Sesshin (Gathering the Heart/Mind)

Well what's the use of having a blog if I never post to it?! I have been one very busy Ino to be sure. Last week was the 7-day sesshin that ended our Spring Practice Period. Sesshin means (roughly) gathering the heart/mind. It is a traditional time for more concentrated and intense practice, a time to get very settled and very quiet. This was my first sesshin as Ino, and although I can certainly say it was intense, on the other hand for this monk it did not feel especially settled! There were so many details to be concerned with! But that after all is the practice of the Ino. The Ino works real hard so that others can have a settled experience. No problem!


The theme of this Practice Period was Vow, and every noon service we chanted the Eihei Koso Hotsuganmon, the beautiful vows of our Founder in Japan, Eihei Dogen Daiosho. Sometimes when I chant this I get so happy! so allow me to share that happiness with you here...

Eihei Koso Hotsuganmon

We vow with all beings, from this life on throughout countless lives, to hear the true dharma; that upon hearing it, no doubt will arise in us, nor will we lack in faith; that upon meeting it, we shall renounce worldly affairs and maintain the buddha-dharma; and that in doing so, the great earth and all living beings together will attain the buddha way.

Although our past evil karma has greatly accumulated, indeed being the cause and condition of obstacles in practicing the way, may all buddhas and ancestors who have attained the buddha way be compassionate to us and free us from karmic effects, allowing us to practice the way without hindrance.

May they share with us their compassion, which fills the boundless

universe with the virtue of their enlightenment and teachings. buddhas and ancestors of old were as we; we in the future shall be buddhas and ancestors. Revering buddhas and ancestors, we are one buddha and one ancestor; awakening bodhi-mind, we are one bodhi-mind. Because they extend their compassion to us freely and without limit, we are able to attain buddhahood and let go of the attainment. Therefore, the Chan Master Lung-ya said:

Those who in past lives were not enlightened will now be enlightened.

In this life, save the body which is the fruit of many lives.

Before buddhas were enlightened, they were the same as we.

Enlightened people of today are exactly as those of old.

Quietly explore the farthest reaches of these causes and conditions, as this practice is the exact transmission of a verified buddha. Confessing and repenting in this way, one never fails to receive profound help from all buddhas and ancestors. By revealing and disclosing our lack of faith and practice before the buddha, we melt away the root of transgressions by the power of our confession and repentance. This is the pure and simple color of true practice, of the true mind of faith, of the true body of faith.

Any merit I may have accrued by posting these uplifting verses on-line I hereby dedicate to the 2.3 million men and women living behind bars in America today. Also I have a secret hope that this may be an impetus to our getting the rest of our liturgy uploaded to our website. That reminds me that during the course of the sesshin some folks set up a camera in the Buddha Hall and made a video of our Abbot Paul Haller offering zazen instruction which should soon be on our website, and I've only been whining about that for 2-3 years... next, oryoki videos!

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This Practice Period and sesshin were co-led by Zen Center teachers Vicki Austin & Michael Wenger, and they brought their own special teaching style to it. During the sesshin they had practice discussion with each person in the sesshin, one by one meeting Michael & Vicki at the same time! I have never heard of that being done before. Also, we had a Precept Ceremony for the Shuso that was pretty informal but so intimate and very warm-hearted. I told them at one point that I had learned something very valuable from them, which is that kindness is more important than any ceremony.

Here's a picture of Vicki and Michael I took from behind my desk in the Ino's office. I'm pretty sure the calligraphy above their heads says "Turn Off Cell Phones"

Just Kidding!!!

Working with these two was a real joy.

That's all, folks!