I could classify it as a four-abbot event, which makes it pretty special: Senior Dharma Teacher (which denotes a former abbot) Tenshin Reb Anderson was ordaining five of his students, while Senior Dharma Teacher Eijun Linda Cutts and Abbot Myogen Steve Stucky were the other preceptors, and Abbot Rysuhin Paul Haller was in attendance as well. Apart from these luminaries, there were more Zen Center priests than I have ever seen in one place before, as well as the Green Gulch community, the City Center visitors and the ordinands' families. Abbot Steve said that many people in the Tassajara practice period had also wished to come, but he had had to say no to them all, and had just driven up by himself that morning.
I have practised with all the new priests over the years: Deirdre Carrigan lived at City Center when I first arrived ten years ago, and we were at Tassajara together in 2003, while Bryan Clark, Steph Wenderski, Thiemo Blank and Yuki Kobayama were all at Tassajara between 2006 - 2008 when I returned there. It was wonderful to see them all putting on their new robes and glowing with their newly shaved heads. These kinds of events give you a real sense of the depth of the Zen Center community, and how we all support each other to live the Bodhisattva life, or the life of vow, as Abbot Steve referred to it.
I happened to get a chance to talk with Tenshin Roshi after the ceremony, and told him of my new position. He said he had also been the ino at City Center. What did you do, I asked him. I went to every period of zazen, he said, and then added, I didn't leave the building very much...but when I did, I discovered that it was very beautiful out there.
This has been somewhat similar to my experience this past month, which made it especially nice to be at Green Gulch on such a beautiful spring day.
Here are some pictures of the day:
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