Description
Curated links to Dharma talks, guided meditations, music, art, closing words, and more from Spring Sesshin 2021.
Our Spring Sesshin, Four Days & Five Nights in the Digital Temple
April 7-11, 2021
After the long cold and the dark night, the blossoms open one by one, then all at once.
A traveler was walking along, meditating as best he could, lost in the canyon shadows and the cold of winter. He rounded a bend and saw, on the opposite wall, a peach tree in full bloom. When he saw that tree, it opened his heart and mind. He said,
For thirty years I searched for a master swordsman,
how many times did the leaves fall,
and the branches burst into bud?
But from the moment I saw the peach blossoms,
I have had no doubts.
The world recognizes us—anything that touches us holds all meetings. We don’t need to know what happens next, we walk along in our own life now. Everything that will happen follows from the peach blossoms.
—John Tarrant & Friends: PZI Teachers Allison Atwill, Tess Beasley, Jesse Cardin, Jon Joseph, David Parks, Michelle Riddle, and David Weinstein
Spring Sesshin talks, music, and meditations
Opening Night – Wednesday April 7
- Opening Guided Meditation with John Tarrant – 7 minutes.
- Opening Dharma Talk with John Tarrant – Peach Blossoms and Pilgrimage.10 minutes.
- Opening Meditation Music with Michael Wilding – on Sax.
- Welcome & Dharma Talk with Michelle Riddle – 54 minutes.
- Evening Words with David Weinstein
- The Four Boundless Vows with Jordan McConnell – vocals and guitar. Cantor Amaryllis Fletcher on bell and violin.
Day One – Thursday April 8
- Morning Dharma Talk with John Tarrant – On Meditation and Being in Retreat, with comments. 1 hour.
- Evening Dharma Talk with John Tarrant – A Donkey Sees a Well, a Well Sees a Donkey. 45 minutes.
Day Two – Friday April 9
- Morning Dharma Talk with Jesse Cardin – The Lostness and Wandering of the Pilgrim’s Path. 54 minutes.
- Evening Dharma Talk with John Tarrant – The Peach Blossom Journey. 45 minutes.
Day Three – Saturday April 10
- Morning Dharma Talk with Jon Joseph – Peach Blossoms and a Russian Boy. 45 minutes.
- Morning Dharma Talk with Allison Atwill – Whatever Appears Is Part of Your Awakening. 45 minutes.
Day Four and Closing – Sunday April 11
- Morning Dharma Talk with Tess Beasley – The Interwoven Journey of Sesshin & Life. X minutes.
- Coming soon: Closing Ceremony with Michelle Riddle.
Coming soon:
Sutras:
- Afternoon Sutra Service April 10th
- Final Sutra Service April 11
Music:
- Music for Meditation with Jordan McConnell – The Four Boundless Vows
- Music for Meditation with Michael Wilding – Instrumental
Art:
All participants were sent a welcome letter package in the mail, including our Spring Sesshin art card (shown above) and bookmarks made from paintings on paper by Dennis Peak.
The artwork above is: Invitation#5, by Dennis Peak. Acrylic on canvas.