The Lankatavara Sutra

The Lankatavara Sutra

 

Hi everyone –

So, a few of us are going to be reading and discussing the Lankatavara Sutra, the famous text Bodhidharma gave to his successor right before he vanished, saying something to the effect of, “Everything you need is in this book.”  It’s a Zen standard.

Red Pine is the name Bill Porter takes when he translates old Chinese texts.  His translations are fantastic, both for their erudition and the presence the author brings to the work.  Red Pine lives this stuff, and it shows in his translations.

Bobbi is going to be getting a few copies of Red Pine’s Lanka for members to purchase, but if you want to try to find it through a library, here’s the link to the record in WorldCat (WorldCat is a compendium of library catalogs around the world).

Thanks everyone.  Looking forward to reading this with others.

Sam

May All Beings Be Happy!

The All Beings Zen Sangha welcomes and affirms all who come here to seek the Way, and who will work toward respectful acceptance of others across our many differences, harmonizing the one and the many.

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All Beings Zen Sangha
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2801 Adams Mill Road NW 402
Washington DC 20009

Month: August 2013

  • Evening Practice for May 29, 2025 7pm Eastern

    Here is the Zoom link to join in the cloud zendo, password if needed: 522050

    Tonight we will have a short service followed by one period of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between) and then a Dharma Talk by Inryū Sensei. We will conclude by chanting the refuges in Pali.

    Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Service

    Greeting by the Kokyo

    Evening Bell Chant

    Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

    Heart Sutra in Japanese

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

    Dharma Talk

    Refuges in Pali

  • Memorial Day Weekend Events

    A green, joyful Memorial Day weekend for All Beings Zen Sangha. On Saturday, we had a half-day retreat at Woodburn Hill Farm — feeling the breeze through open windows during zazen, engaging in work practice on the land, and concluding with black bean soup and more around the old wooden farm table. Then, on Sunday mid-morning, many of us spent a couple of peaceful hours forest bathing together in Washington, D.C.

  • Evening Practice for May 22, 2025 7pm Eastern

    Here is the Zoom link to join in the cloud zendo, password if needed: 522050

    Tonight we will have a short service followed by two periods of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between). We will conclude with chanting the Refuges in Pali. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Service (text available at highlighted links)

    Greeting by the Kokyo

    Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

    Heart Sutra in Chinese

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    Four Great Vows

    Refuges in Pali

  • *No Baika Practice this week — Please join us for Baika practice in June!

    Photo below of Seiryū Paula practicing baika *and* ukulele as fellow Sangha-friends at Daifukuji temple in Hawaii do! Check it out on their YouTube page: https://youtu.be/5siezWvrToI?si=5qFY5InwapVHFJek

  • Morning Practice for May 14, 2025 6:30 am Eastern

    Join us on zoom by using this link. If asked for a password use 790875


    Photograph by Inryū Sensei

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Morning Practice

    Robe Chant

    40 minute period of Zazen

    Four Great Vows

    Full Moon Service

    Morning Greetings

  • Evening Practice for May 8

    Here is the Zoom link to join in the cloud zendo, password if needed: 522050

    Tonight we will have a short service followed by two periods of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between). We will have our monthly pass the feather sharing and conclude by chanting the refuges in Pali. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Service (text available at highlighted links)

    Greeting by the Kokyo

    Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

    The Harmony of Difference and Sameness

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    Four Great Vows

    Pass the feather

    Refuges in Pali

  • Morning Practice for May 7, 2025 6:30am Easter

    Join us on zoom by using this link. If asked for a password use 790875


    Photograph by Zen’etsu

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Morning Practice

    Robe Chant

    40 minute period of Zazen

    Four Great Vows

    Morning Service

    Morning Greetings

  • Baika Practice for May 6, 2025 6-7pm (In Person Only)

    Baikaryu Eisanka – Plum Blossom Style Hymns with bells.  in person only  – The current song we are learning is “Magokoro ni Ikiru” which means “Living with a Sincere Heart” Contact Zen’etsu @ zenjoyclay@gmail.com for more information.

  • Evening Practice for May 1, 2025 7pm Eastern

    Here is the Zoom link to join in the cloud zendo, password if needed: 522050

    Tonight we will have a short service followed by two periods of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between). We will have our monthly pass the feather sharing and conclude by chanting the refuges in Pali. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.

    Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

    Order of Service (text available at highlighted links)

    Greeting by the Kokyo

    Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

    The Harmony of Difference and Sameness

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

    25 Minute Zazen Period

    Four Great Vows

    Pass the feather

    Refuges in Pali

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  • April 19, 2025 Sōtō shū Hossenshiki for Kuden Paul Boyle at Chapel Hill Zen Center, NC

    From Inryū Sensei “Enjoyed being among the assembly at Chapel Hill Zen Center for Kuden Paul Boyle’s Sōtō shū Hossenshiki this past weekend. Great Happiness in those big smiles. Rev. Zenki Nishimura taught us how to say Daihishin Daraniiiiiiiiii to get even bigger smiles. Great fun!