Appamada

00:02:00 - A short reading from ‘Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen by Shunryu Suzuki 00:03:50 - Reading from: Seeds for a Boundless Life: Zen Teachings from the Heart by Zenkei Blanche Hartman 00:05:33 - The Niagara River By Kay Ryan (see below) 00:08:50 - The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac by Mary Oliver 00:15:47 - Peonies by Mary Oliver 00:21:37 - Ann Invites Questions The Niagara River By Kay Ryan 1945 – As thoughthe river werea floor, we positionour table and chairsupon it, eat, andhave conversation.As it moves along,we notice—ascalmly as thoughdining room paintingswere being replaced—the changing scenesalong the shore. Wedo know, we doknow this is theNiagara River, butit is hard to rememberwhat that means. The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac by Mary Oliver

2024- 04-09 I Inquiry I The Hum of the Refrigerator I Josh Gifford by Appamada

2024-04-08 | Depth in Practice | Noble Truths, Noble Path | Bhikkhu Bodhi by Appamada

00:00:43 - Recap of the Book so Far 00:07:23 - Peg Begins Reading ‘Not Two’ - Part 3 - Chapter 10 - Becoming who you are

00:00:33 - Flint and Peg Begin 00:06:12 - 'What if You Knew' - By Ellen Bass 00:10:22 - Peg describes an Activity 'Walk and Talk' 00:11:46 - Participants Walk In Pairs for 30 Minutes 00:11:55 - Reflections/Comments What if You Knew What if you knew you'd be the last to touch someone? If you were taking tickets, for example,at the theater, tearing them,giving back the ragged stubs, you might take care to touch that palm, brush your fingertipsalong the life line's crease. When a man pulls his wheeled suit case too slowly through the airport, when the car in front of me doesn't signal, when the clerk at the pharmacy won't say Thank you, I don't remember they're going to die. A friend told me she'd been with her aunt. They'd just had lunch and the waiter, a young gay man with plum black eyes, joked as he served the coffee, kissed her aunt's powdered cheek when they left. Then they walked half a block and her aunt dropped dead on the sidewalk. How close does the dragon's spume have to come? How wide does th

00:46:03 - Joy Chose You - By Donna Ashworth JOY CHOSE YOU Joy does not arrive with a fanfare on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life joy sneaks in as you pour a cup of coffee watching the sun hit your favourite tree just right and you usher joy away because you are not ready for her your house is not as it should be for such a distinguished guest but joy, you see cares nothing for your messy home or your bank balance or your waistline joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life that's how joy works you cannot truly invite her you can only be ready when she appears and hug her with meaning because in this very moment joy chose you.

00:21:22 - Peg Invites Questions/Reflections 00:32:10 - Taco Time

00:00:27 - Flint and Peg Describe the Activity for small Groups of 3 00:03:00 - The Sangha Brings forth Questions for Flint and Peg

00:00:27 - Dharma Talk 00:20:46 - Poem - Another theory of Time 00:28:30 - Reflections Another Theory of Time - Marie Howe So, I tell my daughter we are eating dinner, reading through the book of stories I'm worried about Jason. If I seem distracted, that's what's on my mind. And she says, Take it out of your mind, then dips and eats a dumpling, and says, But don't take out Jason. And this morning at the deli I say, I'm grumpy because it's the first day of school, and I'm thinking of so many things. and she says, Take them out, and I say, How do I do that? and she says, Think about Now. I bite into my egg and cheese on a sesame bagel, and it is good. It is. Although it does bother me how she always wants to sit at the tiny deli counter so near the garbage bins eating meatballs for breakfast. Then she ways, I can't remember the future or the past. The local high school girls order iced coffee and whole wheat bagels with nothing on them. My girl eats her meatballs, and I stare past the cutouts of ham and t

2024-04-03 | Day 4 | Forms and Roles as Practice | Head Student Sandra Medina Bocangel by Appamada

00:00:33 - Peg Reads a Poem ‘Enlightenment’ by Vijay Seshardi 00:05:54 - Offering Comprehensive Instruction on Posture/Sitting Zazen 00:32:51 - Questions/Reflections 00:35:00 - Peg Offers Instruction on a Practice (Groups of 3) - 'Narrating on Present Moment Experience Whilst Sitting in the Zazen Posture' 00:37:48 - Participants Join Groups of 3 for 10 Minutes 00:37:57 - Reflections/Comments Vijay Seshadri 1954 – “It’s all empty, empty,” he said to himself. “The sex and drugs. The violence, especially.” So he went down into the world to exercise his virtue, thinking maybe that would help. He taught a little kid to build a kite. He found a cure, and then he found a cure for his cure. He gave a woman at the mercy of the weather his umbrella, even though icy rain fell and he had pneumonia. He settled a revolution in Spain. Nothing worked. The world happens, the world changes, the world, it is written here, in the next line, is only its own membrane— and, oh yes, your compassionate nature, your compas

00:00:59 - Peg Reads Huineng Poem 00:02:18 - Peg reads a section of the Fukanzazengi (Eihei Do- gen ) regarding Zazen Huineng Poem Deluded, a Buddha is a sentient being;
Awakened, a sentient being is a Buddha. Ignorant, a Buddha is a sentient being;
With wisdom, a sentient being is a Buddha. If the mind is warped, a Buddha is a sentient being;
If the mind is impartial, a sentient being is a Buddha. When once a warped mind is produced,
Buddha is concealed within the sentient being. If for one instant of thought we become impartial,
Then sentient beings are themselves Buddha. In our mind itself a Buddha exists,
Our own Buddha is the true Buddha. If we do not have in ourselves the Buddha mind,
Then where are we to seek the Buddha? By: Huineng

00:19:39 - Questions/Reflections 00:22:52 - Flint Prepares for, and Offers an Exercise 00:33:33 - Instruction for connection Groups of 3 People (20 Minutes)

2024-04-01 Day 2/Part 1 | Integrated Intensive | Forms and Roles as Practice | Flint Sparks by Appamada

00:01:48 - Peg anf Flint read Fukanzazengi - Eihei Do-gen (P.p 30 Appamada Chant Book) 00:11:28 - Flints Asks ‘What was it like to hear it read out in this way’? 00:26:49 - Flint Reads a poem by Marie Howe (see Below) 00:32:33 - Peg reads a Poem by Dogen Easter Two of the fingers on his right hand had been broken so when he poured back into that hand it surprised him—it hurt him at first. And the whole body was too small. Imagine the sky trying to fit into a tunnel carved into a hill. He came into it two ways: From the outside, as we step into a pair of pants. And from the centre—suddenly all at once. Then he felt himself awake in the dark alone. - Marie Howe

2024-04-02 I Inquiry I Nothing happening is a very good day I Trudy Johnson by Appamada

2024-03-26 I Inquiry I Are You Clear About Practice? I Flint Sparks by Appamada

Ordinary things are all Extra-Ordinary | Joel Barna 00:02:31 - A Reading from 'After Buddhism' by Stephen Batchelor 00:07:36 - Joel gives instructions on how to write a Pantoum Poem (Please see below) 00;11:56 - Joel’s Pantoum 00:13:18 - Joel explains how to format the 8 lines into a Pantoum 00:15:09 - Participants Write for 10 Minutes 00:15:19 - Instruction for Connecting Rooms/Groups 00:15:49 - Participants go into Breakout Rooms/Groups for 10 Minutes 00:15:58 - Some of the Participants share their Pantoums 00:22:31 - Joel begins to bring the meeting to a close Pantoum Instructions below: 1. A line about something that’s become ordinary for you; 2. Where does this ordinary thing happen? 3. A line about time: When did you notice this ordinary thing had become ordinary? 4. Other surrounding events: what happens before it? what happens after it? 5. What is a single feeling you have about this ordinary thing? 6. What do you most wish to say about this ordinary thing? (You may wish to imagine yourself spea

The Depth in Practice group discusses Case 20: Dizang asked Fayan, "Where are you going?"// Fayan said, "Around on pilgrimage." // Dizang said, "What is the purpose of pilgrimage?" // Fayan said, "I don't know." // Dizang said, "Not knowing is most intimate." // Depth in Practice meets virtually at Appamada every week. Anyone is welcome to join the group! If you are interested in joining, please go to the calendar at appamada.org to find the link for the group. If you would like to donate to Appamada, please go to appamada.org and click on the contribute button at the bottom of the page.

The Depth in Practice group discusses Case 19: A monk asked Yunmen, “Not a single thought arises: is there any fault or not?” // Yunmen said, “Mt. Sumeru.” // [According to Jain cosmology, Mount Meru (or Sumeru) is at the center of the world surrounded by Jambūdvīpa, in the form of a circle forming a diameter of 100,000 yojans. (description from Wikipedia)] Depth in Practice meets virtually at Appamada every week. Anyone is welcome to join the group! If you are interested in joining, please go to the calendar at appamada.org to find the link for the group. If you would like to donate to Appamada, please go to appamada.org and click on the contribute button at the bottom of the page.