WATERFALL

2005 spring newsletter

Many people today are interested in meditation. Yet most think of it as something that will result in a personal sense of peace or relaxation. This is why I prefer to refer to zazen rather than meditation. The ‘za’ in zazen means sitting. Zazen is sitting Zen or sitting practise. It’s not to get somewhere else but to practise Zen without doing anything except sitting in our posture. Zazen also indicates it is the same practise as in our ordinary active life, just that we’re not moving. This brings us to the fact that Zen is practised and is not something to get. So what is practise?

One way is to say we practise bringing ourselves into this time and place, the moment that we are already in. We also practise allowing all things and beings that are here to be in this time and place.

Reflecting on this will show it takes a lot of careful practise. We must constantly practise being present. We must constantly affirm the presence of all other beings.

Breathing practise during zazen helps integrate our mind, body and breath. In giving ourselves to the in-breath and in giving ourselves to the out-breath our mind settles down, settles into the body, and becomes full of the experience of breathing. Our posture should have presence and radiance. We should not doubt that we are present and then we manifest this. As we settle and steady ourselves we open to include all in this moment. At first we may practise being aware of what’s present. In time we settle into breaking down the sense of being separate. It may help to remember that at the same time we are including and embracing everything that everything is including and embracing us. Little by little we become this place and time, and this place and time becomes us.

We practise exactly the same thing in our ordinary life, but in action. Here practise becomes more interesting. We have the activity of manifesting ourselves so that we connect with others. We also have the activity of allowing the activity of others in this place and time. This is the practise of the inter-relatedness or inter-connectedness of all things. It is the practise of mutually giving and receiving. This is a wonderful practise for a couple. When one gives of themselves the other receives. Then the one that received now gives, and the one that gave now receives. An example is in a conversation between the two people. Reflect how often we miss really listening to the other, reflect how often we don’t answer directly or to the point. Mutually speaking and listening can be an effective way to sharpen our practise. It also improves relating.

All types of inter-relationships are practised as mutually giving and receiving. When we finish eating a meal we wash the dishes. In fact this is in a koan collection. Having received food we give. The food and dishes have given, then they receive. We practise mutually giving and receiving each moment, each day. As we begin to catch on we find life starts to become very interesting. We are no longer looking outside for satisfaction and happiness. We are no longer looking to the past or future for satisfaction and happiness. It’s right here, in our inter-actions with this moment.

There is a Buddhist story from the time of Shakyamuni. A person wakes one day and finds they’ve lost the jewel they had. They search frantically in their room, throughout the house, they run around asking neighbours. Eventually a neighbour points out they have it with them, it’s on their forehead.

We are searching for ourselves. When we search for ourselves hoping to find satisfaction in possessions and wealth, position and fame, etc we never truly find ourselves. This way it is dependent on some outside thing. The sense of ourselves is tied to recognition or ownership. When that changes or disappears we feel lost again. It’s not truly finding ourselves.

If we search by doing Zen practise we gradually come back home to ourselves in this moment and cease grasping and rejecting, clinging and avoiding, liking and disliking, and all the ways that we are unwilling to be present.

Because it’s coming home in activity we are not passive in being with this moment. We find ourselves in how we respond and act. We are the activity of inter-relatedness.

Centre News

Buddha’s Birthday ceremony and potluck will be 11am Saturday April 9 th

Everyone is encouraged to come to the main ceremony of the year. We all participate in the flower-full ceremony and then enjoy our Zen friend’s company and food. Spouses and children welcome.

This New Year a ceremony was held. It was the start of a new tradition for the Zen Centre. After the small ceremony Eshin gave a talk on true peace. The usual potluck followed. The group was larger and livelier than in the past.

Corinne’s tokudo (ordination) was on January 8 th. Most of the Zen Centre’s members attended. Also present were many of Mrs Sumi’s ikebana group. Sokai Osho from Hakuun-ji in Phoenix and Eshu from the Victoria Zen centre attended. Corinne keeps her Buddhist name Myorei that she received at her wedding.

Tokudo is a responsibility to help others and continue the Zen Centre beyond ones personal benefits. It is the deeper true bodhisattva spirit and a way to repay the gratitude of Zen practise. Until now Eshin has been the only ordained person. Eshin’s vision has always included tokudo people for the Zen Centre. They are essential for it’s continuance. It was gratifying to see so many members come to this important and happy occasion.

The Zen Centre’s annual administration meeting was held on January 27 th. Reports showed the centre is operating steadily with a good core group and increasing participation. We were able to pay down the mortgage by 6k last year following the fundraising effort. The directors for 2005 are Brad, Eshin, Gareth, Ian and Myorei.

There was a small turnout for the sesshin in February. All were experienced sitters and the sesshin went smoothly and powerfully. The dates for the remaining 2005 sesshins are May 7 th – 14 th, August 13 th – 20 th, and November 19 th – 26 th.

The May sesshin is already half full, including three from Prince George and Calgary . If you are thinking of coming it would be best to let Eshin know soon in case it fills up.

As usual, it is best to check the web site, or phone, at least the day before about coming for some sits. Sometimes Eshin is away at sesshin or visiting another Zen group. The early morning and Thursday mid-day zazen are cancelled on these days. Core members look after the Tuesday and Thursday evening, and Saturday and Sunday morning, sits at these times.

The Zen Centre has two types of incense available. Eiju is available for $15. Eiju is an excellent strong, pure sandalwood incense for home use. Morning Star Aloeswood for $7 is also available. Aloeswood has a strong ‘temple’ smell and can be very expensive when pure. This is a blended version which still gives an Aloeswood feel.

From Eshin: At the last directors meeting there was talk of sending the newsletter by email. This had me thinking how the centre produces and issues various types of information. The printed newsletter was started before the internet was so ubiquitous. Now the web site has a news page that is kept current with both centre and sangha news. The news in the printed newsletter is the same as the web site. Likewise, the schedule and timetable is in both places. An email list is kept of the regular sitters for notices such as the one day sits and any event needing shorter notice than the three month cycle of the newsletter. The only thing found in the printed newsletter that isn’t either on the web site or emailed are articles, poems, etc from Eshin and members. If we go fully internet these could either be posted on the website or emailed to a full list of members and supporters.

Here’s another factor. Roshi has always liked Zen Centres to publicly acknowledge donations. We do this by listing donors in the newsletter; for items, financial and time given support. If we stop the printed newsletter do we put this on the web site?

Should articles be on the web site? I’ll add my thoughts. The web site was first intended as a ‘poster’ to let people know about the centre rather than to explain Zen. There’s enough of that, in my opinion, in bookstores and on the internet. What’s needed is for people to come and sit, do retreats, and actually practise. Hence the web site was our global ‘door sign’ for people to find us.

Please give feedback about the printed newsletter. Is it still useful? If so, then why? Would you like to receive emails with articles as well as events? Should everything be on the web site and email lists used for informing people, if they wish, when new items appear?

If we go fully electronic does anyone have skills, or know where we can get freely donated assistance, for more technical web design than what we do now? I’m thinking of tying in a database so various email lists can be maintained by the readers themselves. The email lists I have now at the centre are a little hit and miss.

A footnote: I sometimes get unsolicited feedback about our site when I go down to California for sesshin. Among the Rinzai-ji sites it’s known for being up-to-date and straight-forwardly informative of the Zen Centre. There are also comments on its clear format and ease of navigation. That’s good news! Please let me know your thoughts, ideas, comments, and concerns about all this. Thank you. 

Sangha News

Brad’s father passed away peacefully on February 26 th. Brad spent a time in Toronto to be with and to help with his family. He has recently returned to Vancouver.

John and Michelle are planning to stay at Mt Baldy Zen Center for a long period. They will be going down with their whole family. Best wishes for this opportunity to study with Roshi. Also best wishes for the complexity of caring for the whole family.

Carlo, from Kitimat, came to the February sesshin. He took this opportunity to stay an extra couple of days at the Zen Centre to study closely with Eshin.

Eshin will be leading the next Prince George zazen-kai on April 23 rd and 24 th.

Contributions

The Centre asks for a contribution from its friends. This is a way to support the Zen Centre itself and to repay benefits from the Centre’s practise. A contribution of $20 per month is expected and many contribute $35 or $50 per month as appreciation of the practise and centre grows.

A great thank you for all the membership and general donations since the beginning of this year: Brad, Branko, Brent, Caitlin, Carlo, Chris M, Chris R, Christian S, Darryl, Fred and Louise, Gareth, Gordon, Graham, Greg, Ian, Ivan, Jason, Jey, John, Joni, Judith, Kumiko, Michael, Michelle, Mike, Myorei, Omar, Paul C, Paul M, Peggy, Peter, Pouyan, Shade, Steffi, Steve, Stuart and for all the anonymous donors. Thank you!

A special thank you to Brad who spent a lot of time repairing a leak in the deck and bathroom. A broken downspout coupled with the design of the deck had caused extensive water damage in the bathroom.