ROHATSU

 

You are invited by the Wiregrass Soto Zen and Long Leaf Zen Centers...

 

Rōhatsu (臘八) literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment.

Traditions agree that during that night, as the morning star rose in the sky in the early morning, Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought and became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. 

In Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin - an intensive meditation retreat dedicated to meditation. Typically, Monks and Laymen stay awake all night sitting in Zazen during the last night before Rohatsu.

I would like to invite you all to meet next Saturday December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Headland to celebrate Rohatsu by practicing meditation together. 

Our Program will be :

9:30 to 10:00 : Arrival 10:00 to 10:30 : Breathing exercises for Meditation 10:30 to 12:30 : 4 Sitting (Zazen) and Walking (Kinhin) meditation periods (25 minutes Zazen, 5 minutes Kinhin) 12:30 to 12:45 : Break and Tea 12:45 to 1:30 : Dharma talk - Discussion 1:30 to 2:00 : Zazen 2:00 : Heart Sutra Chanting 2:15 : Lunch Attendance : Everyone is welcome to attend. You don't have to have already practiced Meditation to join. Lunch : bring a vegetarian dish to share with other participants. Late arrival : if you cannot make it on time, no problem. If meditation is going on (people inside are sitting on their funny black cushions) and you don't really know what to do, wait on the bench outside the dojo until they start walking and join inside right then. If you know how to sit in Zazen, enter the dojo and sit. Fee : there is no fee – donations are welcome to help us support our instructor Michael Elliston Roshi, Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, and founder of the Silent Thunder Order.

The Dojo is located behind my home at 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL 36345. Tel (334) 798 1639

Don't mess with Nun Shido

During the Rohatsu retreat of 1304 at the Enkakuji Monastery Master Chokei gave his formal approval (inka) as a teacher to the nun Shido, the founder of Tokeiji and widow of the Shogun Hojo Tokimune.

The Abbott of the Temple did not approve of the inka being granted. He asked her a question to test her:

"In our line, one who receives the inka gives a discourse on the Rinzairoku classic. Can the nun teacher really brandish the staff of the Dharma in the Dharma-seat?"

She faced him and drew out the ten-inch tanto (carried by all women of the samurai class) and held it up: "A Zen teacher of the line of the patriarch indeed should go up on the high seat and speak about the book. But I am a woman of the warrior line and I should only declare our teaching when really face to face with a drawn sword. What book should I need?'

The head monk said, 'Before father and mother were born, with what then will you declare our teaching?'

The nun closed her eyes for some time. Then she said, 'Do you understand?'

The head monk said, 'A wine-gourd has been tipped right up in Peach-tree Valley; Drunken eyes see ten miles of flowers.'

This story is the same as the one about Yamaoka Tesshu  explaining the Rinzairoku in his dojo 

To be continued...

You are invited - Rohatsu Celebration

Rōhatsu (臘八) literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment.

Traditions agree that during that night, as the morning star rose in the sky in the early morning, Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought and became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. 

In Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin - an intensive meditation retreat dedicated to meditation. 

Although we'll be a little late, I would like to invite you all to meet next Sunday December 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Headland to celebrate Rohatsu by practicing meditation together. F

or those of you new to it, this will be the occasion to experience Zen in a true Dojo. For those of you who are familiar with Zen, please come support the Dojo through your presence. 

 

We will practice sitting and walking meditation, chant the Heart Sutra and discuss basics of Meditation. You don't have to be a Buddhist to attend ! 

The Dojo is located behind my home at 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL 36345. Tel (334) 798 1639