A Full Zendo

Ino usually translates as Head of the Meditation Hall, although at the opening ceremony for the practice period, which we did at the end of Saturday's sitting, I called on another translation when I stated my intention for the practice period as 'to manifest the ino as the bringer of joy' - as per Greg's original post on this blog. On certain levels it strikes me as faintly absurd that I could in any way be in charge of the zendo.. As Michael reminded us the other morning during zazen, thousands of people have sat in these seats in the forty years that City Center has been in this building, and they have all left their traces; they are all sitting with us still.
This morning, the first morning of the practice period, we had a full zendo, and a full Buddha Hall as well, with more priests than could fit on the ryoban (the front row usually reserved for ordained priests); the energy was good, and the chanting strong.
I thought I had mentioned the sunlight that has been shining across the zendo in the mornings towards the end of the second period of zazen, but perhaps I didn't after all.Today there was no sun as the rainy weather still lingers; anyway, here are some pictures I took on Sunday morning, which tell me that the zendo does have a life all its own even when no-one is actually sitting.