There's a pretty steep learning curve when you move into the building. Apart from the practical things of any new place you live like where all the bathrooms are, where does the recycling go, where is the milk kept, there is the whole spiritual side as well, with its wealth of forms: what time do I have to get to the zendo in the morning, how does kinhin work, how do I get in and out of the Buddha Hall without standing out too much, finding the chants in the chant book and so forth. And then you are expected to take on different jobs on top of that: kitchen prep jobs, dish shifts, house jobs - taking care of different aspects of the practical running of the temple - desk duty, night-watch, bathroom jobs and doan jobs. Obviously my realm is the latter, and we have been working hard to get all the new people stitched into the doanryo. Yesterday I showed a group of people how to be cleaning chidens, the people who take care of each altar so that it looks immaculate at the beginning of each day, and we have also been doing noon service trainings, where new people get the opportunity to try out as doan, kokyo, shoten or jiko. Last night we had an energetic and laughter-filled run through the forms of service, even if we didn't have time for everyone who came to try each position they wanted to.
I have noticed over the last eighteen months that I have often had a fair amount of resistance at the idea of doing trainings, and I think it has to do with feeling the responsibility that I have to transmit all the forms correctly so that everything is done right afterwards, even though I know that hardly ever happens, and that the whole thing is really a process of noticing how things go, pointing out the mistakes that happen and trying to correct them gently, as we do in the morning service review. Of course not everyone has an in-built aptitude for all these jobs, and not everyone is receptive to feedback, so dealing with those issues is one thing I have to keep learning.
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| After the rain this morning |
6 comments:
I start almost every training situation I am in with something to the effect of "Don't worry about remembering all of this, or doing it perfectly. You won't, and that's okay. Try to just do your best, and see what happens." I say this not for the folks I am training, but for me. To remind myself that it's not about teaching anything, but something akin to starting to help people get some form or idea into their body. I constantly need this reminder to shut up my comparing mind :)
Most helpful ideas, thanks Daigan.
Shundo, thanks for your patience & support (& I think maybe even a little bit of enthusiasm). As a new resident, I appreciate the space to find my way and the opportunity to practice in a light-hearted, yet respectful manner. Training is also helping us residents get to know each other a little better. Also, you and Tim make a fantastic training duo!
You're very welcome Verna, and thank you for your part in making it fun.
By virtue of being sixteen hours ahead here in Kyoto I am always a bit behind, and thus I just happened on this post. I thought of the doan ryo last week when I was wandering around Tenryu-ji (that's Heavenly Dragon Temple to non-Japanese-speaking me) and overheard two separate services. The first was at a smaller sub-temple and featured just one voice. I assumed that the voice was also ringing the bells. The second service was at the main temple and there were many more voices, all male. I was struck by how completely the form of service is being enacted at SFZC. Tenryu-ji is a Rinzai lineage outfit, but it felt very familiar. The bells and the sound of the chanting much like SFZC. I noticed the deeper resonance that comes with an all male service, but beyond that it sounded like home. It seems amazing that the form passes as completely as it does. Standing in the gardens and hearing the services at Tenryu-ji intensified my sense of gratitude for this shape of practice and the opportunity to be a part of it in the US.
Really I doubt whether you are ahead or behind. I'm glad to hear that we are bringing some of the beautiful aspects of the form along with us, and would be most sad if we stopped chanting in Japanese as some would like us to.
Hope you are having fun.
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