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All Beings Sangha members – 

Hope everyone is staying warm out there – man, it is cold (even for this seasoned New Englander).

Just a quick update on some late February and March happenings with All Beings, aside from the Monday, Thursday, and Friday sits and services, which I’d heartily recommend you join if you can bear to leave your house.

This coming Sunday, at All Beings Zendo / Zen Center in Adams Morgan, there will be a meet up for those who are taking or are interested in taking the precepts.  There’ll be a short sit, then a discussion, and then some work on rakusu (rakusus? rakusii?).  We’ll begin at 8 am.

On Sunday the 1st of March, we’ll continue with our discussion of the Diamond Sutra.  We’ll begin at 8 am, and there’ll be tea and cookies at this one.  It’s a real pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning, talking with other members about what they’ve read, even if we sometimes leave just as perplexed as when we arrived.  So it goes.  It’s nice, though.  Bring a copy of the Diamond Sutra in any translation.

Then on Sunday the 15nd of March, we’ll have a full-day sit.  So mark your calendars accordingly.

Thanks folks!  Stay warm.

Sam

Hi everyone –

Book Club update.  We didn’t get too far last time we met to discuss the Diamond Sutra, be we’ll press ahead on Sunday February 1st at 8 am. We will most likely be discussing the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the 32 short ‘chapters’, so go ahead and plan accordingly.

Hope to see you at All Beings in Adams Morgan!

Sam

Carlos and Marilou Moura have kindly made their home available for us to
have a New Years Eve sitting and chanting ceremony. They reside on Ordway NW near Wisconson Avenue.

Please RSVP if you can join us. We need a head count for zabutons and
zafus.

10:20pm Zazen
10:55pm Nine bows
Heart Sutra
Three bows
11:05pm Begin the chant Kanzeon (108 times)
Some people may do the 108 prostrations (optional)
12:00pm Celebrate the entering of 2015 with a few minutes of silence
12:05pm Tea and cookies

All Beings Zen Sangha Solstice Day Retreat –  Sunday December 21th, 2014

Twelve people attended our Solstice Day Zen Retreat on Sunday December 21st. Amy B. made these amazing vegan cookies to have with tea during our afternoon practice discussion.

Recipe for Haroset sweetmeats (Middle East)

2 cups/350 g pitted dates
1/2 cup/75 g sultanas (I used golden raisins instead)
1/2 cup/75 g raisins
1/2 cup/75 g walnuts
pinch of cinnamon
1-2 tbsp sweet red wine (masala or port)

Put everything (but just HALF the wine) in food processor. Make a mixture that sticks together; you can add more wine so that it binds. Using clean, wet hands roll teaspoonfuls into small balls and put on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Source: One World Vegetarian Cookbook by Troth Wells, 2012

Howdy everyone.

Just a quick update for those who like to read books and talk about them on Sunday mornings with tea.

The next of these will be Sunday, January 4th, 2015.  We’ll be reading the Diamond Sutra.  Further, we’re all going to read and bring whatever translation we’d like, figuring that the differences in the translations will enhance the discussion and, hopefully, what people can take away.

I’ll be reading the Red Pine version, myself.  Here’s a free one online:

The Diamond Sutra

We’ll see you there!

Sam

Just wanted to let everyone know that the events page has been updated for November and December.  There’ll be a sit on 11/16, Rohatsu festivities, and another all-day sit on 12/21.  Please do come sit with us!  All are welcome.

Further: we’ll be continuing our book club in December, this time with the Diamond Sutra.  Details about that will be forthcoming, but two editions to consider are this one and this one.

Thanks folks.  If your fall is harried and hectic, that’s the best time to make time to sit.  I’m off to do just that.

Sam

photo by John Flanagan