No. 1 ~ 2007 Zen in America . . . Buddhism and Global Warming ~ Bill Devall
Americanization of Zen ~ Karen Mueller . . . And Japan
A Four-Day Stay in Eihei-ji ~ June Davis In Memoria Buddha's Birthday ~ Catherine Cascade Graphics Sources and Other Credits
Buddhism and Global Warming We are taught that we have to do
something to practice the Buddha’s way. How do we practice during an era of
global warming? For some Buddhists the answer is
simple. Practice like we always practice breathing in and breathing
out. Living in the present moment. Giving away the merit of our
practice. While many Christian religious teachers
advocate nonviolent direct action to change personal and community
practices, even presenting teaching materials on global warming for
congregations to use, very few Buddhist teachers have presented
teaching materials on global warming for local congregations.
A few Buddhists have searched for
sources of Buddhist environmentalism. Daily practice and renewing our
vows based on the interpenetation of beings is manifest, for example,
in the Ecological Precepts of Green Gulch Zen Center. (Kaza and
Kraft, 2000)
When I asked our AZG advisor Angie Boissevain how we as Buddhists could address global warming, she drew
attention to the three hinderances: delusion, greed, and ignorance.
She did not offer specific suggestions for individual or collective
action.
When I asked AZG advisor Alan Senauke
if we can find guidance in the Pali scriptures, he replied. “…I
don’t think the Pali Canon is our source for views on climate
change, or Dogen, or others. Our ancestors point towards our
responsibility for sustaining life. But we are responsible for
figuring out what that looks like and means in the world we have to
live in and leave for the next generations. Developing such
understandings is the real challenge of engaged Buddhism.” (email
May 17, 2006)
When I asked Alan if his colleagues in
the American Soto Zen Buddhist Association or the Buddhist Peace
Fellowship will put forth suggestions concerning practice during this
era of global warming, he replied “not likely.” Shishi
When I asked some of my colleagues in
the local Buddhist community for their responses to global warming,
they either said that the issue has been exaggerated or that it is a
lifestyle issue. They said that Buddhists who practice “right
livelihood” or the Buddhist “middle” way will be drawn to buy
hybrid vehicles, reduce their personal consumption, eat a vegetarian
diet, and invest in mutual funds that specialize in companies
offering “alternative energy production.”Some of my Buddhist
colleagues encourage “mindfulness” practice and spending more
time sitting zazen.
Stephan Batchelor comments on this
response. “While ‘Buddhism’ suggests another belief system,
‘dharma practice’ suggests a course of action. The four ennobling
truths are not propositions to believe; they are challenges to act.”
(Batchelor: 7) Batchelor concludes, “Dharma practice
today faces two primary dangers: through resisting creative
interaction, it could end up as a marginalized subculture, a
beautifully preserved relic, while through losing its inner integrity
and critical edge, it could end up being swallowed by something else,
such as psychotherapy or contemplative Christianity.” (Batchelor:
113)
When American Buddhism becomes an
extension of individualistic psychology, the interpenetration of
social dukkha is diminished. Individuals come together in therapy
sessions to address their personal suffering, not the suffering of
the world. Portage Glacier, Alaska 1914 and 2004
David Loy, a Buddhist scholar, argues
that Buddhist teachings can lead to social theory. American
Buddhists, are required to develop our own Buddhist social theory of
community because we live in a radically different culture from that
of the Shakyamuni Buddha, 2,500 years ago.
He argues that “loving the world as
our own bodies” enables us to use our cognitive power to develop
patterns of behavior that help us adapt to current cultural and
environmental conditions. He concludes that “Taoism and Buddhism
also emphasize ‘letting things be’ in order for them to flourish:
not for our sake, and not even for their own sake, but for no sake at
all—because questions of utility and justification no longer apply.
That challenges the basic principle of our technological and
consumerist society, and it also subverts our sense of ego-self. To
admit that natural objects (or natural events) have an inherent value
independent of any awareness or appreciation of other beings is to
question our commonsense dualism between the conscious self and the
objective world. The ecological catastrophes that have now become
common make it evident that resolving the duality between ourselves
and the natural world is necessary if we—not only humans, but the
rich diversity that constitutes the biosphere—are to survive and
thrive in the new millennium.” (Loy:51)
Where can Buddhists dwelling in
California and across America look for teachers in what Loy calls
“the great awakening”? Some Buddhists dwelling in California look
to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a teacher. The Governor brings
together people from across the political spectrum, and he signed
landmark legislation on global warming in 2006. He has made lifestyle
choices confirming his practice of the “middle” way. He changed
his large SUVs into alternative energy vehicles. The Governor takes
up the Buddha’s “middle” way. He is active in moving energy to
encourage “ecological sustainability.”
Dwelling in the Humboldt bioregion of
California, we are rich in mountains and rivers and rich in people
who are peaceful, active, and creative. Klamath River
During the next several decades can we
envision Buddhist centers in Jacoby Creek watershed, close to a
Christian nunnery and monasteries in the mountains where nuns and
monks contribute to the social life of the community through their
productive labor raising food, harvesting timber in sustainable ways,
living simple lives rich in experience and teaching children the ways
of peaceful interrelationship?
We live in an era of challenge and
opportunity. We bring forth our positive energy and creativity and
live our lives in simple ways but with rich experiences in the
Buddha, the Dharma, and Sangha.
Bibliography Batchelor, Stephan. 1997. Buddhism
Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening. New York:
Riverhead Books. Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to
Action. 2006 Kaza, Stephanie and Kenneth Kraft.
2000. Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddhist Environmentalism. Boston:
Shambhala. Loy, David. 2003. The Great Awakening:
A Buddhist Social Theory. Boston: Wisdom Books.
The development of Zen in America is
deeply colored by four issues in my view. These four are:
predominance of lay “vs.” monastic practice, the influence of
feminism, the way the aesthetics of Zen have permeated (some) popular
arts in the West, and the development of Zen in America which begins
with the early “Beats” and other rebels.
In the beginning, early American Zen
teachers quickly found it necessary to develop forms for lay practice
and study outside of monastic structures. They often attempted
(successfully or not) to merge monastic practices with their
understanding of lay life in America. Early students of Zen in
America were interested from the beginning in participating in
meditation and Dharma study to an extent that is unprecedented in
Asian lay Buddhist communities, although highly developed in Asian
monastic settings. Some might say that (convert) Buddhist-Americans
want their cake (lay life) and they want to eat it too (zazen
practice). Buddha Cake However, these early Zen teachers found
that many things, which are taken for granted in Japanese Zen
Buddhism, do not translate easily to American society. Relationships
with temples, abbots, teacher-student relationships, daily ritual and
financial support of the temple by the lay sangha are imbedded in
Asian Buddhist societies. Forms that frequently seem awkward to
American Zen students are based on traditional ways of showing courtesy
and respect that seem natural in Japanese society. A major challenge
for American Zen is maintaining recognizable, and respectful,
identity with Buddhist teachings without necessarily adapting social
forms of traditional Japanese society. This is an important “practice
edge” for American Zen.
Secondly, American feminism has deeply
influenced and modified the development of Zen institutions and
teachings in the West. American women developed a potent voice in Zen
sanghas following the early scandals that arose due to misuse of
sexuality by (male) teachers. American women brought their concerns
about exploitation of women, their own desire to study and teach, and
their interest in nurturing of future generations into sangha
discussions. “Grandmotherly” wisdom acquired a voice and a high
value in some American Zen communities. The wave of American teachers
developing currently appears to be female by a wide margin. Some
examples of women who have become strong leaders in American
(convert) Zen communities include: Joan Halifax, Charlotte Joko Beck,
Linda Cutts, Blanche Hartman, Angie Boissevain, and Maylie Kushin
Scott. You may think of many other examples. Linda Cutts, Angie
Boissevain,Charlotte
Joko Beck,
Third, Zen in America is popularly
understood as an aesthetic sensibility that emphasizes simplicity and
naturalness or spontaneity. Zen aesthetics are especially
influential in architecture, landscape design. interior design,
textile design, “new music” (e.g. John Cage and Lou Harrison),
poetry, painting, photography, and cooking. John Daido Loori is a Zen
priest and a well-regarded photographer. Zen themes and archetypes
form an underlying structure for many successful films, such as the
Star Wars series and “serious” comedies such as “Groundhog
Day.” Wikipedia says “A Zen film or Zen movie is a motion picture
that is said to have a Zen-like undercurrent, or a significant
sequence where there is a "Zen moment." Zen movies are
often sparse, quiet, observing, with attention to detail and
lingering scenes without comment.” Many books have been written on
“Zen and….” Titles include “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance,” “Zen and the Art of Making a Living,” “Zen And
the Art of Happiness,” and “Zen in the Art of Archery.” There
is a “Zen” of golf and a “Zen” of boxing. In fact,
Amazon.com currently lists more than 70,000 book titles that included
the word “Zen”!
Fourth, no story of American Zen would
be complete in my mind without a deep bow to the rebellious
generations of Beat and hippie seekers. Their experimentation with
altered states of consciousness, natural and chemically induced,
propelled many of them into a spiritual journey in which they turned
to Asian traditions; to yoga, Hinduism and to Buddhism. In this
process, some developed strong commitments to Zen Buddhism. Alan
Watts was an early influential leader who lectured, often
brilliantly, on Zen themes and led many to further study. Jack
Kerouac flirted with Zen before spiraling down into his demons of
alcohol and depression. Philip Whalen, Lew Welch and Gary Snyder are
Beat poets who became Zen priests. Ram Dass studied Western
psychology, experimented with LSD, “dropped out” and found a
Hindu guru. In the process, he opened the doors to a wide variety of
spiritual possibilities for a generation of American young people.
Allen Ginsberg tasted everything available before eventually settling
on devotion to the teachings of the brilliant and controversial
Sogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Amy Waldman remained a Beat poet with zen sensibilities. For an excellent history of the American
journey to Buddhism, read Rick Fields “How the Swans Came to the
Lake.” For a well-written history of Buddhism and the Beats read
“Big Sky Mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation.” Gary Snyder Books about the development of Zen in
American that I have enjoyed: Awakening
of the West: Encounters of Buddhism and Western Culture, by Stephen
Batchelor
In the Forest The forest is my Zendo Gateless gate All is one A Four-Day Stay in Eihei-ji A familiar recorded female voice of the
bus announcer states simply in Japanese, “The next is ‘Eihei-ji
Mae’ (‘in-front-of-Eihei-ji’).” That’s very
clear: I have to get off. I disembark, carrying a Japan Rail Pass,
The Lonely Planet Guide Book, a note of encouragement and tips
from Cam Kwong (a friend from Sonoma Mountain Zen Center), and a
Faxed acceptance slip from Eihei-ji, all tucked away in my
trusty Eagle Creek travel back pack. I’m recalling with
trepidation the words of surprise and looks of concern from my aunts
and cousins in Tokyo, who tell me that Eihei-ji is known to be
the most rigorous Zen training center in all of Japan. They could
not believe that the little girl who left Japan at the age of 10 has
now returned this time to “do Zen” at Eihei-ji.
Editor's Note: The photos inside Eihei-Ji were taken by Tomiyama Haruo and are from his book, Zen:
750th Anniversary of Dougen Zenji's Memory.
Dharma
Gates are Boundless Some discouragement,
some faintness of heart at the new real future which replaces the
imaginary, is not unusual, and we do not expect people to be deeply
moved by that which is not unusual. That element of tragedy which
lies in the very fact of frequency has not yet wrought itself into
the coarse emotion of mankind, and perhaps our frames could hardly
bear much of it. If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary
human life it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrels
heart beat and we should die of that roar which lies on the other
side of silence. As it is, the quickest of us walk about well wadded
with stupidity. Even in the 19th
century, Eliot sensed a malaise that has only grown more dire over
the ensuing century. Now, in the 21st century, surrounded
as we are by 24-hour news cycles endlessly repeating the shocking and
the lurid, we seem to have lost touch with the “roar that lies on
the other side of silence.” Is “hearing the grass grow and the
squirrels heart beat” something to be feared, something that “we
should die of,” as Eliot seems to say, or is it another kind of
“death” that she is alluding to? Is the “stupidity” she
speaks of another version of our “ignorance” or “delusion,”
as the dharma teaches? Do we use silence in our dharma practice so
we can hear “that roar that lies on the other side”? Epidaurus Rather than fearing that
roar, we might experience it as the heartbeat of the world. On the
eve of World War II, as Europe was spiraling down into violence and
chaos once again, Henry Miller left Paris for a long sojourn in
Greece. He was utterly entranced by that part of the world, and
wrote about his experiences in The Colossus of Maroussi. On a
visit to Epidaurus, Miller felt a deep peace settle within him. This
experience led him to one of his finest reflections, a soliloquy that
is a teaching for our own times: Peace
is not the opposite of war any more than death is the opposite of
life. The poverty of language, which is to say the poverty of man’s
imagination or the poverty of his inner life, has created an
ambivalence which is absolutely false. I am talking of course of the
peace which passeth all understanding. There is no other kind. The
peace which most of us know is merely a cessation of hostilities, a
truce, an interregnum, a lull, a respite, which is negative. The
peace of the heart is positive and invincible, demanding no
conditions, requiring no protection. It just is. If it is a victory
it is a peculiar one because it is based entirely on surrender, a
voluntary surrender, to be sure…. What man wants is peace
so that he may live…. Man doesn’t begin to live through
triumphing over his enemy nor does he begin to acquire health through
endless cures…. Whatever we cling to, even if it be hope or faith,
can be the disease which carries us off. Surrender is absolute: if
you cling to even the tiniest crumb you nourish the germ which will
devour you…. I hear people talking about peace and their faces are
clouded with anger or with hatred or with scorn and disdain, with
pride and arrogance. There are people who want to fight to bring
about peace—the most deluded souls of all. There will be no peace
until murder is eliminated from the heart and mind. Murder is the
apex of the broad pyramid whose base is the self…. In every realm
our conquests bring only death. We have turned our backs on the one
realm wherein freedom lies. At Epidaurus, in the stillness, in the
great peace that came over me, I heard the heart of the world beat.
I know what the cure is: it is to give up, to relinquish, to
surrender, so that our little hearts may beat in unison with the
great heart of the world.
One of the great aspects of the AZG
sangha is the number of opportunities it offers in time and space to
practice zazen: Sunday mornings at the Aikido center, early weekday mornings at Rin Shin-ji, Eureka, Fortuna, Pelican Bay, etc. This is the first article in
a series on the
different sittings/locations of the AZG. If you run or attend an AZG-related sit, please consider writing an article for this column.
Looking at the Westhaven zendo one
would not assume that this was an abode for enlightenment, but the
large corrugated metal workshop on a dirt road deep in Westhaven
supports a small but dedicated sangha. Every Monday and Wednesday
morning at a reasonable hour 3 to 6 members of the AZG gather to sit
zazen. Suzanne, our intrepid webmistress, opens up and turns on the
heat in the workshop that Mark P. has generously made available to
the group. In the southwest corner of the building a simple sitting
area has been created including an altar made of artfully stacked
lumber. This place provides the basic necessities for the
maintenance of practice and the building of kalyanaimitta. Two Pun Haiku In Buddha’s would shop Zazen in winter
Sound Map of
Westhaven
Zendo
whoosh of raven wing
winter rain on metal roof
sparrow song
romping
dogs
snorting horses truck passing on dirt road
spring
frog talk
o
barking dogs
bird
chatter
trees in wind
sangha breath bell
sound
leaves in wind
Rev. Donald Gilbert Don Gilbert was one of the early visiting teachers of the AZG; following his obituary, sangha members share their
stories. There will be a Celebration of his Life in Tracy, CA on June 2, 2007. If you are interested in attending, please contact Paula Yoon at
822-3577.
Born
in Oakland, Rev. Gilbert was gifted with incredible strength and
concentration. In his teens, he teamed with a partner to form
an acrobatic and equilibrist act, "The Gilbert Brothers".
After he graduated from Roosevelt High School in Oakland, the team
concentrated for a year developing extremely difficult hand-to-hand
tricks and high bar routines at the Oakland Athletic Club—amazing
maneuvers that no one had ever seen before.
Their
act was totally original—all of the acrobatic/equilibrist tricks
were envisioned and created by Rev. Gilbert. His strength,
concentration and balance were so focused that he could pull himself
over the high bar with one hand. After a few years of playing
many small vaudeville theaters, their big break came. Their act
was seen in a small theater by a booking agent—and they were
immediately booked at the highest and most prestigious vaudeville
theater in the United States—the Palace Theater in New York City
when he was only 20 years old. From their first performance at
the Palace Theater, they went from being "extras" to become
instant stars. They performed for 13 years on the Orpheum
circuit including three years in Europe and performances in
Australia. While in England, The Gilbert Brothers were
requested to perform at a garden party for a birthday celebration for
a member of the royal family—a party attended by the King and Queen
of England.
His
acrobatic career came to end when the United States entered World War
II. He joined the Marine Corps in 1942. At first, the Marines
would not accept him due to his "old" age of 32.
However, he managed to convince them of his strength and physical
abilities and they finally enlisted him.
After
the war, Rev. Gilbert had several careers which included being a
booking agent (including being the West Coast regional agent for the
"You Asked For It" television show) and worked for the
Actors Union. He finally created his own advertising agency, "Don
Gilbert Enterprises" in Stockton, CA from which he retired in
1972. Most
importantly, beginning at age 14 and continuing throughout his
various careers, he developed intense concentrative abilities through
meditation and pranayama yoga.
Rev.
Gilbert became a student and practitioner of Buddhism and over the
years was a member of several different Buddhist organizations
including the American Buddhist Society, the Tibetan Buddhist School
and the Cho Ke Order of Korean Zen Buddhism. Rev.
Gilbert received the "Mind to Mind" transmission from the
Venerable Dr. Seo Kyung-Bo of the Cho Ke Order on July 13, 1973
becoming a Dharma Successor to Dr. Seo in the United States.
This authorized him to teach Zen under the Korean Cho Ke lineage and
enabled him to found his own Zen Buddhist organization in the United
States with the freedom to teach Zen in a manner he felt was suited
to Westerners. Rev. Gilbert was given the titles of Zen Master and
"Daishi" (Great Monk) and given the Dharma name, "Ta
Hui" by Dr. Seo. Since
the mid-1970's, Rev. Gilbert has given Dharma talks, taught
meditation classes and conducted numerous meditation retreats in
various cities across the United States including the Internal School
in Arcata, CA, the Il Bung Zen Buddhist Association in Huntsville, AL
and Sambosa Buddhist Temple in Carmel Valley, CA. Rev. Gilbert
founded the Blue Dragon Buddhist Order in 1979 from which he taught
for many years. He also formed local meditation groups in
Northern California in Oakland, Walnut Creek and Tracy. Rev. Gilbert
also served as the president of the Oakland Theosophical Society.
Artwork
was one of Rev. Gilbert's creative passions. Drawing since he
was a child, he developed his art talent using pen and ink from which
he drew both cartooning and extremely intricate landscapes. In
later years, he taught Zen in a humorous way by using cartooning in
his two Zen books: "Jellyfish Bones" and "The
Upside Down Circle". Because Rev. Gilbert loved animals,
especially dogs, much of his cartooning featured little dogs and
animals. Rev.
Gilbert also loved to read and speak the Spanish language and always
kept his Spanish dictionary close to him. He was always happy
when he had an opportunity to speak Spanish with local residents.
Rev.
Gilbert moved to Tracy in 1987 from Oakland, CA and lived there until
his passing.
He
is the beloved companion and spiritual guide of Dawn Bill. Rev.
Gilbert is survived by his nephew, Richard Hoisington and many
great-nieces and great-nephew Kimberly McLellan, Dennis McLellan,
Carolyn McHugh, Lee Ann De Poyster, Joann De Poyster, Karen
Christiansen and Jill Rozek and their children. He is the
adopted grandfather of Karen Parker and Lori Farrar. Rev.
Gilbert has a large extended family of friends and students who will
truly miss him for his soft-spoken wisdom, loving manner and his
humor. from Sherry Skillwoman: One of my favorite Rev. Gilbert memories is from the California Street tea house era of AZG, when we had occasional visiting teachers. The sangha was
in the midst of The Great Sock Debate - re walking on the tatami mats with bare feet vs socks & if you Did wear socks, did they have to be black or white to
be Zen Regulation or could they be other colors.
from Gael Hodgkins: Rev. Gilbert and Gael
Namu Amida Bu: Remembering Zen
Master Donald Gilbert Once,
at my home, he leaned a little too far back in his chair by the
French doors. Crash. He went through the glass. Acrobat that he was,
he returned to upright sitting, and we resumed our conversation.
Once, as he was leaving town and I was desperate, I asked to
speak to him privately. He said he did not have time, but I blurted
out my story--dumped by the man in my life. He taught, "It's
like having your right arm cut off." Thus I have heard
(from Darrell Gardner): Gilbert came to Arcata and taught at the
Internal School held in Arcata's Old Creamery. That was about 1975.
It was then he became Lloyd Fulton's teacher. (Lloyd Fulton, sensei,
1944-2001) Gilbert called his sangha, "The Green Dragon
Zen School," and at the Creamery his students not only did zazen
and kinhin but also went out to the dunes. The practice Gilbert
taught there was for students to pick up a rock, carry it at their
hara, struggle up the sand-dune to the top, and then, with a shout,
hurl the rock to the bottom where he stood watching and listening.
This practice was repeated two or three times. Gilbert wrote
at least two Zen cartoon books, both of which I recommend: The
Upside Down Circle and Jellyfish Bones.
Columns
Buddhism in the News
Zen in America . . .
~ Bill Devall
When I surveyed the actions of the
Humboldt Chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship over the past
several years, I could not find any discussions of peaceful
adaptation to global warming. I did find some discussion of “economic
justice.” Some Buddhists may attempt to place “right action”
during an era of global warming in the context of “social justice.”
These Buddhists base their call for redistribution of wealth to poor
nations on the consensus among scientists that negative effects of
global warming, including increasing drought, will be felt by people
in the poorest regions of the earth including Africa.
In a society that emphasizes individual
suffering, how do Buddhists come together as community as we adapt to
rapid change during this era of global warming? Batchelor emphasizes
the importance of community. “Community is the living link between
individuation and social engagement. A culture of awakening simply
cannot occur without being rooted in a coherent and vital sense of
community, for a matrix of friendships is the very soil in which
dharma practice is cultivated.” (Batchelor: 114)
Laypeople dwelling in Humboldt County
are actively developing communities of local food production,
renewable energy, social organizations that care for members of the
community and new organizations continue to emerge.
Americanization of Zen
~ Karen Mueller
This article is a continuation of
discussion begun by Bill Devall and Gael Hodgkins in an earlier issue
of Rin Shin Ji Voices. The opinions expressed are mine and,
therefore, should not be taken too seriously. I want to acknowledge
that this is an attempt to discuss Zen Buddhism as practiced by
American converts who are mostly white and highly educated. Many
people who were born into Buddhist homes and societies may find only
small similarities between their daily experience of Buddhism and
Buddhism as practiced in American Zen sanghas.
coated with
Edible
Gold
Fortunately, Zen seems to require that
methods and forms be practiced with as much attention and diligence
as the practitioner can muster, rather than requiring acceptance of
specific creeds or allegiances. In this way, Zen finds a resonance
with American pragmatism and spirit of experimentation.
Joan Halifax, Maylie Scott, and Blanche Hartman
The feminist dialogue with Buddhist
teaching and practice is not unique to Zen. Women are also
influential in other Western Buddhist sanghas. In Vajrayana
(Tibetan) Buddhism, Pema Chodron has become an important Western
teacher. Tenzin Palmo is an Australian woman who has become a
world-wide spokesperson for revival of the tradition of women adepts
that existed in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. In the
Vipassana movement in American, Sharon Salzberg is one of three
co-founders and principal teachers of the Insight Meditation Society
in Barre, MA. For more on the topic of women in Buddhism, see
“Buddhist Women on the Edge: Contemporary Perspectives from the
Western Frontier” edited by Marianne Dresser. For more about
Tenzin Palmo, read “Cave in the Snow.”
Questions about the form of American
Zen Buddhism remain. What is Japanese and what is essentially
Buddhist? What is skillful means within this time and in this place
and with these people? Does it matter? (I think so...)
Big
Sky mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation, ed. Carole
Tonkinson,
Buddhism
in American by Richard Hughes Seager
Buddhist
Women on the Edge: Contemporary Perspectives from the Western
Frontier, ed, Marianne Dresser
Crooked Cucumber: The Life and
Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki by David Chadwick
How
the Swans Came to the Lake, by Rick Fields.
Storming
Heaven: LSD and the American Dream by Jay Stevens
Street
Zen: The life and work of Issan Dorsey by David Schneider.
Zen
in American: Profiles of Five Teachers: by Helen Tworkov
~ Greg Thompson
Trees sit in the dharma hall
Buddhas are my teachers
. . . a twig snapped
Timeless time
Selfless self
. . . a branch broke
One is all
I am one
. . . a tree fell. . . And Japan
~ June Davis
The grounds and the buildings, even
from a distance, are stunningly impressive and beautiful. I announce
to the staff at the gate that I am here to do the four-day lay
monastic practice. They bow deeply towards me as they make a
respectful sound like “Ahaaah,” making me wonder what I have
gotten into. I bow back just as deeply. They graciously direct me
away from the others down a hall to an area with small lockers. I am
asked to take my shoes off, put on a pair of slippers, replace my
shoes in the locker, and close its door. My mind flashes through
movie scenes of someone being taken to jail, and I feel a fleeting
sense of panic.
I sit in a designated area in a large
foyer with several other people who are obviously in the same
situation as I am, all feeling a little insecure. A young o-bosan
(monk) comes up to me and offers to be my translator, for which I am
very grateful, but we both realize that my simple Japanese is better
than his English. Thus we decide that he would translate difficult
concepts or vocabulary words into a simpler form of Japanese for
10-year-old language skills. Names are called, credentials
inspected, and we are escorted up 5 walk-up flights of stairs to a
large Japanese-style tatami dormitory room for us eight women.
The eight men go to another presumably similar room. The only place
we are given permission to break silence is in this room. We are
given beddings, and directed to change into gray hakama
(Japanese-style gaucho pants), and a black jubon like top. We
wear this outfit throughout our stay, only to change into our own
work clothes twice a day during the two one-hour samu (work
period).
The wake-up bell, rung by a young
o-obosan running through the hallway, sounds at 3:30a.m., and
the last sitting ends at 9:00 p.m. Other than these two times I was
uncertain of the hour, since all timepieces were confiscated, and we
are not given any written schedule. My estimate is that there are
six to eight sessions of 50-minute zazen, three services, more
than one-hour of Dharma talk, two work-periods of one hour each,
three very formalized oryoki meals, and one hour of luxurious,
silent, somewhat ritualized ofuro (hot-tub bath). The ofuro
time almost compensates for the daily agony of lack of sleep, aching
body, and the unruly mind.
Soon after our arrival, we are taken to
the zendo, the place where we do zazen and eat, our
individual spots designated by a large plaque with our name. But
first we must be instructed how to get on the tan (a tatami
platform about two feet high with a 10 in. forward wooden margin)
without touching, sitting, or placing our hands or buttocks on the
margin. This practice keeps sacrosanct the margin area where we
place our oryoki bowls during meals. We each learn to cheat
in our own way, as it takes considerable strength, flexibility, and
agility to “fly” over the margin without touching it and to land
gracefully as close to the zafu as possible. The o-bosan
are kind enough to look the other way, unless someone unthinkingly
sits directly on the margin, in which case she is told in a very
neutral tone to please not to sit on the margin. One of the first
conversation topics we have in our room is about the most effective
way of hopping onto the tan. We share our respective
strategies with giddy enthusiasm.
I must say, zazen feels
universal whether done in an ancient monastery in Japan, in our
beautiful zendo at Rinshin-ji and Genjo-ji at
Sonoma Mountain, or in one’s own home. It truly is simply to
“just sit” wherever one is, and it was a welcome respite of
familiarity.
Oryoki is undoubtedly another
demanding time. The oryoki set is like ours except with an
additional fourth bowl, smaller than our smallest. An o-bosan
gives us step-by-step direction at each meal with all the minute
details. While my concentration was mostly on my own action, I must
say I was aware of sounds of falling objects and lots of discreet
verbal corrections down the line. One of the first things people ask
me about my Eihei-ji experience is, “How was the food?”
My sincere answer is that the food tasted neither good nor bad, but I
do remember reminding myself to take my vitamins and calcium, because
the diet was strictly vegan with little variety. It struck me as a
strange thought to be having. O-bosan who are in charge of
taking care of us either act as servers or eat with us. At first
appearance they seem to eat very fast, but, after few sessions, I
realize that they waste not a single movement in their gestures, and
they simply just eat, thus saving lots of time wasted by many of us
who fumble and fuss over the oryoki ritual.
Samu period is well organized.
We are instructed to clean the hallways, the zendo, or our own
dormitory room. We clean them just the way I’ve seen done in
movies, with a meticulously sewn together rag in our hands as we
scamper down the runways with our seats in the air like a bunch of
frightened beetles. My fellow participants seem to know exactly how
to do it -- I do my best to learn quickly.
The morning service is done in the big
“Buddha Hall,” with about 350 to 400 o-bosan. We walk down
the five flights, past the kitchen area, past numerous historically
commemorated elaborate rooms, to an enormous Hall already filled with
o-bosan and priests in their traditional robes. I am
embarrassed to report that I thought to myself that they seem to be
copying the same chants and rituals as we do here in Rinshin-ji
and Genjoji-ji. We are instructed to sit seiza,
directly on the tatami mat without any zafu or zabuton,
during the more than one-hour service, an absolutely excruciating
experience for the body that even my fellow Japanese practitioners
found difficult. Having noticed us squirming around, the o-obosan
observed to us later, still in a truly neutral non-judgmental tone,
that we have become “soft and weak” in this modern 21st
century. At the last morning service in the Buddha Hall, we were
invited to offer individual incense before the altar. It seemed
such a special privileged moment that I made an effort to include
everyone in my dedication.
The o-bosan and I agree that I
will not be able to grasp the difficult vocabulary words and nuanced
teachings that take place during the Japanese Dharma teaching
sessions; therefore, I will have a private meeting with an
English-speaking teacher. The Rev. Kuroyanagi, who speaks very
sophisticated English, is a delightful teacher with a twinkle in his
eye, a quick sense of humor, a gentle manner, and a heart and mind
rich with wisdom. Our first meeting begins with an introduction,
green tea and small morsels of sweets. He then asks me if I have
read the book or have seen the movie, The Da Vinci Code. I’m
taken aback, especially because I have done neither. He suggests
that I do so because the story shows us that Jesus was a human being,
thus informing Christians and everyone else that all humans have the
capacity to do as Jesus lived and taught. I remind myself to rent
the DVD when I get home. He spoke of his life process towards
becoming a Buddhist priest and teacher and about the need to be
careful not to become a “Dharma attachment person.” By this he
meant not just espousing teachings but rather living the Dharma in
one’s life.
By the second day, all of us lay
practitioners are exhausted and find our selves in the usual
“second-day-sesshin” tumultuous state of mind, so much so that
even those more polite and cordial among us are no longer speaking or
looking at each other in our dormitory room. Possibly because of
this, the obviously highly-evolved schedule varies on this afternoon.
In place of our afternoon samu, we are escorted to a wooded
path on the grounds for a long vigorous walk. Our o-bosan
surprisingly can chat with us. We learn a little about their lives
and family. We are taken to an area of large platform where a huge
bell is hanging, the only bell we are allowed to ring, as all the
other bells give significant signals to the o-bosan scattered
throughout the temple grounds. We each have a try at it. It brings
forth a tremendous sound resonating throughout the entire grounds.
In this casual atmosphere, I unthinkingly reveal to one of the
o-bosan that I am willing to tolerate anything that is demanded
of me here if I can only have a cup of coffee. After the hour of
brief reprieve, we return to our monastic quietude as though nothing
unusual has happened.
The next day, in the midst of my
meeting with the Rev. Kuroyanagi, the young o-bosan enters the
room with a tray of English bone China cups, coffee in a filter
coffee maker, and a plate of French millefeuille cookies. I
am shocked and delighted while Rev. Kuroyanagi seems amused. The
o-bosan quickly explains about my remark of the previous day.
The Rev. Kuroyanagi smiles, invites the o-bosan to have some
coffee and cookies with us, and returns to the teaching session. He
pointed out that the manner in which one places shoes at the door
reflects one’s working of mind and character. He tells a charming
personal story culminating in the teaching that there is no such
thing as a single event occurring independently -- that one thing
affects another – and that this is one aspect of karma.
On the third day of my stay, I am
singled out of the herd (more anxiety) and escorted down to a room on
the lower floor where I have the privilege of meeting Hoitsu
Suzuki-roshi, who is the son of Shunryu Suzuki and who gave Dharma
transmission to Jakusho Kwong-roshi and Sojun Mel Weitsman, among
others. He is presently the Tanto (head practice teacher) at
Eihei-ji. His wife, Chitose, informed him that I would be
coming to do the four-day stay at Eihei-ji, that I practice in
Arcata and at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, and that Kwong-roshi is my
teacher. I had met Chitose and their daughters, Narumi and Kayoko,
the week before at Rinso-in temple in Yaizu, the home
temple of Hoitsu Suzuki-roshi. I felt some concern that I would
become an exemplar of “American lay practitioner” and a
reflection on the places I practice in California. As it turned out,
I felt no judgment, no scrutiny: simply the presence of a kind and
warm-hearted person who took the time in the midst of his demanding
schedule to meet with me. He was on his way home that very
afternoon to his temple, and consequently we had only a brief visit.
By the third and the fourth day I am
surprised to find I actually sort of like this place and feel at ease
with the demands placed on us. At the same time, I start to look
forward to exiting the gate I had entered only a few days earlier.
The routine for the fourth day is the same until about the last hour
before the departure. We hear deeply caring and encouraging speeches
by the o-obosan, wishing us well in our journeys. The Rev.
Kuroyanagi and the Dharma teacher encourage us to carry into the
householder life the same kind of attention and clarity that we
cultivated during the four days at Eihei-ji.
We re-trace our steps down the
staircase, stop at the ground floor for a little souvenir shopping,
retrieve our shoes from the lockers, and go out the front gate, once
again bowing deeply to the gate-keepers. I make a phone call to my
aunt in Tokyo, to reassure her that I survived Eihei-ji, and
get on the bus back to the train station. As I look through The
Lonely Planet Guide Book, attempting to figure out where to go
next, I realize I don’t want any more challenges for the moment.
It had to be someplace quiet and beautiful: I was clear about that.
Columns
~
Michael Quam
In this latest edition of
“Gates,” we discover the dharma in the writings of two authors,
one English and the other American, neither of whom identified
themselves as Buddhist. Our first selection was contributed by Lynda
McDevitt, who is reading George Eliot’s masterpiece, Middlemarch:
Westhaven Zendo
~ Lynda McDevitt
Thoughts settle gently down
Shavings on the floor
Each step on cold cement
floor
Awakens my soles
(with
gratitude to Denise H. for
sharing the concept of sound maps)
In Memoria
August
9, 1909 – December 6, 2006
Rev. Gilbert came up from Oakland for a presentation & as far as I know, he was not aware of The Great Sock Debate. He showed up for dharma talk with a great
pair of glittery silver socks! Of course, with his personality, it is also possible that someone had tipped him off about the Sock Debate & this was his
(intentional) teaching for us.
Bless your Body-Mind-Spirit, Rev. Gilbert! I'm convinced you're still revving up the energy field with a few back flips!
a.k.a. Ta Hui
Gilbert,
dressed in gray robes, wore a string of beads around his neck.
Fingering them one by one, he walked up and down in front of us while
we stood chanting "Namu Amida Bu." Nearing the 108th bead,
the chanting grew softer and softer and finally stopped.
~ with gratitude to one of my teachers.
Maylie Scott was the founding abbess of Rin Shin-ji, home of the Arcata Zen Group.
Preferring Gold to Silver
~ Lynda McDevitt
Preferring gold to silver
I do not seek for hurried friendships
the easy find of shallow treasure
but depend upon the alchemy of time
to deepen
trust and fondness to the
desired hue
And so I thought that we had time
enough
for further mining of our hearts
discovering veins of sweeter intimacy
But death collapsed the fine potential
of your life
and left a rubble of regrets and
might-have-beens
for those of us you left behind.
And now another priest has come and
gone
a peacemaker who migrated to a more
peaceful clime
and tho’ distance be the assay of
affection
what transmutations could have been
had not the barrier of space altered
the relation?
But you were my first teacher of the
truth
the hard lesson learned
to live the moment
to seize the day
to discover gold awaiting in each heart
to venture love before it’s torn
away.
Buddhism in the News
The following is Catherine Cascade's Times-Standard column on the Buddha's birthday:
Birth
of the Buddha: Fresh Arising of Awakened Mind—Again!
According to the ancient story, when Shakyamuni Buddha was born flowers burst into bloom and sweet tea rained down from the sky.
The baby Buddha came into the world over 2,500 years ago in an area of northern India that is now part of Nepal. Tradition holds that he was born in the spring, but different Buddhist communities celebrate the birth of the Buddha on different dates.
In China, Korea, Japan and other East Asian countries the date is usually the eighth day of the fourth lunar month—April 8. In Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and other South Asian countries Buddha’s birth is usually celebrated along with his enlightenment and his death or entry into nirvana, on the full moon day in the month of Vesak, which falls in early May.
This year, local Soto Zen Buddhists celebrated Buddha’s birthday in a traditional flower-filled ceremony on April 9. The sangha (congregation) covered a small pavilion with spring blossoms. Inside the pavilion a simple wood statue of a baby Buddha stood in the center of a basin of sweet tea. One by one in procession, each person bowed and ladled sweet tea over the statue.
The ritual of Buddha’s Birthday affirms and celebrates the birth, the fresh arising, of awakened mind in each one of us. Like spring, it happens again and again.
The word “buddha” means “awakened
one,” “enlightened being” or “awakened mind.” There have
been and continue to be many, many Buddhas in this world,
including—potentially—us. Shakyamuni was a human being just like
us. Practicing meditation and compassion he woke up—became
enlightened—and we can, too.
We drift off from the alert, open, receptive mind of meditation; we drift off from the ethics of compassionate action. And then—again and again—we wake up, realize, and return to the original mind of Buddha. We begin again to live in our own awakened mind.
It’s a baby Buddha we celebrate: a complete human being, fully alive but undeveloped—a beginner. Practicing meditation and compassion through the days of our lives, we develop the mature, responsible wisdom of adulthood. And over and over through the days of our lives we drift off, wake up, realize and begin again.
Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi spoke often of what he called “beginner’s mind,” which he equated with the mind of Buddhist practice. He said, “The beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless…How important it is to resume our boundless original mind. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice.”
Buddha’s Birthday is an affirmation that, yes, awakened mind is alive in the world; boundless, compassionate “beginner’s mind” is arising in us, fresh and full of life. That realization is sweet, and it is what we are enacting and making visible when we ladle sweet tea over the statue of the sweet baby Buddha, the baby Buddha arising in our own lives.
On Saturday, January 27, 2007, Buddhist Peace Fellowship members joined many others in a peace rally outside the Courthouse in Eureka. A bell, made from a
bomb casing from Thailand, was rung during the rally. The
article on this event may be found in full in the Eureka Reporter.
BPF and AZG member Rose Brewster with the bell from Berkeley
Graphics Sources and Other Credits
Original sources - and often larger versions - of
most of the graphics found in this issue of Voices:
Shishi can be found at Ukiyo-e Prints
2004 Portage Glacier photo is by Gary
Braasch.
Buddha Cake with edible gold coating is by hand made cakes
Montage of Women Teachers by Suzanne (photos from all over the internet, except the one of Maylie)
The picture of Gary Snyder is here.
The photo of the outside of Eihei-ji comes from Nippon Optical.
The photos of the inside of Eihei-Ji were taken by Tomiyama Haruo and are from his book, Zen: 750th Anniversary of Dougen Zenji's Memory.
The steps of Eihei-ji can be found here.
Westhaven Zendo photos by Suzanne
The Rev. Gilbert obituary is, I believe, written by Dawn Bill. The photos are from Gael. The drawings are his, from a thank-you card he sent her. Thank you, Gael!
The picture of Maylie is from one of the Big Flat trips.
The buddha statue in the Buddha Birthday article is from Aspen
Country.
Photo of Rose from the Eureka Reporter article.