Our next weekend intensive will be held in-person at Semaphore on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 August. The Intensive will be led by Robert Joyner, Roshi and Imelda Carson, Apprentice Teacher.
The Intensive runs Saturday and Sunday and is broken into morning and afternoon blocks from 9AM-1230PM and 1:30PM-5PM both days.
You can come for as many blocks as your weekend schedule allows, whether it’s one session or for the whole two days.
The cost is $10 per block or $40 for full-time attendance. COVID precautions for this intensive include; a well ventilated room, numbers limited relative to the size of the venue and a RAT test will be required either before or on arrival. More details will be provided in acceptance letters.
If you’ve been sitting with the group for a while and you’ve been curious about a retreat, the intensive is the perfect chance to dip your toe into the waters of practicing for longer periods. Please email us with any questions and for a link to the registration form: azg@azg.org.au
Hello all, a reminder that the AZG Online Sesshin begins on Thursday 7th July.
We won’t be at Hutt Street for our usual Thursday night sitting (7th July) and Sunday morning (11th of July). The schedule resumes as normal the following week.
Looking forward to seeing some of you in sesshin, and looking forward to seeing everyone in person on our return!
AZG is offering an online Sesshin commencing on the evening of Thursday 7 July to mid-morning on Tuesday 12 July. The teachers will be Allan Marett Roshi, with Steve Wigg and Peter Bursky as apprentice teachers.
The Sesshin will include early risings settling into a routine of zazen and walking meditation across the day and into the evening, interspersed with periods of rest and work supported by regular contact with a teacher in private interview and Dharma talks. This format provides an unique opportunity to deepen our practice and to get in close contact with, to become aware of, more familiar with our innermost true being.
Both part-time and full-time participation will be available, so even if you have commitments preventing you from attending full-time, you could attend early morning and evening blocks as well as during the weekend. As much or as little as you can manage.
Application forms have been sent out by email – if you haven’t received one and would like one, please get in touch at azg@azg.org.au.
Goolwa Beach, where we took our long Kinhin (walking meditation) during our recent autumn retreat.
The AZG held our first in-person sesshin since 2019 at Goolwa Beach from April 14-20. Allan Marett Roshi led the sesshin and was joined by apprentice teacher Steve Wigg, who gave his first sesshin Dharma talks during the retreat.
“Sesshin” literally means Se = to touch, to get in close contact, Shin = our heart-spirit (our original, true being). This Autumn we took this practice literally in many ways. Our zendo was generously provided by AZG member Rogier Voorhoeve in a space designed and built by him and his son. Rogier’s commitment to sustainability led him to use the earth from foundations of the house and repurpose it as the floor of the home. This meant we were touching the earth every time we sat together. We’re very grateful to Rogier for giving us the chance to sit together in this space!
Our zendo for the Autumn 2022 retreat at Goolwa Beach, in a home designed and built by AZG member Rogier Voorhoeve.Cedric Varcoe gave us a very warm welcome to country at Goolwa Beach. Cedric created an atmosphere with the ceremony that infused our practice throughout the retreat.
This autumn also saw the group welcomed to country in a ceremony held by Ngarrindjeri and Narungga artist and elder Cedric Varcoe. Cedric’s ceremony was an important marker for the group as a welcome to country and as a reminder that deep traditions permeate the land we sit and walk upon.
We were moved by Cedric’s stories and ideas about the importance of connection to country, which made many of us consider our own practice differently during our week. Cedric’s words and ways of welcoming us influenced our commitment to being present on the ancient ground on which we sat and taking care with each moment and each step as a mark of respect for the country in which we were guests.
The sesshin was a great success and a deep time of practice and reflection. Our accommodation was an unusually long walk from our zendo so the walk back for meals became a practice of its own as the week continued (and hopping into one of the cars became an equally important practice at other times!). As well as the chance to sit together as COVID restrictions lifted, we had the rare opportunity to sit with three teachers in the room as we were joined by apprentice teacher Imelda Carlson, who brought great presence and provided a lot of help in the running of the sesshin.
We’d like to thank Allan Marett for his teachings and Dharma talks which delved deep into his ongoing work on the Book of Serenity. And also congratulations to Steve Wigg who delved deep into his personal experience of the dharma for his talks. Thanks also to the AZG committee for all their work to make this sesshin happen, especially David Edwards and Jak Baddams. Jak also offered some words about his sesshin experience:
A warm and busy sesshin, long walks to a very beautiful zendo lacking in the ageing vinyl and corduroy furniture we have grown to love. Uncle Ced gave us a blessing that could be heard all the way to the bottom of the ocean’s roar There were kangaroos watching the whole time, I like to think.
First of all: There’ll be no sitting on Sunday 6th of March due to the AZG online intensive.
Second:
In-Person Sitting Returns at Hutt Street from Thursday evening 10 March and continue every Thursday evening and Sunday morning from that time on.
Some things to know:
Thursday night sitting will start in-person at 730PM. Sundays will continue to start at 9AM.
We will be following SA Govt COVID Safe Guidelines including; wearing a mask, no group chanting and maintaining safe distancing.
In addition, we will continue to require proof of vaccination (at least 2 doses). If you have not yet provided evidence OR have received a booster shot please contact us as soon as possible.
Proof of vaccination can also be presented when you attend at Hutt St.
If you have any questions or issues, please email us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
We’ve enjoyed the chance to step into the world of online sitting and we’re looking for ways to continue to offer in in the future. Stay tuned for more information.
Myvanwy Williamson and Alexander Cox take Jukai with Allan Marett Roshi in a hybrid ceremony in person and online, supported by Rev. Neti Mushin and Twining Vines Zendo.
Myvanwy Williamson and Alexander Cox took Jukai with AZG teacher Allan Marett in a special, and so far as we know, unique ceremony.
Originally, Allan had planned to travel to Canberra, where Alex and Myvanwy live, to conduct the ceremony at the Twining Vines Zendo. As COVID continued, a different plan was hatched. Allan attended the ceremony via Zoom and officiated as Alex and Myvanwy took the precepts at Twining vines with Reverend Neti Mushin, a Soto Zen priest and Diamond Sangha teacher, officiating in person.
Jukai is a wonderful way to commit to the path of practicing Zen and an opportunity to reflect on what the practice means and how to express it in our vows and our lives. This was a particularly special expression as family, friends and other sangha members joined from across Australia and the world.
Alex and Myvanwy kindly agreed to allow their vows to be published. Congratulations to you both!
Jukai Vows: Myvanwy Williamson
The Three Refuges
I take Refuge in the Buddha
I take refuge in the Buddha’s awakening and in the all-pervading Buddha nature. I vow to cultivate the clarity to see that these are not separate, and to perceive the complete coming forth of all things.
I take Refuge in the Dharma
I take refuge in the Dharma as teaching and the fullness of the many dharmas that arise and fall. I vow to cultivate the humility to accept and live these completely.
I take Refuge in the Sangha
I take refuge in the Sangha of all Beings. I vow to cultivate the openness and trust to let go into the arms of the Sangha. Although I do not go for Dokusan with the magpies they are still my teachers. Although there are places that I cannot go there is nowhere I am not home.
The Three Pure Precepts
I vow to keep all precepts.
Each precept contains the others. I vow to practice skilfully and embody the precepts in every moment.
I vow to practice all good Dharma.
The Buddha way is always present. I vow to cultivate the Buddha way in every moment and practice all good Dharma through any hardships.
I vow to save the many beings.
The many beings are already saved and yet suffering continues. I vow to save the many beings through my practice and through my actions in the world.
The Ten Grave Precepts
I take up the way of Not Killing
Although there is fundamentally no birth or death, birth and death come forth fully in each moment without hindrance, gain or loss. I vow to cultivate the compassion to honour life and death in every form.
I take up the way of Not Stealing
There is no one who owns and nothing to own and yet taking what is not given causes harm. I vow to cultivate the generosity to give freely and not cling to ideas of self and ownership.
I take up the way of Not Misusing Sex
Sensuality arises as naturally as the blossoms in spring, and yet its misuse can destroy lives. I vow to honour the integrity of every being and their interconnectivity.
I take up the way of Not Speaking Falsely
The fundamental truth cannot be explained and yet communication is essential for human life. I vow to cultivate authenticity in all speech and conduct.
I take up the way of Not Giving or Taking Drugs
Drugs themselves are neither wholesome nor unwholesome but they become wholesome when used as medicine, and unwholesome when used as intoxicants. Although the Way is always present, the unwholesome use of drugs obscures that fact. I vow to practice skilfully to only give and take drugs when it is wholesome.
I take up the way of Not Discussing the Faults of Others
Judging another is comparison which hardens the heart and obfuscates one’s true nature. I vow to speak in a compassionate way that does not create division between self and other.
I take up the way of Not Praising Myself While Abusing Others
To hold oneself up against another is what creates both self and other. I vow to recognise the illusory nature of difference, that each of us is not better, not worse, always coming forth completely without hindrance.
I take up the way of Not Sparing the Dharma Assets
Not sparing the Dharma assets is to give and receive without hesitation or obstruction. I vow to not let dualistic thinking obstruct the original Dharma sharing that has been here from the beginning, so I do not put myself in the way of what would otherwise flow freely.
I take up the way of Not Indulging in Anger
Clinging to anger perpetuates one’s suffering and transmits it to others. I vow to cultivate the spaciousness to recognise anger as a teacher and allow it to soften and reveal the deep caring that lays beneath it
I take up the way of Not Defaming the Three Treasures
Not defaming the three treasures is to polish them in everyday life. To polish the Three Treasures is to take refuge in them and sincerely practice the Way. I vow to practice sincerely and honour the Three Treasures in all their manifestations.
Jukai Vows: Alexander Cox
The Three Refuges:
I take refuge in the Buddha. Buddhanature pervades the whole universe, but it can seem hidden until we wake up from our dream. I vow to take refuge in this awakening, and to the peace that this brings to the world.
I take refuge in the Dharma. The truth cannot be expressed in words or contained in thoughts, and yet when I hear the teachings I see that they are a true guide to living. I vow to take refuge in this truth, and to share it with others.
I take refuge in the Sangha. Nobody can wake up for me, and yet my practice would not be possible without the support of my many companions along the way. I vow to take refuge in the support of the community, our ancestors, birds, stones and rubbish trucks.
The Three Pure Precepts:
I vow to keep all precepts. Life is full of opportunities to indulge in the unwholesome, which harms my practice and promotes disharmony in the community. I vow to practice the precepts, so that I can steadily keep to the path.
I vow to practice all good Dharma. Life is full of opportunities to practice the wholesome and promote harmony in the community. I vow to practice good Dharma, so that the Buddha Way can spread far and wide.
I vow to save the many beings. Innumerable beings suffer in endless cycles of delusion. I vow to liberate the many beings, so that we may all be at ease in life and death.
The Ten Grave Precepts:
I take up the way of not killing. There is fundamentally no self that can kill or die, yet all beings suffer and fear death. I vow to protect life and act compassionately towards all beings.
I take up the way of not stealing. In the ultimate sense nobody owns anything and nothing is owned, yet we suffer when we are deprived of what we consider ours. I vow to take only what is given, and only as much as I need.
I take up the way of not misusing sex. There is not a single object in the whole universe, yet when we treat beings as separate from us, they suffer. I vow to treat all beings with kindness and respect and to refrain from harmful sexual behaviour.
I take up the way of not speaking falsely. The absolute truth can never be obscured, yet when I deceive another it breeds distrust and bolsters ego. I vow to speak from my deepest truth in a skilful and compassionate way.
I take up the way of not giving or taking drugs. My original nature is always clear and unobstructed, yet when I cloud myself with intoxicants it only furthers suffering. I vow to not intoxicate myself or others with drink, drugs or avoidant behaviours.
I take up the way of not discussing the faults of others. Stories are fundamentally insubstantial, yet gossiping and labelling limit possibilities and construct self. I vow not to tell the tales that hold us back.
I take up the way of not praising myself while abusing others. Nothing ever truly separates us, but arrogance and comparisons create illusions of self and other. I vow to not indulge in attitudes of better or worse, while also honouring our uniqueness.
I take up the way of not sparing the dharma assets. The world is full and complete as it is, and yet when I am stingy others are deprived of the opportunity to practice. I vow to practice generosity continuously so that we may all realise the Buddha way.
I take up the way of not indulging in anger. Anger is a natural part of being human, yet left unchecked it causes hurt and fear. I vow to practice vulnerability and wisdom, so that defensiveness does not obstruct the true Dharma.
I take up the way of not defaming the three treasures. Buddhanature is not subject to defamation or praise, yet unwise words might discourage my brothers and sisters from engaging in the way. I vow to live from the three treasures so that others might experience peace in their lives.
But first: Please check for our new email address!
If you’re on our email list, all emails will now be coming to you from azg@azg.org.au, rather than from individual committee members. We’ve also found that some emails have gone to people’s spam/junk mail folders. If that’s happened to you, please add us to your primary inbox or mark our emails as ‘not spam’.
There’s a lot happening through the Adelaide Zen Group in the next couple of months. Here’s a roundup of ways you can join us and practice with us, both online and (hopefully soon) in person in the coming weeks:
Thursday 17th of February marks an online Full Moon ceremony with Allan Marett Roshi.
In the full moon ceremony, we’ll sit together and then have a group discussion, taking one of the precepts as our subject. This is a great way to both practice with the group and take a first look at other aspects of Buddhist practice, ways we can bring our practice with us off the cushion and into our lives every day.
The AZG Weekend Intensive (Online):this year, the Summer/Autumn Intensive will be held online for the first time, on Saturday the 5th – Sunday the 6th of March. This is two day of intensive practice between 9AM and 5PM Adelaide time. As well as an opportunity to take some extended time for practice, the intensive will be led by apprentice teachers Imelda Carson and Steve Wigg.
If you’ve been sitting with the group and would like to try a longer period of practice without committing to a full retreat of several days, an intensive is an ideal place to start. You can come for the full two days, one day, or blocks of half days.
And, while we’re sitting online this time around for COVID safety reasons, it’s also a chance for people who wouldn’t normally be able to be with us in person to join us from wherever you are.
If you’re on the AZG mailing list, check your recent emails – and fill in the online application form to reserve your space. If you’re not on the list, or have questions, please contact us to stay up to date on our events.
Please Stay in Touch
Again, if there’s anything you’d like to ask about, or if you’re just curious about joining us and finding out what Zen meditation is about, please contact us. We’d love to have you along to a session and we’ll arrange for an experienced member of the AZG to show you the basics of meditation.
The AZG committee met on Sunday 30/1, and we agreed that all sitting will remain online for the month of February, a precaution we’re taking due to the ongoing COVID situation in South Australia.
The good news is that sitting online has been big a success in January. We’ve welcomed new people to sit with the group and we’ve found ways for members to have dokusan, one-on-one meetings with AZG teachers, via Zoom and by phone.
Here’s a reminder of the AZG online sitting arrangement for February:
Thursday night sitting will begin at 7PM Adelaide time (NOT the usual 730PM for in-person sitting)
Sunday morning sitting will begin at 9am Adelaide time
All our sittings will take place on Zoom.
If you are already on the AZG mailing list, an email with the link and more details will go out to you in the coming days. Also, please check the Calendar for any other updates.
If you’re not on the list and would like to join us online, or if you have any questions about the plans for the future, please contact us and we’ll keep you updated.
Thanks so much to everyone who’s sat with us in 2022. We’re taking the situation a month at a time at this point. We’ll revisit the situation at the end of February and update you once again.
Please join us online this month. We’re looking forward to seeing you again. (Photo: Kari Shea)
3rd January, 2022
What a beginning to 2022.
Adelaide Zen Group was planning to begin
in-person sitting this Thursday, the 6th of January.
But… with the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the ongoing uncertainty about case numbers and community spread, AZG will not sit in-person, but will meet online on Thursday night and Sunday morning through to the end of January.
At the end of January, we’ll reassess the situation based on the information that’s available to us at the time. At that point, we’ll let you know how we will continue sitting in February and beyond.
This, of course, is not the way we would
have liked to begin 2022. On the other hand, it’s an opportunity for us to sit
together online and to make AZG available to those of us who can’t be with us
in person for whatever reason.
How to Sit Online With Us In January
Thursday night sitting will begin at 7PM Adelaide time (NOT the usual 730PM for in-person sitting)
Sunday morning sitting will begin at 9am Adelaide time
All our sittings will take place on Zoom.
If you are already on the AZG mailing list, an email with the link and more details will go out to you in the coming days. Also, please check the Calendar for any other updates.
If you’re not on the list and would like to join us online, or if you have any questions about the plans for the future, please contact us and we’ll keep you updated.
Thanks for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing you in ways that are available to us as we move through January.
As we approach the holiday season, we asked Bob Joyner to offer some thoughts about practice and its importance not just on the cushion but in every day life.
I am often encouraging students to take their practice, that is what they have experienced on their cushion daily in zazen and during Intensives and Sesshins, into their daily lives. Unless we do this, we are not really endeavouring to fulfill the fourth Great Vow of embodying Buddha’s teaching. If we do not do this then at best our Zen practice becomes a hobby. Of course, occasionally I am asked how do we do this? This brings to mind the following well known story.
One day a man approached Ikkyu and asked him to write down some maxims of the highest wisdom to help him in his efforts. Ikkyu took up his brush and wrote “Attention”. “That’s not much,” the man responded. “Please add more.” With this Ikkyu again wrote ‘Attention.” The man said that he still didn’t see much depth written there, so Ikkyu wrote “Attention” a third time. This upset the man who angrily demanded what does that word “Attention” mean? Ikkyu gently responded that “Attention” means attention!
We should all take this to heart and pay attention to all we do for attention is no other than mindfulness which goes to the very heart of Buddhist practice. This paying attention should be included in all we do and if we follow this advice, we will find for ourselves that work and tasks become lighter and easier. Be warned that this is not easy to maintain. When we begin this practice, we will discover how difficult it is and at the start of our conscious efforts if we can maintain attention for a few percent of our time then that’s alright, that’s good, for you have planted an acorn. Now with continual nourishment (effort) a mature oak will grow. It just takes time as Wumen cautions us in MU Case 1 – slowly we purify ourselves – the same injunction applies here.
Our efforts will result in more simplicity in our lives and a focus on our practice. You will discover that this includes the Grave Precepts, for everything is woven and not interwoven whilst each thing stands in its place. Unless we carry our practice into our daily lives, we have not really taken up Buddha’s teaching in its complete fullness.
Just begin and do your best, see where it takes you in your overall practice. When we shop, we will find ourselves asking whether the purchase is actually necessary, and if needed whether an alternative might aid in the fight with Climate Change? When traveling, will we use public transport, car, rail or even air? Do we actually need a car and if so what size, what fuel, etc.? Thus, our attention filters into all we do, whether our view is narrow on a particular topic or of an encompassing width of awareness. Now we can begin to understand attention and the importance that Ikkyu knew and thus conveyed a practice that could be undertaken at any time anywhere.
Thank you to everyone who has joined us in person and online from Adelaide, around Australia and across the world.
This challenging time has reminded us of the importance of our zazen practice. It’s also reminded us that zazen is only one part of the path, and that the connections we make in our community are just as important. We show each other how our practice affects not just us but those around us. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the group; whether setting up the zendo, helping to organise sesshin and intensives, being part of the committee, or joining us for a coffee after practice, you help us and the practice enormously.
The AZG plans to be back in person on Thursday the 6th of January at 7:30PM at Hutt Street.
Have a safe and regenerating break. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Dear Sangha South Australian borders open this week after a long period of closures and restrictions due to COVID-19. These changes lead us to ask questions about how best to proceed as a group.
As a sangha, we are interdependent upon each other to maintain dharma practice, and the environment for our ongoing safety and wellbeing. We believe that vaccination has a key role to play in this, both as individuals and as a group.
At this stage, from Tuesday the 23rd of November, sitting in person with AZG will be open to people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
For those who are not vaccinated or preferring not to attend in person events, we are establishing a regular online sitting practice. We’ve had great success stepping into the world of online sangha in the last eighteen months and look forward to offering this option to you on a regular basis. We will update you soon on details.
If you have a medical exemption from the vaccine, please contact us.
To help us with this policy, we ask that you send evidence of your vaccination status to Jak Baddams at jak.baddams@gmail.com or Ros Schmidtke at ros.schmidtke91@gmail.com. Questions and concerns can also be raised with Jak and Ros as the welfare officers.
It’s also possible for you to bring evidence of vaccination to the Hutt Street Zendo instead of emailing, as any zendo leader can cite your evidence, and you will only need to show us once. Please arrive ten minutes early so we can confirm your status and be able to start on time. If you are still setting up your myGov record, the post vaccine paper record is fine to bring.
We have a QR code in place for checking in, and hand sanitizer is provided. We’ll continue to ask our sangha to wear masks while in the zendo for the foreseeable future, and we’ll update the sangha of our ongoing precautions as the SA COVID situation develops.
Also, we ask that if you have any presenting cold or flu symptoms to please stay home and practice with us online until you are well.
We look forward to sitting with you when we see you next.
You are invited to an informal picnic on Sunday 5th December 2021 after sitting at Hutt St.We are planning to go around the end of Gilles Street to Victoria Park (Pakapakanthi).Bring everything that you need, and invite anyone that you would like.
We pass the IGA on Hutt Street on the way, so you can pick up a platter or something impromptu as well. The AZG Committee hopes to see you there.
We are uploading audio talks from AZG teachers as a way of sharing Teisho and Dharma Talks with all of you and especially those of you who are not able to attend in-person events with AZG.
Our Talks Page includes several recordings of Allan Marett Roshi and a series of talks ranging from Allan’s work on the Book of Serenity and other talks on subjects including the Heart Sutra. We’re recording and uploading more and more talks by our teachers and we’re looking forward to building our online resources.
Congratulations to Steve Wigg, who is taking the big step into an Apprentice Teacher role with the Adelaide Zen Group.
Steve, who took jukai with Robert Joyner Roshi, has been a longstanding member of the group and on top of his intense years of dharma training has served in almost every role the group has to offer, and has also organised many AZG in-person retreats and hosted weekend intensives at his house with its beautiful garden and lotus pond. Steve has also been serving as President of the group, and will step aside from that role to focus on his teacher training.
We’re looking forward to meeting Steve in dokusan and experiencing his own personal flavour of the dharma. Congrats Steve!
On Sunday, 14th of November, AZG held a jukai ceremony for Matt Williams who accepted precepts with Bob Joyner Roshi. This ceremony marks Matt’s ongoing deepening into the practice of working with the precepts with Bob as his guiding teacher, and making a public declaration to the sangha that this journey is an ongoing part of his life and practice.
Matt has kindly let us share his personal vows, a personal response to the precepts that he has developed over several months through deep inner consultation with himself and with his teacher. Congratulations Matt!
If you’re interesting in knowing more about the precepts and understanding Jukai, why not try this article from Lion’s Roar.
Also, if you’d like a taste of how to work with the precepts in person, this coming Thursday, 18 November, evening Zazen at Hutt Street will comprise a Full Moon Precept ceremony led by Allan Marett. We will be taking up the precept of Not Discussing Faults of Others. Please join us!
MATT WILLIAMS: JUKAI VOWS
THREE VOWS OF REFUGE.
I take refuge in the Buddha.
The Buddha lead the way and showed that for all beings, realisation is possible. The Buddha’s example encourages me to keep working at my practice.
I take refuge in the Dharma.
The Buddha’s teaching highlights the path so
that when I struggle to see it, the teachings show me the way, in this I take
refuge and strength.
I take refuge in the Sangha.
The Sangha as a group of people on the same
path provides encouragement and support to me when things are hard. Without a strong support any building
finds it harder to stand, likewise without the sangha to support, my practice
becomes harder and shakier.
THE THREE PURE PRECEPTS.
I vow to maintain the precepts.
The precepts guide us and provide the
signposts for our journey, they outline a way to behave and act that helps us
with our practice and to actualise our buddha nature.
I vow to practice all good Dharmas.
Practicing good Dharmas is not separate from
maintaining the precepts and helps us saving the many beings, it is through our
words and actions that we express buddha nature to the world and help others to
realise it also.
I vow to save the many beings.
I save them all by including, nothing left
out. When I fall back into
concepts and ideas, I leave things out and cause separation. By practicing on my cushion and letting
go of concepts and ideas I include all beings.
THE TEN GRAVE PRECEPTS.
I take up the way of NOT KILLING.
Killing has many forms it’s not just
physical killing.
To stop or hinder someone’s journey in
search of empty oneness, which could be through physical death, or it could
take a myriad of other forms. To express the truth that there is no separation
between you and I we should support and nurture all beings.
I take up the way of NOT STEALING.
Stealing encourages the belief that self and
object are separate, and supports the ego centric mindset. By being generous with the dharma assets
we support all beings.
I take up the way of NOT MISUSING SEX.
This body (all bodies) is none other than a
complete presentation of the whole – it should be honoured and respected as
such. Misusing sex is not separate from stealing or killing, it is simply
another form of perpetuating concepts and ideas, and not promoting realisation.
I take up the way of NOT SPEAKING FALSELY.
To use lies enhances the perception that you
are in here and I am out there. It
reinforces the separation that self and other are different and encourages
ideas and concepts.
I take up the way of NOT GIVING OR TAKING DRUGS.
An occasional drink is pleasant but escaping
to either it or drugs separates us from realisation and enforces concepts and
ideas. To misuse alcohol or drugs
is no other than stealing and killing.
I take up the way of NOT DISCUSSING FAULTS OF OTHERS.
All things, and all phenomena are an
expression of empty oneness. To
see faults and errors is to fall into concepts and ideas separating ourselves
and others.
I take up the way of NOT PRAISING MYSELF WHILST ABUSING OTHERS.
All beings are to be valued and supported,
to praise oneself or speak ill of others reinforces the separation and delusion
that we strive to see through on our cushions.
I take up the way of NOT SPARING THE DHARMA ASSETS.
All things arise in the moment, nothing is
mine, there is no me or other, hanging onto the delusion that I can amass
wealth just helps to enforce concepts and ideas, nothing is mine so what is to
not give freely. In doing so we
also help others awaken to the truth.
I take up the way of NOT INDULGING IN ANGER.
Anger arises, let it rise but do not hang on
it, in doing so we separate ourselves and fall back into delusion, stealing
from ourselves and others the opportunity to see the reality just as it is
expressed in the moment.
I take up the way of NOT DEFAMING THE THREE TREASURES.
Our Sangha is a key support and one that needs to be treasured. A group of likeminded people to help us in our practice is something to be valued and nurtured, talking negatively of the sangha encourages and breeds mistrust and will not help to nurture and support our practice or the practice of others. The Buddha showed us the way and the Dharma is our guide if we defile them we help separate ourselves from them and breed delusion.
The AZG Spring Intensive is coming up on the weekend of November 6 and 7. If you’ve been sitting for short periods, coming along to an intensive for a weekend or a day or even a half-day is a good way of dipping your toe into sitting for longer periods. If you’re curious about attending one of the AZG’s 5- or 7-day sesshins, intensives are a fine way to test the water.
But – the Spring Intensive filled very quickly! Only a few days after the mailout, all places were taken.
We’re already planning intensives and events for 2022. If you’d like to be on the mailing list and be among the first notified for upcoming intensives, retreats and other AZG events, please contact us at azg@azg.org.au and we’ll be in touch.
Please join us for our bi-monthly coffee catchup this Sunday the 31st of October at Cibo on Hutt Street. We’ll sit as usual from 9-11AM and then head on down. Join us for sitting first or meet us at the cafe just after 11am.
Sesshin is a core practice of Zen schools across the world
and is offered twice per year by the Adelaide Zen Group (along with 3-4 shorter
weekend intensives). Sesshin has been described in various ways including; the
essence of Zen practice, an opportunity to collect one’s heart and/or mind, a
vehicle to drive a life of peace and comfort, a powerful tool for spiritual
transformation and even a gruelling “meditation marathon”. Most people find
sesshin a rewarding, as well as challenging, part of their practice.
In early October 13 people who practice with the Adelaide Zen Group gathered at beautiful Goolwa Beach for up to 7 days of practice. The group’s initial work is to create the unique sesshin container: creating an atmosphere of support for each others’ practice. This includes a commitment to no talking or eye contact. This allows our attention to turn inward, away from the world’s distractions, in fierce but compassionate scrutiny of the fiction that is the self. Sesshin provides a rare opportunity to practice this difficult work.
The days become a flow of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation, including two longer walks each day one along Goolwa beach), chanting, teisho (formal Zen talks given by a teacher), Encouragement talks, and dokusan (private interviews with a teacher). Each participant has several opportunities a day for Dokusan.
Part of the power of sesshin comes from the personal instruction given during these meetings. The intensity of sesshin comes from the potent combination of zazen, silence and frequent Dokusan. The schedule also includes a brief period of daily work practice, rest periods and three vegetarian meals a day but mostly it’s about zazen with around eight hours out of each day, beginning with wake up at 4:45am and ending with lights out at 9:00pm. There is virtually no free time except for breaks after the meals. When the body is perfectly still and the senses have nothing to play with, the mind’s activity is the only show in town.
Experiences that might arise during sesshin include seemingly
prolonged periods of frustration, fruitless striving, sleepiness and dullness, boredom,
profound stillness and peace, exquisite appreciation for just-this-moment,
tremendous aversion to just-this-moment, deeper concentration than is usually
possible outside of sesshin, and periods of having to endure compulsive thought
patterns that repeat endlessly like broken records. There can be periods of
great physical or emotional discomfort or pain, and periods when we settle so
completely that this pain is transcended.
What keeps us coming back to sesshin, despite the sometimes gruelling nature of it? It’s not the moments that are peaceful and pleasant, although those are very nice. It’s the overall effect on our Zen practice and our life. Spending a week in sesshin is like spending time in graduate school, or in an intensive training course, the subject matter being your own mind. You may learn a great deal studying in your spare time, but nothing compares to setting aside the time and energy to delve as deeply into a subject as you possibly can.
David Edwards is a member of the Adelaide Zen Group and a frequent leader at our regular sittings. If you’d like to join us to learn more about Zen and meditation practice, please come and sit with us.
From time to time, we publish short articles from AZG teachers, who talk about aspects of practice we might not otherwise consider, and to encourage us to continue. Here, AZG teacher Imelda Carlson writes to us about practice in life as well as on the cushion.
September 18, 2021.
When we look at Adelaide Zen Group’s program for the year we may make plans for the coming year’s practice: which sesshins we’ll go to, how regularly we’ll sit with the Sangha, how attentive we’ll be in our daily life practice. All commendable and praiseworthy plans.
But as the year goes on we may find that work and family and perhaps a pandemic get in the way of these plans and we can’t fulfil them.
What we can always fulfil is our daily life practice.
Daily life practice is the complement of sitting practice but it is a hundred times harder to do. Its rewards, however, are immense, as it is the path to living in peace and harmony with all beings. If you want to truly engage with the world then balance your sitting practice with a regular practice in daily life. Without a daily life practice, zazen won’t bear fruit. It becomes like a green plant that is confined to a dark cupboard. It pales and has no direction in which to grow. Eventually, the question will be asked: Why am I doing all this sitting, and there will be no clear answer.
To begin a daily life practice, start small, and it is best to choose an activity that you quite enjoy doing – after all, why make it hard for yourself? An activity that uses the hands is ideal as the movements of the hands and fingers are precise and small and the eyes naturally follow such movements.
The kitchen is a good place to start. In fact, the kitchen is rich in opportunities for practice; ask any tenzo (the sesshin cook).
So suppose, for example, I set myself to fry onions, a simple kitchen task that I enjoy doing. I plan to do that task just as it needs to be done, nothing extra. I put the onions in the hot oil and there is sizzling and steam and aroma. One hand stirring the onions. Ah, this is the way to cook!
There – I’ve strayed in the first ten seconds. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is the return to the practice. Back to the stirring, sizzling, steam and smell.
No one practices all the time, continuously.
Practice involves a lot of straying and then returning. Straying from the path doesn’t matter – it is the return that builds strength. The more often you return the better you get at returning. Nor does it matter how long are the intervals between straying and returning. The intervals may be minutes, hours, or even days. Only the return matters. Gradually, the repeated returns wear a well-worn path that one willingly treads.
You may have tried a daily life practice and found that you couldn’t keep it up and you let it lapse with the thought that it was too hard, and it would be best to leave it to a later date after you have done more sitting. Or you may think that it is too hard for beginners and it is only for senior students. You are getting in your own way with such ideas.
Just keep returning to the task as it needs to be done. No separation from it. Straying from the task is not a failure, but with the return you are the master. Each return, each coming back home builds strength and perseverance and habit and reveals a place of rest within our daily chores.
The key is to keep at it. You will be surprised at how quickly daily life practice bears fruit.
A note that there’ll be no sitting at Hutt Street this Sunday, 29th of August. The AZG weekend Intensive, which was delayed due to lockdown and restrictions, has been rescheduled to this weekend.
See you all again next Sunday, the 5th of September
On Sunday August 15, Craig Behenna will lead a training session for the Jiki leadership role. If you’ve wondering how to get more involved in the zen group and what a leadership role involves, this is a perfect way to dip your toe into the waters.
If you’re interested in learning how the role works, if you’re curious about how the sound of the bell and the role of timekeeping can help your own practice and also help those around you, please join us! Training will at 11am after Sunday sitting and will last around 1 hour.
We’re back! We’re now sitting again on Sunday mornings (9am-11am) and Thursday evenings (7:30pm-9:30pm).
Please wear a mask when you attend. Checkin QR codes and paper sign-in options are available. We’re also following SA state government guidelines re the number of people in the zendo at any one time. These numbers will very a bit as conditions change. If you have any questions, please contact us and we’ll be in touch.
If you’re involved with the Adelaide Zen Group, if you’re interested in what we do, or if you’re just curious about Zen and want to know more, check back here regularly for updates and articles about the AZG and what we’re up to.
On the blog, we’ll feature:
Encouraging words from our teachers
Updates on events
Info about our regular weekend
intensives and sesshins (longer retreats)
Important updates from the AZG
committee
Other things we’re finding
interesting in the group and the wider world of Zen practice
The blog is an evolving project, so stay tuned – and let us
know what you’d like to hear about.
You may have heard that South Australia has gone into Stage 5 restrictions for seven days from 6pm on July 20, 2021.
This means there’ll be no sitting at Hutt Street on Thursday 22/7 or on Sunday 25/7. If you’re on our mailing list, you should have had an email to confirm this.
We hope things return to some sort of normal after our week of isolation. At this stage plans remain in place for our in-person weekend intensive at the end of the month, but we’ll be in touch once we get through this seven days. Watch this space and keep an eye on your emails for further info.
Please stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all soon.
If you’re involved with the Adelaide Zen Group, if you’re interested in what we do, or if you’re just curious about Zen and want to know more, check back here regularly for updates and articles about the AZG and what we’re up to.
On the blog, we’ll feature:
Encouraging words from our teachers
Updates on events
Info about our regular weekend
intensives and sesshins (longer retreats)
Important updates from the AZG
committee
Other things we’re finding
interesting in the group and the wider world of Zen practice
The blog is an evolving project, so stay tuned – and let us
know what you’d like to hear about.
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