full moon
sits
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. --Buddha
A person getting enlightened is like the moon reflecting in the water. The moon does not get wet, the water is not disturbed. Though it is a great expanse of light, it reflects in a little bit of water; the whole moon and the whole sky reflect even in the dew on the grass; they reflect even in a single drop of water.Enlightenment not disturbing the person is like the dewdrop not obstructing the heavens. As for the length or brevity of the time [of the reflection], one ought to examine whether the water is large or small and discern whether the sky and moon are wide or narrow. --Dogen
Meditate. Live purely. Quiet the mind. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine. --Buddha
Let the waters settle and you will see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being. --Rumi
There is a Japanese saying "For the moon there is the cloud. For the flower there is the wind." When we see the moon covered by part of a cloud covered by a tree, or a weed, we feel how round the moon is. But when we see the clear moon without anything covering it, we do not feel the roundness the same way we do when we see it through something else. --Shunryu Suzuki
Full moon sits go from 8 - 10pm. They are informal affairs, having the feeling of yaza (the additional zazen that participants are encouraged to take upon themselves during sesshin (extended silent retreats)). While you can sit in the zendo you will probably want to gather up a zafu and zabuton (meditation cushion and the pad under it) and sit out under the stars. There are no fixed start or stop times and no determined durations ... you will determine all that for yourself. And finally, with clappers around 9:40, you and your fellow sitters will reconvene in the zendo for sarei (a less formal tea ceremony) and a short chant.
You must experience a Full Moon Sit. Why would you not? Even if you are brand new to sitting, you can do this. There is no need to register in advance. See you here for the next full moon!
