Fear in Others. In some people anxiety is obvious. Others may appear calm and at ease with life, yet still be scared to death — of intimacy, of criticism, of loss of something. Just because fear in others is not obvious doesn’t mean it’s not there. The fear may be hidden, but it is just as powerful and just as frightening. Recalling this can foster compassion.

– Ezra Bayda and Josh Bartok

THIS WEEK

READING:

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special,
Chapter: “The Subject-Object Problem”, p. 84.

MEETINGS:

All meetings at:
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Common Room
4225 NW 34th St
Gainesville, FL 32605

Dec 23
FRIDAY Evening Zen, 7pm to 8:45pm.
Two sits, chants, dharma talk.
Zen Interviews with Meredith available.

Dec 24
SATURDAY Morning UU Meditative Worship Service, 11am – noon.
A hymn, a 20-min sit, sharing, a reading, discussion, a hymn, a shorter sit, closing.

Dec 27
TUESDAY Morning Zen, 8:30am – 9:30am.
1 sit, discussion.

CASE:

Blue Cliff Record #16: Jingqing’s Instruction on Pecking and Tapping

Jingqing, b. 867, was a dharma heir of Xuefeng and dharma brother of Yunmen. On the Caodong (Soto) side.

A monk asked Jingqing, “I, your student, am picking from inside the shell. I beg you, Master, please peck from outside.”
Jingqing said, “But will you be alive or not?”
The monk said, “If I were not alive, people would all laugh.”
Jingqing said, “You fool in the weeds!”

At this holiday season, with solstice celebrating rebirth of the sun, with Christmas celebrating birth of faith, hope, and love, in flesh among us, with Hanukkah reminding us that sometimes the light endures beyond expectation, may the sunlight and lamplights of life and love shine in our hearts, shine on our homes, and shine through our practice.

Compassion isn’t just offering kind words. Compassion is offering your very being.

– Ezra Bayda and Josh Bartok

THIS WEEK

READING:

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special,
Chapter: “Can Anything Hurt Us?”, p. 75.

MEETINGS:

All meetings at:
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Common Room
4225 NW 34th St
Gainesville, FL 32605

Dec 16
FRIDAY Evening Zen, 7pm to 8:45pm.
Two sits, chants, dharma talk.
Zen Interviews with Meredith available.

Dec 10
SATURDAY Morning UU Meditative Worship Service, 11am – noon.
A hymn, a 20-min sit, sharing, a reading, discussion, a hymn, a shorter sit, closing.

Dec 20
TUESDAY Morning Zen, 8:30am – 9:30am.
1 sit, discussion.

CASE:

Blue Cliff Record #8 and Book of Serenity #71: Cuiyan’s “Eyebrows”

Towards the end of summer [1], Cuiyan instructed the assembly, saying,”All summer I’ve preached to you, my brothers. Look here, are Cuiyan’s eyebrows still there? [2]”
Baofu said, “The robber’s heart is terrified!”
Changqing said, “They are well grown!”
Yunmen said, “Kan!” [3]

Notes:
[1]: Summer-sesshin for 3 months.
[2]: According to the popular belief a great criminal should lose his eyebrows
as a sign of his coming punishment in hell.
[3]: Literally kan means “barrier” (cf. Mumonkan). In those days this Chinese
word colloquially meant also, “Watch out!” or “There!”

Discipline is essential — but it can all too easily become stoic, militant, even grim.

Spiritual work is serious — but not somber.

– Ezra Bayda and Josh Bartok

THIS WEEK

READING:

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special,
Chapter: “The Eye of the Hurricane”, p. 67.

MEETINGS:

All meetings at:
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Common Room
4225 NW 34th St
Gainesville, FL 32605

Dec 9
FRIDAY Evening Zen, 7pm to 8:45pm.
Two sits, chants, dharma talk.
Zen Interviews with Meredith available.

Dec 10
SATURDAY Morning UU Meditative Worship Service, 11am – noon.
A hymn, a 20-min sit, sharing, a reading, discussion, a hymn, a shorter sit, closing.

Dec 13
TUESDAY Morning Zen, 8:30am – 9:30am.
1 sit, discussion.

CASE:

Book of Serenity, #82: Yunmen’s: “Voice” and “Color”

Yunmen instructed the assembly and said, “‘To realize the way through hearing a voice, to enlighten the mind through seeing color’ — Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara comes with some small change and buys poor rice cakes.
If he throws it away, he will get nice manju cakes instead.”