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THE ZEN STUDIES SOCIETYT H E N E W S L E T T E R O F

Published annually by The Zen Studies Society, Inc. Eido T. Shimano Roshi, Abbot.

New York Zendo.Shobo-ji 223 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021-6087 (212) 861-3333 Fax 628-6968 office@newyorkzendo.org

Dai Bosatsu Zendo . Kongo-ji 223 Beecher Lake Road Livingston Manor, NY 12758-6000 (845) 439-4566 Fax 439-3119 office@daibosatsu.org

Editor : Seigan Ed Glassing; News: Aiho-san Yasuko Shimano, Seigan, Fujin, Graphic Design: Genno Linda King;Editorial Assistant and Proofreading: Jokei Kyodo, Myochi Nancy O'Hara;Calligraphy by Gempo Roshi cover, Eido Roshi pg 5.Photo credits: Facing page and pg 9 Daishin Pawel Wojtasik, pg 2, 25 Jinen Nancy Woodard, pg 6 MyorinCatherine Landis, pg. 14, 15 courtesy of Kotaro Hiruta Sensei, pg.17, 18 Genkai Stefan Tessler, pg 22 ShinkonPeter Glynn all others Seigan Ed Glassing. We ask that no par t of this newsletter be reproduced without permission of the publisher. ©2007 The Zen Studies Society, Inc.

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The Golden Wind Blows Eido T. Shimano Roshi 2

Independence Day Roko ni-Osho Sherry Chayat 6

Just Sit and Expect Nothing Myochi Nancy O’Hara 10

Shaking Soyen Shaku Daiden Chuck Young 13

Misogi-no-Kokyu-Ho: A Spiritual Treasure Yuho Carl Baldini 14

A Letter from Sister Jeannine Jinin Sr. Jeannine Boutin D.W. 17

Zen in Action Soun Joe Dowling 18

Little Jizo in Shikoku Fujin 19

New York Zendo Shobo-ji News 20

Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji News 21

New York Zendo Shobo-ji Schedule 2007 27

Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji Schedule 2007 28

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C O N T E N T S

by Eido Shimano Roshi From around the middle of Septemberto the middle of October, the color ofthe leaves around Beecher Lake and DaiBosatsu Mountain change from green toyellow and red. This has been true forcountless decades. The wind becomeschilly and crisp, and this particular windis called the Golden Wind.

A monk asked Master Ummon,“What will happen when the trees wither and leaves fall?”

Ummon replied,“The Golden Wind blows.”

In the past, I have spoken on this koanmany times, but today I am examining itfrom a slightly different perspective. Itgoes without saying that the monk wasnot asking about trees and leaves in theliteral sense. Naturally, he was talkingabout our state of mind. When we are young, just like the trees in the moun-tains, we have many green leaves, such asambition, anxiety, desire, uncertainty, aswell as hopes and dreams.

When we experience a certain amount ofhuman life, and have confronted difficulties and disappointments one afteranother, these leaves fall one by one, likethe trees in the mountains. But when we become almost leafless, amazinglyenough, we discover that we still havemany hidden leaves: such things as attach-ment, fear of death, regret, and others.

When I read this koan, particularly inthe autumn, every year I am compelledto introspect and ask myself: Can Ihonestly say ‘the Golden Wind blows’in my heart?

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So far the answer is,“Not yet . . . not yet.”

When will I be able to say ‘the GoldenWind blows’ in my heart, at any timethroughout the year, without experi-encing any of the things I mentionedabove? If there is any objective in life,this one is mine.

The other day, I received in an e-mail ashort article about a therapist in Hawaiiwho had the ability to heal mentally illprison inmates without even seeingthem. At first, I was half-believing, half-doubting. But as I continued reading thearticle, I couldn’t help but agree with thisdoctor’s methods.

The article talked about “total responsi-bility.” In general, it means that we areultimately responsible for what wethink, speak, and do; and beyond that,things are out of our control. We areresponsible for what we do, but notwhat anyone else does. Thus, we live inour own separated individual worlds,and within these small worlds, we crywith sadness and loss, and we smile withhappiness and gain.

But having practiced zazen for almostmy entire life, and having experiencedmany difficult things such as bitterness,accusations and unbelievable surprises,particularly as a foreigner coming to theU.S., my personal definition of totalresponsibility has changed from what Iused to think. To me, total responsibilitymeans that everything – literally everysingle phenomenon inside and outside ofmy being – is wholly a projection of myself.

It is entirely my responsibility when

things happen, including witnessing sometroubled students come and go. We findit easy to blame them or dismiss them;“He’s crazy.” “She’s a piece of work.”But this is just a mere expression of ourown frustration, and we don’t realizethat by saying such things the situationoften becomes even worse.

We don’t have the guts to accept thatthe problem isn’t with them, but it’swithin ourselves. And to truly help oth-ers, there is only one way – that is, toimprove ourselves.

More and more, I think and feel thatwe all live in three concurrent worlds:the smallest one is our own separate,individual world – the intimate thingsthat we ourselves are the only ones toknow; such as our childhood, schoolexperiences, memories, friendships, andso on. For each of us, this is our ownpersonal world, which nobody elseknows as precisely as we ourselves do.The second world is the world whichencompasses our society; the commoncultural interests we share, and the basicfeelings that we all experience together.The third world is the entire universe asone immense realm.

Within the first world, it is very easyto take personal responsibility, as itscontents are solely of our own con-struct. We built these worlds from ourown unique thoughts, feelings andexperiences. There are also layers ofkarmic conditions accumulated overmany lifetimes, even though we do nothave a conscious memory of them.These are still the result of our owndeeds,whether we acknowledge it or not.Within the third world, it is also relatively

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The Golden Wind Blows . . .

‘easy’ to take total responsibility,because, as Zen practitioners, we are able to cultivate a state of mindthrough deep zazen in which any gapsor boundaries between ourselves andthe vast universe often disappear.

The second world is the most difficultto accept and acknowledge our per-sonal responsibility for. For example,the current president of the UnitedStates . . . is he also a projection ofourselves? In the Book of Rinzai, thereis a saying: “Whether you are facinginternally or externally, whatever youmeet, kill it. If you meet a buddha, killthe buddha. If you meet a patriarch, killthe patriarch.”

Now in reality, as long as you live with-in the second world, do you think youcan expect to meet a buddha or apatriarch on Broadway? No. But with-out fail, from dawn to dusk, you arealways meeting yourself. What MasterRinzai is saying, is to kill yourself; inother words, to change yourself.Everyone you see, whether they are abuddha, a patriarch, the President orwhomever, these figures are noneother than mirrors, reflecting yourown self-image.

People often say zazen is difficult. Theconcentration required; having toendure excruciating pain . . . but that isnot the point. Zazen is difficult pre-cisely because it is so hard for us toaccept these seemingly external phe-nomena as our own projections andreflections, or even our creations.

We often speak of compassion andwisdom. But concretely, what arethey? Getting back to this Hawaiiantherapist, he was asked how did heheal his mentally ill patients withoutever seeing them face-to-face? Hereplied, “I just keep saying, ‘I’m sorry’and ‘I love you’ over and over.”

Some of you may agree immediatelythat this is it. And some of you maylaugh at me. If you agree, the GoldenWind is already blowing in your heart.If not, your leaves are still attached toyour tree.

Years ago, while I was attendant monk to Gempo Roshi, I went up tohis quarters one day and witnessed astrange sight. He was kneeling on thefloor, bowing deeply, and saying softly,over and over, “I am so sorry . . .please forgive me . . .”

When I asked him what was the mat-ter, he told me that while entertaininga guest, he accidentally said somethinginsensitive, and hurt his visitor’s feel-ings. So he was apologizing to hisguest by kneeling, facing in the direc-tion of his house, and expressing hisdeep regret at having been hurtful,however unintentionally.

When I heard this as a training monk,I didn’t get it. I thought he could waituntil he next met the person face-to-face, and work to re-create a harmo-nious relationship. Or he could writean apologetic letter, or even make atelephone call. But once the guest’s

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heart was hurt, Gempo Roshi felt it very deeply in his own heart, too.

This story about Gempo Roshi, and the story about the Hawaiian therapist,are the same as Master Ummon’sGolden Wind: it is always blowing intheir hearts, as they always live in theworld where there are no boundariesbetween ‘self ’ and ‘others.’

They have the guts to say “I am sorry,”and in this way, are expressing deeplove for each one of us.

To accept this love and say, “I’m sorry.I love you. Thank you,” is far more difficult than attending Rohatsusesshin. But we have to do this, other-wise the world cannot be changed.

I must mention one caution: in the Zentradition, we often hear such expres-sions as ‘suchness’ and ‘accept thingsas they are.’ While these statementsare true, they may be a bit misleading.There is an unspoken, underlying truththat things are changing moment bymoment. Accepting suchness does notmean that no effort is necessary onyour part. A spinning top appears tobe stationary, despite its being inmotion. It is precisely this motion thatkeeps the top suspended upright. Inmuch the same way, the man of buji isthe busiest man, as he needs to changehimself and improve himself momentby moment. This is the significance ofour practice.

The Golden Wind thus blows through-out the year and throughout our lives. v

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lack is a black hole. Nothing outthere—whether it’s a new car or a newlover or a new practice—can fill it,because fundamentally it stems fromdeep within. It is often spoken of as lackof self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence.And yet—“What do you yourselveslack?” asks Master Rinzai. Because ofour erroneous equating of self with ego,we see the self as lacking, when all alongit’s the edifice we’ve constructed—theego-entity—that can never be enough.The fragile ego-entity that we think gov-erns who we are—what GehlekRimpoche calls “this imposter”—insistson protecting its turf no matter what,and aggressively campaigns to commandall available resources.

From the perspective of the environ-ment, we may call it oil, and of courseour addiction to fossil fuels is perhapsthe biggest expression of this depend-ence. But oil is just the little gusher onthe surface of things. Al Gore’s film AnInconvenient Truth is impressive not justfor the way the basic principles of glob-al warming are presented, so accessiblyand with such strong impact, butbecause of Gore himself—his compas-sion, his clear conviction that only inter-dependence can bring about true inde-pendence. To understand the real caus-es of addiction, whether to oil or to theplethora of distractions we call reality,we need to knock down the artificialstructure we’ve created out of fear andin so doing, discover that the self is voidof substance, perfect and complete—emptiful.

True independence is interdependence.In this lies freedom. Nothing arisesindependently of anything else. Nothing

has a beginning that is not connected toeverything. Nothing has an ending thatdoes not affect everything. It’s all one.We do feel this. We come to the zendo,and something happens. We sit downand attend to the breath, and we feelthis oneness, this beautiful interdepend-ence that nourishes us, that supportsthis one mind, this one being. Every actthat each of us does cannot help butaffect not only all of us in this room, butall beings everywhere. This very sittingstill, even when we want to move, isnothing but a bodhisattva act.

We are engaged in bodhisattva trainingmoment after moment in the zendo, andoutside too. Our practice is indeedinconvenient. An Inconvenient Truth!We often feel lazy: “Oh, I don’t want toget up this morning.” Sometimes I thinkthe reason so many Jews are attractedto Buddhism is because of its inconven-ience. This is probably not kosher asinterreligious comments go! In Judaismthere is a well-known phrase, “It’s hardto be a Jew.” The prevailing culturedoesn’t support it. There are many reg-ulations if one really wants to be anobservant Jew. Dogen Zenji was a goodJew in that regard! Why are there allthese rules? In Judaism it is expressedas,“Opening to You (God).” Every regu-lation, every stipulation, is a prayer.When someone comes back from a trip,what does she say? “Thank you, God, forallowing me to return safely.” Whensomeone wakes up in the morning, hisfirst words are, “Thank you, God, forgranting me a new day.” When someonebuys a new teapot,“Thank you, God, forthe ability to buy this teapot.” It’s a verydifferent way of living, one that manymay regard as inconvenient. One is

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by Roko ni-Osho Sherry Chayat

Thirty years ago, when Eido Roshi dedi-cated Dai Bosatsu Zendo, he did so asan offering to the United States ofAmerica on its bicentennial, in recogni-tion of the struggle for independence,and the deep thought and debate thatculminated in the Declaration ofIndependence and the Constitution ofthe United States—a Constitution mod-eled on the wisdom of the indigenouspeople who were here for thousands ofyears before the Europeans: theHaudenosaunee and their Great Law ofPeace. Roshi knew that the best birthdaygift he could offer to his adopted coun-

try was a place where insight into therelationship of independence and inter-dependence could be nurtured; wheretrue independence could be realized.

Independence, and its associated word,freedom, have come to mean somethingvery different over the past 230 years.Nowadays, many political and religiousleaders act as if their deeds had no con-sequences. Individualism is the predom-inant creed. Responsibility based onmutual concern has almost vanished.The prevalent attitude is one of entitle-ment:“We live in the United States, so ofcourse we should consume most of theworld’s resources. Who better than wewould know how to use them?” This isan undercurrent, often unexamined, thatpervades every aspect of our lives. At arecent talk in Hong Kong, the Britishphysicist Stephen Hawking said that thesurvival of the human race depends onits ability to find new homes elsewherein the universe, because of global warm-ing and the ever-increasing risk that adisaster will destroy the Earth. He sug-gested that humans could have a perma-nent base on the moon in 20 years anda colony on Mars in the next 40 years.However, “We won't find anywhere asnice as Earth unless we go to anotherstar system,” he said. More than half acentury ago, e.e. cummings wrote,“There’s a hell of a good universe nextdoor: let’s go.”

Our upside-down views about inde-pendence rest on absolute dependence,total addiction. How many times overthe past 24 hours have we heard or said,“I need”? What gives dependence itsforce is this feeling that we lack some-thing, and we need to find it. But the

Independence Day

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required to stop, to open to God. Onecan never just take something for grant-ed. Of course these days, this is not theway most people observe Judaism; theyspend $50,000 on a Bar Mitzvah instead.

We begin our chanting each morningwith Attha Dipa. How much more directcould it be? You are the light itself!This was the Buddha’s final teaching.And many times before that in histeachings Shakyamuni said, “Don’tdepend on what I say. Find out foryourself!” This is the only religion inthe world, I think, where the foundersays, “Don’t take my word for it, haveyour own experience!” It’s not doc-trine, it’s not dogma. There is no for-mula for the realization of supremeenlightenment, Subhuti. You’ve gotwhat it takes. What does it take?WAKE UP! We find so many distrac-tions, so many ways to avoid realizingour own light. We crave dependenceeven as our egocentric ideas of inde-pendence trap us in alienation. Wethink, my life, what am I going to do,how can I distract myself from theinconvenient questions. Attha Dipa:“You are the light.” Viharatha: “Do notdoubt.” There is nothing else to relyon. Attha Sarana: “You are the refuge.”We are home, already home, we arethe refuge itself, just as we are, evenwith all our views about how we areinsufficient or lacking or full of shit.

“You are the light. You are the refuge.”What about this you? This is where weget tripped up! Who is this Attha?Thinking it’s that imposter, the ego-entity,we feel overwhelmed by the way we keepfalling into the same old traps, perpetuat-ing pain and misery for ourselves and oth-ers. We feel shame at our sense of impo-

tence as war continues in our name.And finally, sick and tired of being ledaround by our self-absorbed negativityand craving, we resolve to put an end tothem. With this resolve comes renewedcommitment to break free of all theartifices, all the edifices, all the barri-ers—and a new-found compassion forourselves. Ah! Attha Dipa! DhammaDipa: “Light of the Dharma.” DhammaSarana: “Refuge of the Dharma.”Where is the refuge of the Dharma?Buddha, Dharma, Sangha: the Three-foldRefuge. In this life, in this interconnect-ed life, right here, right now, with nodoctrine, no dogma, the light ofDharma is pouring through us, in spiteof ourselves. We can’t keep it away!Struggle as we might to avoid waking up,we just can’t. We’re home. Right wherewe are IS the refuge. Believe this. This isan interesting word, believe. Someonemight ask, “What am I going to believe,if there is no doctrine?” This is why wesit, with a questioning mind.This is whywe sit, with profound introspection,instead of theoretical speculation.

Someone told me, “I am thinking abouthow to carry my practice into everydaylife. I can’t be a monk in my present situa-tion, so how can I best live this Attha Dipa?It seems that the kitchen is the best placeto realize it.” Let’s think, what does ourkitchen look like, right now? It’s indeed awonderful lay practice to be attentive tothe kitchen. You come home and just flingyour keys down on the table. But the keysdo not live on the kitchen table! No, no,no, that is not their home. And then per-haps you are holding a stack of papers andyou recklessly throw them down alongwith the keys, and they sit among thecrumbs and spilled coffee.

There is a wonderful Buddhist saying,“When alone, conduct yourself as if in thepresence of others. When in the pres-ence of others, conduct yourself as ifalone.” If you think that others can seeyou, probably you won’t pick yournose. When with others, are you wor-rying about what kind of image you have?Let it go. Just be true to this maxim, andyou’ll have no problem. The point is notto have some kind of inner Storm Trooperharanguing you, “Keep the kitchen neat!Do not put your keys there,hang them ontheir special hook!” The point is that wecan feel the keys are a part of our inter-connected universe;we can hear the care-lessly strewn papers crying. How can weawaken to the reverential heart-mind thatwe truly have, that is our birthright, if weare so dismissive of what we call “insen-tient beings!” There is no such thing.Weare in Indra’s Net, and everything we haveis given to us to take care of. Everythingwe do affects everything else. So let us betrue to our birthright: shining buddhasshining upon and reflecting other shiningbuddhas.

Here in Syracuse, our neighbors the Haudenosaunee begin and end every

gathering, whether ceremonial or secu-lar, with thanksgiving. This thanksgivingand the mind of Attha Dipa are one andthe same. A thankful heart naturallyfeels respect for every being, whetherregarded as sentient or not. TheHaudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address isbased on the belief that the world can-not be taken for granted,“that a spiritu-al communication of thankfulness andacknowledgement of all living thingsmust be given to align the minds andhearts of the people with nature. Thisforms a guiding principle of culture.”The section called “The People” ischanted thus:

“Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue.We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now we bring ourminds together as one as we give greetingsand thanks to each other as people.Now our minds are one.”

Sitting together, finding out for ourselvesthe truth of Buddha’s awakening, nowour minds are one. Thank you.v

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by Myochi Nancy O’Hara

If I were stranded on a desert isle, onebook I would want to have with me is theTao te Ching. I read and reread and rereadthis text and never tire of its message. Infact, whatever passage I open to on anygiven day can apply to whatever is going onin my mind and around me at that time.Sitting zazen, especially during sesshin, canbe likened to sitting alone and stranded ona patch of earth in the middle of the ocean.And though I cannot bring a book to mycushion, I can and do and must bring theessence of the Tao each time I take my seat.

One passage that captures the practice ofzazen and describes what we do on thecushion is the second part of chapter 15:

Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?Can you remain unmovingtill the right action arises by itself?

The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment.Not seeking, not expecting,she is present, and can welcome all things.

In this version by Stephen Mitchell, I par-ticularly like the use of the feminine,which puts a soft touch to the sometimesSisyphean task of “not seeking, notexpecting.” How can we be expected tonot seek, not expect? Isn’t that what getsus to the cushion in the first place?

When I first heard “expect nothing,” itwas an exhortation from Eido Roshi the

very first time I set eyes upon him andheard him speak. It was at New YorkZendo Shobo-ji soon after his returnfrom his 1988-89 sabbatical to Japan. Hewas giving a Dharma talk. I was in my firstyear of Zen practice and completely clue-less. I don’t remember what else he talkedabout that day. I only remember “expectnothing.” Three times he said it: “expectnothing! expect nothing! expect nothing!”and it has resounded within me eversince. Shocked upon hearing it, I satstunned, wondering how does one dothat? Yet somewhere underneath theshock was relief. My life up till then – Iwas getting perilously close to 40 – hadbeen all about expectation.What I heardthat day was: change how you be. “Standon your head and spit wooden nickels”would have been an easier assignment.But expect nothing? Seventeen years laterI am still working with this koan – for meit’s simply a longer version of MU.

Other translations of the Tao, perhapsmore poetic and less immediately under-standable, help to deepen my awarenessof this ‘expect nothing’ koan. D. C. Lautranslates chapter 15 as:

Who can be muddy and yet, settling,slowly become limpid?Who can be at rest and yet, stirring,slowly come to life?He who holds fast to this wayDesires not to be full.It is because he is not fullThat he can be worn and yet newly made.

Just Sit and Expect Nothing

Slowly become limpid (clear, lucid,unworried); slowly come to life. Is thisnot what happens on the cushion? Dowe not become newly made? If we sitlong enough, yes. Here we’re told thatholding fast to this way IS the way toexpecting nothing.

D.C. Lau’s translation of chapter 15 opensyet another door:

And yet who else could quietly and gradually evolve from the muddy to the clear?Who else could slowly but steadily move from the inert to the living?He who keeps the Tao does not want to be full.But precisely because he is never full,He can always remain like a hidden sprout,And does not rush to early ripening.

Buddha tells us at the end of the DiamondSutra that if one wants to gain great meritit can be done by reciting and explainingfor the benefit of others only four linesfrom the sutra.

Think in this way of all this fleeting world:As a star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,A dewdrop, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud,A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.

Roshi says it takes 30 years of sitting on acushion to gain some glimmer of under-standing.“He can always remain like a hid-den sprout, And does not rush to earlyripening.” When I lose my patience withpractice and go whining to Roshi with“when, Roshi, when?” he will always say

to me in one way or another: just sit and expect nothing! Sometimes he says “suffer more,” but that’s for another time.

I’ve had the good fortune over the past 12years to be able to introduce many peo-ple to the practice of zazen. I always say tothem, if you take nothing else away fromthis experience, take this: just sit andexpect nothing. So, not only is this mylong version of MU, it’s my short versionof the four lines from the Diamond Sutra.But I’ve only been sitting for about 18years so I’ve got a long way to go to 30. Iam slowly, very slowly, ripening.

Dai Bosatsu Zendo, on the other hand,has reached its 30th year and is just set-tling into its mountain cushion.This is thereal beginning of Rinzai Zen in America.Not yet ripe, I cannot help but ask: whatwill it look like in another 30 years? Whowill I be when I turn 30? Only with thereadiness of time will I know. Until then, Iwill just sit and expect nothing. v

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from greeting Soyen Shaku with lynchmobs. The early counterculture hadcleared a space in the wilderness forBuddhism, and he returned in 1905-6 toplant a few seeds, here translated by D.T.Suzuki in Zen for Americans:“Science is steadily making its progress

in various fields of human knowledge,and our intellectual sphere is being con-stantly widened; while pious, God-fearingreligionists are are still dreaming of theby-gone days, when their forefatherswere engaged in the so-called holy wars,or when they were conducting the mostatrocious, most diabolical outrageagainst humanity called the Inquisition.These facts often make me pause andthink of their ultimate significance, won-dering how slow man’s progress is inthings spiritual.”

Note how precisely Soyen Shaku has theproblem nailed, long before the horrorsof the 20th century dwarfed the insanityof the Inquisition.

“Humanity...will sooner or later come tothe knowledge of a supreme moral andspiritual power which governs the uni-verse and whose commands we arecompelled under penalty of annihilationto respect and obey. Whatever circum-stances may lead to a difference of con-ception as to the detail of the operation,the power of religion is fundamentallylove--love that does not exclude nor dis-criminate nor particularize; and this kindof love is realizable only when we recog-nize naturally and rationally and humanlythe divinity of all existence and the uni-versality of truth, in whatever diverseaspects they may be considered and bywhatever different paths they may beapproached.”

Soyen Shaku’s generation, lacking the

tools we now have in America, had nochoice in being “later” to realize thedivinity of all existence. In the 21st cen-tury, we have the tools to be “sooner.”It’s that, or there won’t be a 22nd centu-ry. Like the great prophets of the OldTestament, like Buddha, Soyen Shaku sawit coming, warned us and pointed to theway out.

Intellectual knowledge can be acquiredthrough an outside agency; we of latterdays may be far wiser in this particularrespect than all our venerable moral and religious teachers of bygone ages, suchas Socrates, Plato, Buddha and Christ.But the spiritual region lies within, andeach of us must strive, through our ownefforts and not through any outsideagency, to unfold ourselves and bringabout enlightenment. We may have highideals, but let us remember they can berealized only after long discipline anduntiring exertion. Let those thereforeforever strive--those that wish to followthe fundamental idea of Buddhism.”Then he quotes the Dharmapada:

When the scholar driveth away sloth by earnestness,He attaineth the palace of wisdom,Sorrowless in the sorrowing world,And the wise one, he looks upon the ignorant,Even as one on the mountain-peak looks upon one on the ground.

From the seeds that Soyen Shaku plant-ed a century ago, the Dai Bosatsu Zendohas grown on this mountain-peak in theCatskills. We now have the tools tochange ourselves and the world. All weneed is our own discipline and exertion.And maybe next O-Bon we can say aprayer for our friends the Shakers.v

Daiden Chuck Young

A decade ago, when I was becoming seri-ously interested in Buddhism, I visitedmy cousin in Maine and we took a tourof the Sabbath Day Lake Shaker Village.Founded in 1747 in Manchester, England,the Shakers (or United Society ofBelievers) came to the United States in1774, where they held ecstatic worshipservices and espoused a theology ofpacifism based on Jesus’ dictum to “Lovethy neighbor.” Other Christians naturallyformed mobs to beat and stone them,but the Shakers managed to start sever-al communities, mostly in the Northeast,with about 5000 followers at their peakbefore the Civil War.They worked hard,stayed close to nature, emphasizeddirect spiritual experience over text,wrote some of the greatest hymns inChristianity (“’Tis a gift to be simple, ’Tisa gift to be free”) and made starkly func-tional furniture that is prized by antiquecollectors today. As I walked around theShaker communal farm in Maine with itsbeautiful old buildings and herb gardens,I thought, “Wow, this place has a certainDBZ vibe.”

During the 30th anniversary celebrationfor Dai Bosatsu Zendo this past summer,I found myself thinking about the Shakersagain.There are exactly four of them leftin the world. Unless they make some con-verts soon, that’s going to be it. Theircommunities live on as museums andtourist attractions, their spirit continuesas a current in the deep river of Americancounterculture, but in the physical realm,the Shakers are history. “Is Buddhism inthe West going to last longer than theShakers?” I wondered.“Are we rooted onthis mountain or are we going to blowaway in the winter wind?”

I don’t know, of course, and when I con-sider such questions, I’m sure to lose myplace chanting the Heart Sutra.

Sometimes I find it easier to imagine afuture for Buddhism than for humanity.As a species, we face two imminentthreats to our existence: tens of thou-sands of nuclear weapons which are con-trolled by sentient beings with deeplydelusional motivations; and an economicsystem which by law and by philosophymust maximize profit over all other considerations, including global warmingand other environmental catastrophes.Trusting in the dharma requires a longleap of faith when reading the newspa-per. Either we solve these problems, or wego extinct, and who knows how to solvethese problems?

The first Zen master to visit America,Soyen Shaku, arrived at the WorldParliament of Religions in Chicago 119years after the Shakers got here. Havingassimilated (however imperfectly) aboli-tionists, transcendentalists, spiritualists,Mormons, socialists, anarchists, visionarypoets and hundreds of Christian sectsthat took wildly varying views of theBible,America was a bit more mature inits reaction to difference and refrained

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I forsook any idea of doing misogi atIchikukai dojo, but continued my study ofmartial arts.Years later, I came to be underthe discipleship of T.K. Chiba Sensei in themartial art of Aikido. I was surprised tolearn that Chiba Sensei himself had been alive-in student at Ichikukai. One afternoonafter Aikido and zazen practice, he lookeddeeply into my eyes and said, “You shouldgo to Ichikukai and experience misogi.”After getting over my shock of this suddeninvitation, I remembered my earlier attrac-tion to misogi training.As life circumstanceswere arranged, at that time I was planningto live in Japan for two years while teachingEnglish. It seemed that the opportunity of alifetime was being granted in the form of apersonal introduction to Ichikukai dojofrom Chiba Sensei. I decided that as soon aspossible, I would practice at Ichikukai.

My first experience at Ichikukai was as aninitiate at Shogaku shugyo, the 4-day sessionmentioned previously. As I expected, thetraining was grueling; all of the initiates sat inseiza all day, chanted with what seemed likeall the power that our bodies could muster,and were spurred on by senior membersshouting and striking our backs to encour-age deeper exhalation. Yet the experiencewas exhilarating. At the end of shogakushugyo I experienced a profound feeling ofaliveness and I became more deeply

intrigued with the potential of the humanbreath as a means of going beyond one’slimits. In addition, the dojo possessed adeeply impressive feeling of sincerity thatseemed to pervade every corner of thebuilding and garden. Since I was living nearTokyo, I was able to attend regularly, takingpart in Zen sesshin, misogi practices, clean-ing, and special seasonal training.

Over the course of time at Ichikukai dojo,it was equally satisfying to train while actingas an assistant to the initiates. Throughexperience, I became aware that part of thesuccess of the first-timers lies in the com-mitment of the assistants to help them passbeyond their limits. In order to facilitate this“breakthrough,” it was clear that it wasnecessary for the assistants to exert them-selves strongly, if not completely, forming acondition of mutual benefit for both thebeginner and experienced person.Throughthis intense practice, both new and sea-soned practitioners seemed to locate asource of inner strength in the midst ofwhat appeared to be (at least on the sur-face) exhaustion. By the end of the fourdays, initiates were able to breathe with amore unified body-mind-spirit and theirfaces were shining and refreshed. Often,during a short mandatory speech at thefarewell party, the new members shed tearsof joy while expressing their gratitude forthe shogaku shugyo experience.

It was also a privilege to be in the companyof the hardworking old-time members whoseemed to exude inner strength, confi-dence, sincerity, and kindness. Withoutcomplaint, the core members of the dojoexerted tremendous efforts in order toopen the dojo to all people interested inmisogi and Zen.They appeared to be livingexamples of the results of consistent andsincere practice. Overall, I felt that misogi breathing was helpful to developing

By Yuho Carl Baldini

In Japan, near Tokyo, there is a training hallnamed Ichikukai dojo, where once permonth, for four days, senior and intermedi-ate members gather with new initiates toenter the world of misogi-no-kokyu-ho, aform of body-mind-spirit purification. Animportant practice from the Shinto tradi-tion,misogi-no-kokyu-ho may be translatedas “purification through breathing.” In thefour day “shogaku shugyo” (first-time expe-rience) of misogi, students wear traditionalmartial arts practice uniforms and formal-wear called gi and hakama. Eating consistsof three meals per day of a barley-rice mix-ture, soybean paste, salted plum, and radishpickles. Students sleep on tatami mats.Withstrong encouragement and pressure fromsenior members, new initiates sit in thekneeling posture of seiza, practice deepbreathing exercises, and chant eight sylla-bles with all of their might;“To Ho Ka Mi EMi Ta Me.” Training is arduous, emotionallystraining, and physically exhausting.Yet it isa unique opportunity to break through self-imposed limitations and egoistic personali-ty defenses.With the intense stimulation ofmisogi, primal life force deep in the lowerabdomen is activated and the potential todirectly experience the root of one’s beingis at hand.

In the following paragraphs, I will describethe nature of misogi-no-kokyu-ho, theimportance of this practice for modernman, and the recent introduction of thispractice to the west. Since it is true that mypractice and understanding of misogi is stillimmature, it seems essential to rely uponsubjective personal experience in order toconvey an adequate feeling for the misogiencounter to the reader. I sincerely hopethat this article will stimulate curiosity inorder to encourage a deeper and morepersonal investigation of misogi.

I first learned about misogi practicebecause of an interest in martial arts. In lateadolescence I became fascinated with thebooks of Koichi Tohei, a famous master ofthe martial art of Aikido. Tohei, a sicklyyoung man, believing that his death wasnear, desperately sought misogi for his ownspiritual edification and clarity. Uponobtaining acceptance at Ichikukai dojo,Tohei was first introduced to Rinzai Zen(which is also practiced at Ichikukai on aregular basis) and then allowed to practicemisogi.After experiencing both disciplines,Tohei became a devoted student atIchikukai dojo. I was amazed to learn that asa by-product of his training, Tohei’s life-threatening infirmities were cured. I wasequally impressed to learn that he went onto become one of the most skillful martialartists in Japan. Tohei Sensei’s story hadgreat appeal to me since I too had been asickly child who had aspirations in the mar-tial arts. However, after reflecting on Tohei’sdescription of misogi, I became discour-aged; the training sounded so severe andarchaic that I assumed (incorrectly) that itcould not possibly exist in the modernworld. In addition, I could scarcely imaginepracticing in Japan with no means of intro-duction to the dojo and no Japanese lan-guage ability.Misogi seemed to be an inspir-ing yet outdated and idealistic practice forspiritual warriors of ages past.

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Hiruta Sensei is helping to sponsor a train-ing hall in Bulgaria where Zen and misogiwill be practiced.

Misogi-no-kokyu-ho as a method of purifica-tion and spiritual awakening has a long andhonorable history and is still rigorously prac-ticed in modern Japan. In the 21st century,this training is perhaps more valuable andrelevant to humankind than ever. For thosewho live in the west and seek with a sincereheart, an introduction to misogi training isnow closer than ever.

Let True Dharma continue. v

Students who are interested in Brooklyn Aikikaiand/or misogi training may contact Robert Savoca Sensei at (718) 643-6044,website: www.brooklynaikikai.com or contact Yuho Carl Baldini at 631-848-9282.

In addition, interested persons can view Ichikukai Dojo’s website at:http://members2.jcom.home.ne.jp/ichikukai/eindex.html

ReferencesTohei, K. (1966) Aikido in daily life;Tokyo: RikugeiPublishing House.

Tohei, K. (1976) Book of ki: co-ordinating mind andbody in daily life.Tokyo: Japan Publications.

Tohei, K. (2001) Ki in daily life.Tokyo: Japan PublicationsTrading Company.

Misogi students.Toward the building of a new dojo.(1922) Retrieved October 15, 2006, fromhttp://members2.jcom.home.ne.jp/ichikukai/eayumi.htm

Dear Roshi,It is with regret that I write to you today.I waited a long time in the hope that thingswould change and it did not.

Against myself I have to admit that I cannotcontinue to go and make sesshins anymore;my body cannot do it. It is a hard decisionbecause it seemed to be my life and I lovedit.The words of the Bible come to me con-stantly: “There is a season for everything, atime for every occupation under heaven.” Atime for me to have gone to Dai BosatsuZendo and make sesshins and now a time tolet go….

It is hard and painful and yet peace and grate-fulness is with me.What I have done I did itwith all my heart with my whole being.Withthe practice of Zen, I understood in a deep-er way my Christian beliefs. And for thisRoshi, I thank you with all my heart for yourhelp and teaching.

I also thank the whole Sangha for their sup-port and examples. As for my health, I amcertainly much better than last year.At leastI can walk and work a little but not too longat a time.My back is very weak, I have to restevery ten minutes and then it gets better.

With a grateful heart, thank you again Roshifor these 33 years of teaching and trainingme in the Zen way. I will always stay your student and continue as best as I can my Zenpractice.

Gassho,Jinin, Sr Jeannine Boutin D.W.

strength in Aikido.As mentioned earlier, thiswas a great initial attraction to misogi train-ing. However, as practiced progressed, itbecame clear that there was a much deeperpurpose to the practice of misogi than mar-tial prowess. Perhaps this excerpt from atreatise written in 1922 by Ichikukai stu-dents can convey the mission and spirit ofthe dojo and misogi:

“Our practice of misogi shugyo is the desperate,ravenous, fierce and relentless seeking of truthand purity…This training is a way to devotebody and soul to that quest.

Today’s world is a mess of mixed-up ideas, andyoung people feel lost.While misogi shugyo doesnot necessarily solve the problem completely, webelieve it does offer a way out of the confusion.

Materialistic and emotional concerns havebecome convoluted and strange, leaving a worldpopulated by masks and empty husks. Manypeople still huddle behind those masks; alone,afraid, and without hope. Misogi shugyo is aboutexploding this dualistic life, and distilling from itthe true, genuine and natural state…”

-Treatise entitled “Toward the Building of aNew Training Hall”

This treatise was written in 1922, yet itappears that this kind of practice may bemore appropriate and necessary than everbefore. Living in a world enmeshed in dualis-tic thinking,with the threat of obliteration ofmankind by massive weaponry ever-present,we are in need of methods to strip awayfalse veneers that may be socially acceptable,yet obscure true human nature and poten-tial. In times past, misogi at Ichikukai dojowas virtually secret; no advertising was doneand personal introduction was the standardmeans of entering the dojo. Fortunately,mis-ogi practice may be more readily accessible

than ever before.Of course, shogaku shugyocan still be experienced at Ichikukai dojo inJapan. In addition, interested students nowhave the opportunity to have a taste of mis-ogi training in America.

Brooklyn Aikikai is one of few (or perhapsthe only) traditional school where Aikido,misogi and zazen are practiced under oneroof.The chief instructor of the dojo,RobertSavoca Sensei, is a fully certified teacher ofAikido under the guidance of T.K. ChibaSensei, a Zen student of Eido ShimanoRoshi, and a misogi student of Kotaro HirutaSensei, the current master of Ichikukai dojoin Japan. Savoca Sensei has devoted his life tothe exploration, protection, and sharing ofthis path. At Brooklyn Aikikai, students maypractice Aikido, zazen and a short form ofmisogi. Interested and qualified students alsohave the opportunity to be introduced tothe 4-day shogaku shugyo training atIchikukai dojo in Japan. It is important tonote that the first master of Ichikukai,Tetsuju Ogura Sensei, was a life-long stu-dent of Rinzai Zen, a martial artist, and ahigh-ranking disciple of the famous swordmaster Tesshu Yamaoka. With gratitude tothe patriarchs of the ancient disciplines,Brooklyn Aikikai seeks to embody the tradi-tion of sincere and honest training that con-tinuously forges the body and polishes theheart with a vibrant and vigorous spirit.

The future of misogi appears to be bright inother arenas as well.The present master ofIchikukai dojo, Kotaro Hiruta Sensei, a pro-fessor of nuclear physics who completedpart of his studies at Texas A&M, has takenfurther steps to expand the practice of mis-ogi outside of Japan. He has recently pur-chased property in upstate New York, onwhich will be established the InternationalKeizen Center where misogi and Zen train-ing will be offered in the future. In addition,

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A Letter from Sister Jeannine

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by Soun Joe Dowling

Within the Zen Studies sangha, there has been a strong spirit of samu (workpractice) the past few years. Many people have come together on the samu weekends to maintain and sustainour mountain monastery. Support hascome from all parts of the sangha – a steady flow of members from New York Zendo, members of the BrooklynAikikai, the Syracuse Zendo and numer-ous friends of Dai Bosatsu Zendo. Somesamu workers come from the local com-munity, while others are from as far awayas Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Baltimoreand Washington D.C. The level of energyhas been as amazing as the amount ofeffort that is needed to nourish such aproperty as DBZ.

Samu might also be described as zen in action; it is zen off the pillow, accom-plishing the things that have to be done inan efficient manner.When we do samu webring some of the same concentrationand focus to the task as we do in ourzazen.And, since samu is working for thedharma and not the dollar, the effort hasbeen open-ended and expansive. A spiritof cooperation manifests itself in the self-lessness of volunteering for others, andsamu participants are thus flexible andwilling to adapt naturally to whatever rolethe work situation at hand demands.

Our samu activity engages us in variousoutdoor activities (doing the wood, beau-tifying the surroundings, making repairs)and indoor activities (cooking, cleaningand maintaining the Zendo and BeecherHouse). Each activity is labor intensive andrequires organizational effort and individ-ual energy. Trusting in the experience, in

the zen way, somehow the energy growsand the possibilities are unlimited.

If you want to be involved in a samuweekend at Daibosatsu e-mail Soun JoeDowling at joedwl@aol.com or call Jokeiat DBZ.v

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Zen in Action

by Fujin

I have just returned from a pilgrimage inShikoku Island, Japan. I walked for nine daysup to the 23rd of the 88 temples which arecircling the island.Though I am not ready towrite a full report on the many encountersthat were part of my journey, I would liketo share just one of them. Before leavingfor Japan, I read as much material as possi-ble containing other pilgrims’ advice on thefamous pilgrimage. Once I was on the trail,a remark I had read kept resounding in mymind,as I found it so true, and being provedseveral times a day. Someone had told aBuddhist priest that they were about towalk the pilgrimage, upon which the priesttold them, “You will find the best and theworst of human nature. Do not bedeceived by either of them.” Quite often Ifound ‘the best’ and minutes later ‘theworst’, sometimes even simultaneously in asingle event. One day in late afternoon as Iwas (supposed to be) approaching temple#18, the road seemed to wind endlessly,without a single sign that this was indeed,the pilgrims’ walking trail. I felt pretty sureI had missed one of those tiny walkinghenro (pilgrim) stickers and was walkingon the ‘car road’ instead, which quite oftenends up being much longer.The more wewalk on the trail, the sharper our intuitionseems to become, maybe picking up theexperience of hundreds of other pilgrimsbefore us, or just being more attuned tocommon sense. In any case, I felt I had beenwalking for a little too long, and decided toask my way around.As light rain had start-ed to fall, cars were racing down hill, andno passer-by was on the road. I finally sawa sign saying, “Jizo Ji”, obviously a temple’sname. Though this was not temple #18, Ithought at least someone must be there,and why not pay respect to a temple that is

not officially part of the pilgrimage. It hadbecome part of my pilgrimage at least.After chanting to the Hondo (main altar), Iturned around to find help. No one was insight, but a couple of kids. The boyapproached me, and started to ask memany questions in rough Japanese, actuallyquite in a disrespectful way. I decided toanswer him in the best Japanese I could.“Where are you from? How old are you?Why are you dressed in such a dirty way?(As it was raining, my feet and legs lookedpretty ragged) What will you do after youfinish the pilgrimage….?” He seemed rest-lessly curious about me,yet was barely pay-ing attention to any of my answers.Then heasked me a few questions regardingmoney: “How much money do you havewith you? Are you going to give some tothis temple? Where do you sleep at nightand how much does it cost per day…?” Atthis I felt like replying differently, and finallysaid to him:“Why are you so interested inmoney? Money is not so important. Theheart is far more important, don’t youthink so?” Upon hearing this, his face sud-denly changed. He nodded, but I had thefeeling that he had never heard this kind ofstatement before. After a pause, he askedin a different tone, “Where are we goingwhen we die?” I said, “That’s exactly whywe do shugyo (religious practice): in orderto find this out”. He looked pensive for awhile.He asked me what was written in myhat, and after I helped him reading myDharma name, he said,“What a great nameyou have!” I then went to the temple’s living quartersand asked my way to temple #18. As Iwalked away, the boy stood at the gate andputting his palms together in a cute andclumsy way, he saw me off. v

Little Jizo in Shikoku

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Beginning this year, outside of Weekend Sesshin, Eido Roshi has been giving Teisho onthe Tetteki Tosui (Blowing the Iron Flute Upside-Down). In addition, Roshi has beenoffering Dokusan on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings for NYZ members.Please see our website for upcoming dates.

Memorial Service for Dr. D.T. Suzuki and screening of “A Zen Life”On Wednesday, October 18th, Eido Roshi conducted a memorial service for Yafuryu-an Dr. D.T. Suzuki, commemorating his passing forty years ago. That evening, the pre-miere of a new documentary film about Dr. Suzuki was screened at New York Zendo,presented by creator and director Michael Goldberg. Eido Roshi spoke about hismeetings with Dr. Suzuki, and about the early history of the Zen Studies Society, anorganization initially set up to fund Dr. Suzuki’s work. Michael Goldberg financed hisown film, which took over five years to make. Through various interviews with well-known scholars and teachers, Dr. Suzuki is lovingly brought to life. Entitled “A ZenLife,” the film has had success on the independent film scene and is a most interestingand informative history of one of the pioneers of Zen in America. Michael was pre-sented with a contribution from NYZ for his work.

Condolences to Eido Roshi and Aiho-sanThis spring, Eido Roshi’s youngest brother, Mr. Yasuo Shimano, passed away on April27th after battling cancer for a year. He was the President of the Sakura Company inJapan. Eido Roshi traveled to Saitama-ken to attend the funeral service, which wasattended by over 600 people, including many employees of the Sakura Company.

This fall, Aiho-san’s oldest sister, Ms. Sadako Tsubota, peacefully passed away onOctober 25th. She had been ill and in hospital for many years. A funeral service washeld for her on October 28th. Ms.Tsubota hand-wrapped 300 boxes of Ranshu-kohincense and donated them to New York Zendo as gifts for the opening of Shobo-ji in1968. She was also present at the opening of Dai Bosatsu Zendo in 1976.

New York Zendo Shobo-ji and Dai Bosatsu Zendo each held separate memorial cere-monies and services for them. Aiho-san made a contribution to NYZ and DBZ inmemory of her sister.

School VisitsIn the spring, Professor Susan Landesman, teacher of Asian Religion at Drew Universityin New Jersey, brought 15 of her students to Shobo-ji. The morning included zazeninstruction, zazen, kinhin and a Dharma Talk by Eido Roshi. It concluded with a ques-tion and answer period, which is always very lively.

This fall, for two days, NYZ hosted 45 high school students each day from PennsburyHigh School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Natalie Jordan, teacher of World Historyand Culture, has been bringing her class of 10th graders to NYZ for several years now.Though sophomores, they all sit quite well and leave the zendo with an experience theywill never forget.

New York Zendo Shobo-ji NewsSegaki ServiceOn June 18th, NYZ Shobo-ji held its annual Segaki Service with 45 people attending. EidoRoshi gave a Dharma Talk on the significance of Segaki and the impact that our zazen hason the deceased. He also spoke about the passing of his brother and how impermanenceis one of the key aspects of Buddhism. Aiho-san Yasuko Shimano prepared a special meal.

Soyen Shaku / Tani Kogetsu Roshi Weekend SesshinIn order to honor the impact that Tani Kogetsu Roshi had on Zen in the West, and in par-ticular on NYZ and DBZ, the name for Soyen Shaku / Kaigen Weekend Sesshin waschanged to Soyen Shaku / Tani Kogetsu Roshi Weekend Sesshin.A memorial service washeld for both Patriarchs who passed away in the month of November. November 1st,1919 for Soyen Shaku Roshi, and November 21st , 1994 for Kogetsu Roshi. During Teisho,Eido Roshi introduced Kogetsu Roshi, and spoke of his friendship with the former Abbotof Shogen-ji. He spoke about his early travels with him in America, his one-year sabbati-cal in Gifu, and stories related to Kogetsu Roshi’s teaching. Three key points that exem-plified Kogetsu Roshi were his generosity, his tenderheartedness, and his passion.

Jukai CongratulationsCongratulations to two NYZ students who received Jukai from Eido Roshi on November4th. Yanti Hertanto received the name Ranshu (Orchid Raft), and Junko Fujii received thename Yusen (Eternal Spring). Ranshu and Yusen took the ten precepts as Lay buddhistpractitioners and received a Rakusu as a symbol of their commitment. We wish them wellon their new lives as Buddhists.

Upcoming EventsFrom December 15th through January 5th, the Zendo will be closed for its winter inter-im period. The Winter/Spring Training period will begin on Saturday, January 6th with anAll Day Sit with Eido Roshi in attendance. A Japanese Dharma Class will be presented onSaturday, January 20th.

New Year’s Eve Celebration – Year of the BoarNew York Zendo will host its annual New Year’s Eve Celebration and Chanting on Sunday,December 31st. Doors open at 6:15pm, and the program will begin with zazen from 7:00– 9:30, followed by a break period. Zazen will resume from 10:30 – 11:15, followed bychanting of “Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo” 108 times. During the chanting, each participantrings the gong and offers incense, thus ensuring an auspicious start to the Year of the Boar.Refreshments will be served. Please note that Eido Roshi will be attending the New Year’sEve Celebration at Dai Bosatsu Zendo this year.

Spring Kessei 2006Spring Kessei 2006 began on April 6th with the following residents: Rev. Fujin ButsudoZenni (Shikaryo/Inji), Rev. Jokei Kyodo Zenni (Fusuryo/Inji), Jushin David Seaman (Ino),Seizan Tomoaki Sasaki (Tenzoryo/Gyorin), and Zenchu Simon Manzer (AssistantTenzo/Jokei). Stefan Streit (Jisharyo) also returned and was with us until May. New stu-dents joining for Spring Kessei included Shinkon Peter Glynn (Assistant Jisha) from

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Teisho and Dokusan

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California, and Angelika Von Renteln and Stefanie Schelp from Germany. Part-time Kesseistudents included Shoen Hisako Inoue (dutifully taking on the Jisha responsibilities uponher arrival in June), Junsho Shelley Bello, Erin Roycroft and Fred Forsythe. Alexis Georgejoined us for one month, travelling all the way from the Virgin Islands for his first taste ofZen practice. All sesshins were well-attended.

30th Anniversary of Dai Bosatsu ZendoOn July 15, 2006, the sangha gathered to celebrate 30 years of Zen practice, 30 years ofstruggle and dedication, but mostly to celebrate thetransmission of Zen Buddhism to the West. It has beenonly 30 years, but it feels like much longer to thosewho were here from the beginning. People and eventshave come and gone, but the core of the practiceremains the same.

As the event approached, many talented and generousspirits rushed to help create an unforgettable celebra-tion.To list them all here would take pages and pages,so listed here are the most prominent for those sang-ha members who could not be present on that day.

On July 4th, we installed and dedicated a new stupa for Gempo Roshi in Sangha Meadow,where it now faces Soen Roshi’s and Nyogen Senzaki’s stupa. It reads “Gempo To”(“Gempo Stupa”), inscribed in his own calligraphy.

We received two beautiful wooden figures ofBuddhist deities, each carved by sangha friends inJapan. Benzaiten and Fudo Myoo were dedicated in aspecial ceremony on July 15th, and are currently onthe altar in the Dharma Hall.

Benzaiten (carved by Mrs. Myoyo Tanaka) is one of theSeven Lucky Gods in Japan – she is the Goddess ofMusic, Poetry and Learning, as well as the Goddess ofthe Sea and a Protector of Children (see first photo).She will be installed outdoors in an authentic Shintoshrine in the near future, where she will continue toprotect and inspire us for generations to come.

Fudo Myoo (carved by Mrs. Soshin Nakai) is a person-ification of Dainichi Nyorai (Sanskrit:Vairocana Buddha) and one of the main figures of theShingon sect. He converts anger into determination for awakening, and is represented witha furious, glaring face (see second photo). Fudo seeks to frighten people into accepting theteachings of Dainichi Nyorai. In his right hand he carries a kurikara (devil-subduing sword,which also represents wisdom cutting through ignorance), and in his left hand he holds arope to catch and bind up demons.

Hiruta Sensei, the leader of Ichikukai Dojo, went to two sacred temples in Japan andreceived an o-fuda (a piece of rice paper featuring inscriptions of the deities and thelocation where they reside) from each place. Shinobazu no Ike (Ueno,Tokyo) hosts astatue of Benzaiten, and Kawasaki Daishi (Kawasaki City) enshrines a statue of FudoMyoo. More than a mere souvenir, an o-fuda also carries a blessing from the temple itcomes from. These 2 o-fudas were kept on an altar in Ichikukai Dojo for a while, beforebeing carried by the members of the dojo to Dai Bosatsu Zendo on July 15th.The Shintoshrine and the two statues were purified and installed in a misogi ceremony performedby Abe-san and members of Ichikukai Dojo, plus Robert Savoca,Yuho Carl Baldini andmembers of Brooklyn Aikikai (see Yuho’s article for more details).

Over 200 sangha members gathered on Dai Bosatsu Mountain, including many long-timestudents and special guests such as Japanese Ambassador Sakurai, Yamada Sensei ofUrasenke Tea School, and Melvin McLeod (editor of Buddhadharma and Shambhala Sunmagazines).

About 60 sangha members gathered for sesshin prior to the celebration.Yamakawa SogenRoshi of Shogen-Ji joined us for the last four days, offering two teishos and dokusan.

With much gratitude and a renewed spirit, let us March On for thirty more years!

OrdinationOn March 21st – Dai Bosatsu Mandala Day, as well as the Vernal Equinox – Jokei MegumiKairis was ordained as a Zen Buddhist nun in a simple yet beautiful ceremony conduct-ed by Eido Roshi. She was given the name Kyodo, which means “The Way of Reverence.”The intimate ceremony was attended by Jokei’s family, spiritual guardian Fujin ButsudoZenni, and DBZ residents. Aiho-san, Seigan Zenji and several dear sangha friends fromNew York Zendo Shobo-ji also came to DBZ on that quiet, snowy day to provide sup-port and convey their best wishes.

Work-Exchange 2006The busy summer season at DBZ did not end with the 30th Anniversary Celebration;on the contrary, it kicked off an extremely productive period for the monastery. Withgroups coming for Open Space retreats, Intro to Zen Weekends, Samu Weekends andother programs and events, we gratefully welcomed the help of many students whojoined our residents in contributing a helping hand. Participating in the Work-Exchangeprogram this spring/summer were: Rev. Kinzan Christopher Pallm, Daishin PawelWojtasik, Shunsho Judith Molis, Jimin Anna Klegon, Shofu Steve Lakeman, Denshin BruceAckland, Reiun Steve Hartstack,Alicia Hartstack, Chimon Bill Mitrus, Chosei Heidi Flint,Jakuden Seema Christie, Yusen Junko Fujii, Manu Sassonian, Peter Lombardi, KristenMangione, Ryoko Sugawara, Steve Dahlem, Harry North, Adam Marelli, Ben Mayock,Elizabeth G. Lee,Arie & Natasha Cohen (who travelled all the way from Israel!),TakakoYamanaka, Yasuko Sato, Noriko Kawashima, John Lynch, Jocelyn Perry, CarlosRivadeneira,Vajra Spook,Tim Hale, Emily Giordano, Matt Klein, Dan Perry, Ken Takeda,Shin Park, and Azhaday Asiadei.

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O-Bon 2006This summer, for the first time in three years, our annual O-Bon ceremony was unhin-dered by inclement weather. A stunning array of stars accompanied us as Eido Roshi ledthe lantern procession to Beecher Lake, where we set our lanterns afloat, and chanted forour ancestors and loved ones’ safe journey to the other shore. Interestingly, this year, thespirits did not want to leave! An unusual breeze in the air and currents on the lakebrought the lanterns back towards us instead of carrying them away.

This year,Aiho-san came to DBZ to add a loving and festive touch to this special holiday,preparing a gorgeous feast of traditional Japanese dishes with dedicated assistance fromSeigan Zenji and Seizan Koji.

Summer Jukai Sesshin in Zürich and Introduction to Zen in GenevaThis August, at the Stiftung Felsentor zendo and retreat center in Lucerne, during theannual 5-day Summer Sesshin with Rev. Shokan Undo Zenji and the Rinzai ZenGesellschaft community of Zürich, five students took lay Buddhist precepts and receivedDharma Names from Eido Roshi in a special Jukai ceremony. Congratulations to thesefive newly-born Buddhists, who also had the great fortune to travel to Dai Bosatsu Zendofor the very first time to participate in Rohatsu Sesshin this December.

Freddy Kuhn Jundo “Pure Way”Sandy Kuhn Taikyu “Everlasting Peace”Susanne Nyffenegger Shonen “Twilight Reflection”Ute Stocker Jikyu “Natural Rest”Mirjam Tanner Al-Jabaji Jimyo “Compassionate Clarity”

While Eido Roshi was in Switzerland, he also conducted an Introduction to Zen Weekendretreat in Geneva, co-coordinated by Omar Danial and Nigol Koulajian. After attending afew sesshins at DBZ and becoming acquainted with Eido Roshi and his teachings, Omarstrongly wished to share the power of zazen practice with a demographic he felt was indire need of some Dharma guidance. A very special thank you to Shokan Zenji and to Dr.Maiku Michael Weissert for their invaluable support throughout this and many other sang-ha activities, and to Omar for his gracious hospitality and enthusiasm in providing anopportunity for people in Geneva to engage in Eido Roshi’s Dharma Mission.

Fall Kessei 2006Fall Kessei 2006 began on September 12th with the following residents: Rev. FujinButsudo Zenni (Shikaryo/Inji), Rev. Jokei Kyodo Zenni (Fusuryo/Inji), Seizan Tomoaki Sasaki(Tenzoryo/Gyorin), Zenchu Simon Manzer (Assistant Tenzo/Ino) and Shinkon Peter Glynn(Jisharyo). New to the residential community are Emily Giordano (Assistant Jisha), whojoined us in August, and Bart Blank (Jokei), who has traveled from the Netherlands to bewith us this Fall. As the temperatures began to drop, the warm community togethernesswas bolstered by Rev. Ippo Keido Zenji and Jakuden Seema Christie, who stayed with usin October while Fujin was on her pilgrimage in Japan. Settan Vasily Apostolidis andAndrea Rook both arrived in October and will be completing the training period with us.Tenrai Fred Forsythe also rejoined our residential community in November. Finally, we

are happy to welcome back one of Dai Bosatsu Zendo’s original resident students: JinenNancy Woodard, who, since arriving for the 30th Anniversary this summer, has provid-ed the residential community a valuable sense of continuity with DBZ’s rich history. Ithas been fascinating to learn how much DBZ has evolved throughout the past 30 years,yet there are still many aspects of sangha life that remain unchanged and untouchableover time.

Harvest Jukai Sesshin 2006On November 4th, the last day of Harvest Sesshin, a Jukai ceremony was performed forfive of Eido Roshi’s students. Roshi, in his encouraging words, used a text by Soyen Shakuas a reference and reminder to his students:

Buddhists make ten affirmative propositions,thus . . .It is good to:

1. Save any living being2. Practice charity3. Be clean minded4. Speak the truth5. Promote friendship6.Talk softly and gently7. Be straightforward in speech8. Be content with one’s possessions9. Be meek and humble10.Think clearly and rightly

“In these various enumerations of Buddhist virtues, what is most unique are perhaps thevirtues of strenuosity and those of contemplation and enlightenment. To be goodBuddhists, we must not be indolent, whiling away our time to no purpose. Mere piety willnot do, so long as there is some work to be accomplished for the sake of humanity andcivilization. Love, again, must be accompanied with enlightenment, for the affection is veryfrequently wasted on account of its blindness. God fearing is recommendable, but with-out contemplation we wail to recognize the purport of our own position in the systemof the universe. Mere passion leads to fervor and violence if not properly guided by con-templation which brings enlightenment, revealing the reason of existence and purifyingthe heart of ignorance.”

– Soyen Shaku Roshi

That day, Mr. Hiroyuki Itsuki – essayist, author, and a major spiritual voice in Japan – cameto Dai Bosatsu Zendo, accompanied by a television crew from NHK (a national Japanesebroadcasting station), to witness and film the ceremony. This group has been filming thehistory of Buddhism and its movement from India through Southeast Asia, Tibet, China,Korea, Japan and onward to America and Europe. Two years ago, Itsuki received a presti-gious award from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism) along-

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JAN Dec 31-Jan 1 New Years Eve Celebration (Eido Roshi at DBZ)6 New Years All Day Sit (with Eido Roshi)

Winter/Spring Training period starts 20 Japanese Dharma Class

FEB 10 Parinirvana All Day Sit21 Mandala Service

MAR 3 Japanese Dharma Class 16-18 Soen/Yasutani Roshi Weekend Sesshin21 Mandala Service

APR 18 Teisho by Eido Roshi21 Mandala Morning Service/Japanese Dharma Class

MAY 4-6 Gempo Roshi/Nyogen Senzaki/Kengan Goto Memorial Weekend Sesshin

23 Mandala Service

JUN 9 Japanese Dharma Class Only10 Summer All Day Sit (with Eido Roshi)20 Mandala Service

JUL 3-4 Closed for Independence Day14 Segaki All Day Sit, Spring Training period ends29-Sep 5 Closed for Summer Interim

AUG 22/23 W/Thu Open for regular evening zazen29/30 W/Thu Open for regular evening zazen

SEP 6 Fall Training period starts,Teisho by Eido Roshi8 Japanese Dharma Class 14-16 Shobo-ji 39th Anniversary Weekend Sesshin19 Mandala Service

OCT 20 Japanese Dharma Class Only21 Bodhidharma All Day Sit (with Eido Roshi)

NOV 10 Japanese Dharma Class 16-18 Soyen Shaku/Kogetsu Tani Weekend Sesshin22-24 Closed for Thanksgiving

DEC 1-8 Rohatsu Week: 1 sit added 13 Fall Training Ending Teisho by Eido Roshi14-Jan 8 Winter Interim, Zendo Closed31/Jan1 M-Tue New Years Eve Celebration

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S C H E D U L E 2 0 0 7with Eido Roshi, for individuals who have made a significant impact on disseminatingBuddhism from East to West. Mr. Itsuki interviewed Eido Roshi, as well as senior studentsand the new Jukai students for the film.

Zen Studies Society Fundraising 2005Our annual fundraising drive brought in a total of $50,569, of which 1/3 was allocated toNew York Zendo and 2/3 to Dai Bosatsu Zendo. The Zen Studies Society wishes to thankall sangha members whose generous contributions enable us to have two beautiful places tolive, to learn, to practice, and to support Eido Roshi and Aiho-san in their extensive Dharmawork for years to come.

New Year’s Celebration at DBZWe invite you to join us for this joyous event. The festivities will include zazen, a chantingceremony, a Dharma Talk by Eido Roshi, and of course a traditional Japanese-style New Year’sfeast (osechi ryori). We will greet the new year at midnight by ringing the bonsho 108 times.Overnight stay and brunch on New Year’s Day will end the celebration. For more informa-tion, or to make your reservation, please call the DBZ office.

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JAN Dec 31-Jan 1 New Years Eve Celebration with Eido Roshi12-15 Martin Luther King Jr.Weekend Sesshin

FEB 17-18 Parinirvana All Day Sit

MAR 7-11 March –On 5 Day Sesshin

APR 5 Spring Kessei Begins 7-15 Holy Days Sesshin27-29 Intro to Zen Weekend, Samu Weekend

MAY 11-13 Intro to Zen Weekend18-20 Samu Weekend26-Jun 3 Memorial Day Sesshin

JUN 15-17 Intro to Zen Weekend, Samu Weekend22-24 Samu Weekend 30-Jul 8 Anniversary Sesshin

JUL 10 Spring Kessei Ends

AUG 3-7 Summer Samu 5-Day Sesshin11-12 O-Bon

SEP 12 Fall Kessei Begins 21-23 Intro to Zen Weekend29-Oct 7 Golden Wind Sesshin

OCT 12-14 Intro to Zen Weekend27-Nov 4 Harvest Sesshin

NOV 22-23 Thanksgiving Celebration 30-Dec 8 Rohatsu Sesshin

DEC 10 Fall Kessei Ends 31/Jan 1 New Years Eve Celebration

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