Boundless Way Spring Sesshin talks

Thanks to Steve Wallace, the talks given at our Boundless Way Zen Spring Sesshin are now available to listen to at:

Spring Sesshin 2016

Enjoy!

Home

Doorways -- Italy

The Chinese Master Yunmen once asked his student Dongshan, "Why do you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?"  Yunmen was asking about a common type of human wandering, familiar to anyone who has ever watched his or her own mind for even a few minutes.  We are endlessly addicted to chasing after thoughts, moving backwards and forwards into the past and into the future, never being fully where we actually are.

Many things have been occurring recently in my life that are unsettling.  Strange weather, friends getting seriously ill, people dying.  None of this is unusual, and in many ways I am lucky, spared from great disasters.  But still, I notice my mind wandering, to the past in regret and to the future in worry.   Moments of settling into this present moment are so precious, but not permanent.  I find myself longing to be settled physically, emotionally and cognitively, to be at home in this ever-changing world.

And perhaps this is the whole point of Zen practice:  to be comfortable in the wandering itself; to be at home in every place.

Yunmen's words caused Dongshan to have a great awakening.  This is what he said to his teacher:  "Someday I'll go where there's no one around and build myself a hut.  I'll store no rice and plant no vegetables but will receive worthy friends coming and going from all directions.  Pulling out their pegs and yanking out their wedges, snatching away their grubby hats and ripping off their smelly robes.  I'll make them clean and free, I'll make them people with nothing to do."

Yunmen responded, "You're no larger than a coconut, yet how big your mouth is!"

Dongshan is talking about my own job description!  Here at the Temple we gather, gradually becoming people with nothing to do.  And then, off we go again!  Every moment is a doorway to the Great Matter.

On Eagles Wings

My husband's father, George Rynick, died this morning.  He had a complex and varied life, but he never lost his faith in a love that held him no matter what he did or what was done to him.  What I might call the Dharma, the lawful love that fills the universe, he saw as embodied in a personal and ever compassionate God.  He requested that his favorite song, "On Eagle's Wings" be sung at his funeral.  Here is a version by Josh Groban:

https://youtu.be/FrLafWZxczI

May you be carried on eagle's wings, George, and find your rest at last.

Inside Out Review

Inside Out just won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film.  You can read the review I wrote last fall for Shambhala Sun here:

http://www.lionsroar.com/how-inside-out-can-you-help-your-kids-to-talk-about-their-emotions

Talks on Linji from the Boundless Way Zen Coming and Going Sesshin

Thanks to Steve Wallace, audio recordings from our 2016 Coming and Going sesshin are now available online at:
http://www.boundlesswayzen.org/recorded.htm

Please come join us at the BWZ Temple in Worcester between now and January 23rd if you can.  Even if you can't join us physically you can still hear all the talks and discussions online. More talks are added each day as we proceed.  The inspiration for this year's talks comes from the Record of Master Linji.

enjoy!

Coming and Going Sesshin 2016

Calligraphy for Ango (Peaceful Dwelling Place)

As 2016 begins, so does Boundless Way Temple's annual Coming and Going Sesshin, sponsored by Boundless Way Zen.  For 3 weeks, the Temple will be open from 6 am to 9 pm every day, and you may literally come and go, joining us in sitting and walking meditation, liturgy, meals, care-taking, individual meetings with teachers and dharma talks and discussions.   No registration is necessary for daytime attendance.  If you want to stay overnight, please register at this link:   http://boundlesswayzen.org/cags/registration


The schedule is:

 Opening ceremony on January 3rd at 7:30 p.m.
From January 4 -- 22:
o 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM Early morning practice period
• Includes dokusan (individual meetings with a teacher or senior student)
o 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM Late morning practice period:
• Includes sutra service, teisho (dharma talk by a teacher or senior student) and dharma dialogue
o 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM Afternoon practice period
• Includes dokusan
o 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Evening practice period
• Includes teisho, dharma dialogue and dokusan
 Shuso Hossen ceremony for Bob Waldinger on January 22 at 7:30 PM

Hope to see you at Boundless Way Temple, 1030 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA 01602
www.worcesterzen.org

Boundless Way Zen October Sesshin recordings

The Gang -- photo by D. Rynick

Audio recordings from our Boundless Way Zen October 2015 sesshin are now available online at:
http://www.boundlesswayzen.org/recorded.htm

The talks are by David Dae An Rynick, Roshi, Melissa Myozen Blacker, Roshi, Josh Munen Bartok, Sensei, Dharma Holder James Myosan Cordova, and Dharma Holder Diane Shoshin Fitzgerald.

Thanks to Senior Dharma Teacher Steve Wallace who, as always,  was the recording engineer.