Advice from former inos

As I wrote in my first entry, I applied Dogen's instructions to the tenzo to my own situation, and sought advice from former inos. I had a lovely card in response from Judith Randall, who was ino at Tassajara when I was last there, and today she called my office. Any phone call from Tassajara is a rare treat; she just wanted me to know that, yes, I could quote her here, and in a few words told me how things were down there - spring, especially when the sun is shining like this, can be a very special time at the monastery, especially when you have been there through the bleakest, barest parts of the winter.
She wrote of "the joy of entering into ceremonial space once all the work was done, seeing how each ceremony took on a life of its own. And the joy of seeing students connect with that sometimes, and connect with doan jobs they never thought they could do...the opportunity to be fully present with each interaction and finding students (and others!) opening up to practice matters after what seemed like a routine logistical question at the start".
Thank you, Judith.