A Blade of Grass, a Drop of Dew: The Beauty in Spring
The insights, challenges, and, yes, many joys of our Zen practice bear us along into a new season. Our passage from the shortest day has progressed to crossing the one of equal light and dark. Spring has been declared. This arbitrary border, like many others, is not one thin line: it marks only a gradual change, for occasional chill winter nights still appear, and intermittent flurries bring a few more precious raindrops, greening our town. Alongside these blades, nascent seasonal blooms—harbingers of brightness to come—peek their way through.
True to our mission, our gate opens to members in a variety of communities, families, and individuals—our neighbors, north and south. We all “inter-be” (quoting the late Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh) as one. Here in this home, we are a dharma family. Where we may have spent more time in solitude before, we continue to cultivate refuge together. Where there is joy, it can be shared. Where there is trauma, we have tools to hold one another. When it’s tumultuous outside, we are a sanctuary. Where madness abounds, our practice helps restore sanity. Our true selves—our Buddha nature—flourish here like the recent bloom of the cherry blossoms. Gradually, through this practice and the teachings of the Dharma, we, collect in sangha, and find a higher power that eases the ride.
With a core of long-timers and more dedicated members joining through the years, our dharma family keeps gaining strength. Through the season of many holidays and our beloved teacher Shinzan’s sojourn in his hometown, we again remained open. We’re manifesting a dream of his: a maturing sangha that can sustain itself in his occasional absences. We have had a Shuso—Head Trainee/Advanced Student—a teacher in Dojin, and other members facilitating at various levels.
As our schedule continues, it grows. Weekly activities now include morning practice. A few of us gather on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, either in person or online, to meditate into the new day. Reanimated a couple of years ago, the Spanish-speaking sangha enjoys ongoing practice with a number of regular attendees. There are monthly introductions to Zen, Buddhism & 12-Step recovery, weekly Dharma talks, and regular Dokusan interviews, along with much opportunity for zazen (Zen style of meditation).
We gathered on February 1st for the Lunar New Year of the Snake. We brought it in with one of our cherished practices: Council. This is a Native American tradition adopted by Roshi Halifax and integrated into our lineage by Roshi Glassman. Today, different Zen American sanghas have included it into their practices. In short, it is a circle wherein each member gets to speak in turn, from the heart, and be exclusively heard. All listen with their hearts, without comment. Thus, it presents a powerful form of communication and a deep lesson in listening. Immediately following, we reconvened in our garden for a lively and festive potluck gathering. Then, much back-and-forth conversation enthusiastically arose.
Recently, on the weekend of March 7, 8, and 9, we had another weekend retreat. Attendees turned away from the daily activities, involvements, and stress of day-to-day life to look inward, observe themselves, and support each other's practice. In “noble silence” throughout, we sat zazen meditation numerous times each day. We took a couple of rest breaks and engaged in samu—working meditation—mindfully caretaking our home (the zendo and grounds). We enjoyed three meals done Oryoki style, a Japanese practice found in many sesshins (retreats). We have more sesshins to look forward to in the coming months, so consider joining!
We had a big ceremony last year, known as “taking the precepts” in the Jukai service. This follows a several-month-long period of meetings and projects in reflective study. The precepts form the ethical foundation of Buddhism. Emphatically not commandments, they are often described as “trainings” or descriptors of how a Buddha behaves in practice, words, and deeds. We have another Jukai ceremony scheduled in the summer!
Also on the horizon is Spring Practice Period. Commencing on June 28th, these 36 days of increased activities will culminate in a sesshin—a several-day retreat and closing Council—July 22–27.
Numerous other activities include a half-day zazen meditation on April 19th. Then we’ll have more retreats, the next being May 16–18, along with Councils and Zazenkais—one full day—and a bilingual Día de Zazen on September 13th.
With deep gratitude to one another, we welcome beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to drop in, join, and appreciate the rewards of the Dharma. There’s joy at the core of committed practice. Check us out!
- Mushin
