August 30 OBON - JIZOBON Matsuri
We hope you are doing well ~~
On Sunday August 30 our next monthly Zazenkai will take place from 7am to 1pm. Please write back with any questions or to reserve a place.
JIZOBON Matsuri Afterwards on Sunday, from 1pm to 2pm, we will hold an outdoor service for Jizo-bon. Everyone is welcome. We are hoping we can find a good rope for the kids, as part of the occasion involves them moving a rope around together (representing Causality), in a circle. Since don't we all?
Also a Rinzai Zen Buddhist service is held as a memorial to those who have passed and remembering that one day we will too. The main Sutra reading is Hannya Shingyo and followed by the Darani Jizoshingyo.
So its a chance to be fun, think about our connections and past and future.
From Mujyo, on Obon: In short Obon, which lasts through the month of August, is the commemoration of those who have passed away and acknowledgement of the fact that this is our ultimate fate also. So in a sense O-bon has a strong psychological healing effect on bringing the past and the future together in this life at this moment. I think this is particularly relevant in this era where materialism and selfishness are placed upon a pedestal. The important Bodhisattva at Obon is O-Jizo-sama,(Kṣitigarbha Sanskrit: क्षितिगर्भ ) the Bodhisattva of Mothers, Children (including lost pregnancies and abortions - Bodhisattvas make no judgements), travellers, homeless people, fishermen, soldiers, firemen and all those who put their lives on the line or are most in need of protection. The Bodhisattva is depicted in the form of the Wandering Homeless Eternal Monk, with his bell staff and Wish Fulfilling Jewel, to show the way home to those he needs to rescue across the six worlds of existence. Poem for Obon, by 15th century Zen master Ikkyu: The illusions of life, Though painful, Teach us Not to cling To this floating world. The important Dharani chant for Obon and Jizo-bon is: Jizo Shingyo 'On ka ka ka bi sa ma eh sowaka' You'll note that the temple's logo is an image of Jizo Bodhisattva ~~
How to at Home?
Set up a place with a photo(s) of those you wish to remember and place incense and flowers, place your hands together and quietly recite the Heart Sutra and the Darani Jizoshingyo (above). You can do this as often as once a month or once a year (30-31 August).
THE TEMPLE is a community where you come to change yourself, not to get something or in other words treat your life as a shopping list to fill up 'Monday to Friday 8-5 earning, Saturday kids netball, Sunday zone out at the temple, Monday wash and repeat'. Coming to a Zen temple is somewhere where you come to train to live with others and yourself. To live in the world not like a victim in need of healing but proactively, fully. You have a unique opportunity to join in the supportive community here, to train with Mujyo Roshi, who trained in Kyoto Japan and go through authentic Rinzai Zen. At zazenkai our activities include Zazen (sitting), Sarei (tea), Okyo (chanting and Buddhist service), Samu (work around the temple), sanzen (interviews with Mujyo Roshi), traditional Shojin ryori temple meals (vegan), Shakyo or Shodo (calligraphy) and talks by Mujyo Roshi. This is a great opportunity to widen your regular weekly sitting at the Temple or to join us once a month. And for those considering long zazenkai (April and October) or sesshin (July and December), it is an opportunity to build up toward those occasions. We have scheduled our zazenkai on Sundays, until 2pm, to give laypeople their best chance of attending. All are welcome at Zazenkai. Please write back with any questions or to reserve a place. We have fewer than ten places available. Please register by email infozencentre@gmail.com or the link on this notice and website ~~ CHOZANJI JIZOAN Jizoan is a Zen Temple in the Rinzai tradition of Zen Buddhism. The temple is dedicated in the name of the Bodhisattva of Mother's, Children, Emergency workers, Soldiers (people who live with risk) and was founded in 2001. Our training is a continual tradition all the way back to Venerable Sakyamuni Gatauma Siddhatha the Historical Buddha. Training at Jizoan follows the Hakuin lineage of Rinzai Zen Buddhism.
www.australianzen.org
BECOME A MEMBER of the Jizoan Zen Center: Please join us and support Jizoan's commitment to Zen Buddhist practice, teachings, and service. Your friendship and collaboration are the seeds which cultivate dharma practice. At Jizoan, we deeply appreciate the generosity of our members who provide essential support of our sangha, our practice, and our social action programs. It is only through the kindness of our friends that we may continue along this path. Please enquire if interested in becoming a member ~~ Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19): Please conform to current standard directions as posted by the Health Department of Western Australia. Less than ten people usually attend zazenkai. For many people this is fewer than the number of people they work with, and considerably fewer people than they would normally meet in everyday dealings over a weekend, so please exercise your own judgement about attending ~~
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen#History
