[Event] Bodhi Day All Night Sitting 2021-12-07 to 2021-12-8

On behalf of Buddhists in EA, I'm running an online all night meditation event in honor of Bodhi Day. No need to be a member of Buddhists in EA to join, although if you want to join you probably should be a member. :-)

Details below, and more details in this Google doc that has all the info for the event, including the Zoom link to join.

In Zen we celebrate Bodhi Day—the day of the Buddha's enlightenment—on rohatus: literally the 8th day of the 12th month. To mark the occasion, we engage in the same practice as Sakyamuni: we sit through the night until dawn.

This year we're hosting an all-night sit for the Buddhists in EA group. All are welcome to attend. There's no cost to attend, but you are encouraged to make a donation to EA Funds if you are so moved; recommended donation is $10-$50 USD.

The sitting will start at 11pm/2300 PST and continue until 6:42 am PST (dawn in the San Franciso Bay Area), at which time we'll hold a short service.

Sitting through the night is difficult. If you're not an experienced meditator and haven't sat at least one multi-day retreat before, you probably should not attend. The schedule for the night will be a mix of "open" meditation periods where you can choose your own meditation practice during the period and breaks to allow for rest, eating, etc. as needed. You're welcome to come for as much or as little of the event as you like, and the schedule is there to support you: if it doesn't work for you, feel free to modify it to your own needs.

Prior to the first period there'll be a little time for joining, asking questions, etc. At 2300 PST we'll start with bells and continue in silence through the night until service at dawn except for essential communication. You should keep your microphone muted and if you camera is on please make sure nothing distracting is happening on screen. Keeping your camera on helps create the setting for everyone by creating a virtual meditation hall, so you're encourage to keep your camera on as much as possible during the meditation periods and sit facing the camera.

At dawn, Gordon will lead everyone through a short Zen-style service. Instructions will be provided at that time since you are not expected to be familiar with the forms.