Weather's rolling...

Looks like some Weather’s rolling into our region -- predictions of a major snowfall tomorrow and Saturday, with sleet and ice possible. (How like the Full Moon to get dramatic!) So we’re reluctantly canceling our well-attended in-town sitting tomorrow evening. If tomorrow we see that the forecast is at odds with reality and the coast is clear, we’ll send out another email that the sitting’s on. If you haven’t received such an email by 3:30, then the Friday sitting’s not happening this week. We'll do zazen here at Panther Branch.


In the meantime, in the event of another power outage, we’re exercising our special powers by gathering wood and carrying full water bottles down to the basement. (For those of you who weren’t at last Sunday’s teisho, or haven’t read those famous words of Layman P’ang, you’ll find his verse at the bottom of this update.)

This Week’s Schedule

Thursday, January 28 (tonight)

The sitting on Thursday evenings consists simply of 3 full rounds of zazen with dokusan, ending with the Four Vows. 7:00 – 9:00

Friday, January 29 (See above)

Full Moon!

Sunday, January 31

Weather permitting, we’ll hold our usual Sunday morning program: zazen, chanting and teisho, 9:30–11:30, followed by tea, and whatever vegetarian brunch offerings people may bring to share.

Predictions are for a clear but VERY cold Sunday. If you have any questions about road conditions in our area, please just call us at 828-645-8001.

Tuesday, February

On Ground Hog Day, we’ll have our usual evening sitting at Panther Branch: 2 ½ rounds with dokusan, ending with a chanting service, 7:00-9:00.

Layman P’ang’s Verse:

In my daily life there are no other chores than

Those that happen to fall into my hands.

Nothing I choose, nothing reject.

Nowhere is there ado, nowhere a slip.

I have no other emblem of my glory than

The mountains and hills without a speck of dust.

My magical power and spiritual exercise consist in

Carrying water and gathering firewood.

 

Quite a few people...

Quite a few people here this morning, brainstorming, prioritizing, and figuring out the best ways to implement a whole range of ideas, to help us get a fresh start at Windhorse. More members are showing up to volunteer time and energy at the Center, a trend that is not only enormously helpful – especially now with fewer residents to manage things – but it also gives a stronger, livelier sense of community.


After the meeting we set up an extra table on the back deck and enjoyed a big Mexican-style meal together in the bright warm sunshine. What a gorgeous day in these sweet mountains!

This Week’s Schedule

Tuesday, January 19 (tonight)

We’ll have our usual evening sitting at Panther Branch: 2 ½ rounds with dokusan, ending with a chanting service, 7:00-9:00.

Thursday, January 21

Lawson leaves in the afternoon for Florida, where he’ll be conducting a weekend sesshin for the Clearwater sangha. He returns next Monday.

We’ll hold to our basic schedule this evening, with 3 full rounds of zazen, finishing with the Four Vows. 7:00 – 9:00

Friday, January 22

Join us if you can for our in-town sitting this Friday, 5:30 – 7:15, with 3 shorter rounds of zazen and chanting. Last week we had a full house, with a special service for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti – powerful chanting in that zendo on 12 Von Ruck Court. And there's new side-lighting that really warms up the atmosphere.

Please remember to park in the driveway whenever possible.

Sunday, January 24

We’ll hold our usual Sunday morning program: zazen, chanting and teisho, 9:30–11:30, followed by a vegetarian potluck brunch.

Please Note: NO ONE IS IN ANY WAY REQUIRED TO BRING A DISH FOR THIS BRUNCH! If you can bring something, great; if not, please don’t let this keep you from coming! If no one brings anything, we’ll just have tea together, and everyone will leave to find food afterward. It truly is 'pot luck.' It can be a real strain for busy people to try to prepare a dish on a Saturday night or Sunday morning. The main thing is to sit together; anything else is a bonus.

Also: Latecomers will need to sit in the Kannon room if there’s no space in the zendo.

Wintery Days at Windhorse

Despite the snowy weather, a number of volunteers arrived at the Center this morning to help out with work in all sorts of ways: fixing a leaky sink, finishing the drywall work in room 4, running the tractor and chainsaw to clean up some of the wreckage left in the wake of December’s snowstorm, and conferring on matters involving the website and our general direction for 2010. It’s a hoppin’ place, inside and out!

Now the lunch bell’s ringing – outdoor workers are coming in to a fire blazing in the hearth and the fragrance of curry filling the house. (If you think this is a shameless attempt to lure more volunteers to Windhorse, you’re right. Please consider joining the crew here, if ever you have some free time to offer.)

This Week’s Schedule

Tuesday, January 12 (tonight)

We’ll have our usual evening sitting at Panther Branch: 2 ½ rounds with dokusan, ending with a chanting service, 7:00-9:00.

Thursday, January 14

We’ll hold to our basic schedule on this night, with 3 full rounds of zazen, finishing with the Four Vows. 7:00 – 9:00

Friday, January 15

Assuming our mountain road conditions won’t cause us to cancel again, we’ll have our first in-town sitting of the year this Friday, with 3 shorter rounds of zazen and chanting. We meet at the zendo on 12 Von Ruck Court. 5:30 – 7:15.

Please remember to park in the driveway whenever possible.

Saturday, January 16

As mentioned in last week’s update, we’ll hold a workshop at Panther Branch this Saturday from 9:45 till 1:30: ‘Original Nature– An Introduction to Zen Meditation.’ If you’ve never been to one of these introductory workshops, do consider attending this one. We don’t have them often, and with talks and discussions and a detailed posture demonstration, they provide an excellent foundation for Zen practice.

Call or email the Center for more info or to register. It’s only $25 with early registration ($35 at the door), and that includes lunch.

Sunday, January 17

We’ll hold our usual Sunday morning program: zazen, chanting and teisho, 9:30–11:30, followed by a vegetarian potluck brunch.

A couple of points: Robes are not required, but please wear loose, non-eye-catching clothing (not white or bright colors, no words or pictures, etc.) If people arrive at least a few minutes early, it’s a lot easier for us to set up the zendo and start on time.

Next Sesshin: Saturday, Feb. 6 through Feb. 13. Deadline to apply: 1/18 (next Monday).