Eastern. All are welcome.
Take a peak into our annual Sejiki Ceremony, 2023!
Sejiki is a traditional Soto Zen ceremony in which participants come to appease what are known as pretas, or “hungry ghosts” in Buddhist cosmology. These hungry ghosts are beings who have an abundance of cravings, yet are unable to get any satisfaction. This type of being can represent not only these ghosts, but also the inexhaustible desires that we may have in ourselves/society as well.
In this ceremony, it is custom to invite various instruments to cling-clang-bang (bottom left photo), in order to invoke these hungry ghosts to come to our peaceful offering. From here, we recite well-wishing chants such as ‘Gate of Sweet Dew,’ have sweets and treats displayed as offerings, and finally send them off, hoping that they were nourished. At this time, we also say aloud and burn the name-cards from our Zendo altar of those who have departed within the year.
Below are pictures from our All Beings Sejiki Ceremony, and if you would like to see the music video of our gathering, please go to our facebook page here: All Beings Zen Sejiki Ceremony 2023
All Beings Zen Sangha gathered together at Woodburn Hill Farm on October 28th to enjoy a half-day work practice together. Starting the day off with zazen and our monthly full moon ceremony, we were ready to engage our heart-minds *and hands* with the various tasks on the farm. From stacking wood, trimming the bamboo off the barn, to setting up a nice space for us to gather around for our (delicious!) vegetarian potluck, we shared sweat and smiles with each other and the land on this beautiful autumn morning.
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)
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 English followed by one period of Zazen and Inryu Sensei will talk a little about the Fall Ango and offer a poem. 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 955165
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.
Order of Service
Greeting by the Kokyo
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo
Heart Sutra in English
Dedication of Merit
25 Minute Zazen Period
5 minute period of Kinhin (slow walking)
Four Great Vows
Inryu’s words about the Ango and a poem offering
Introduction of the Ango Benji
Refuges in Pali
Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo X7
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 Sutra in English
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,
