Fresh Air

The last time I spent the night at Green Gulch was almost a year ago, and it had a very different feel. This weekend I had to keep reminding myself that I was not responsible for a couple of handfuls of twelve-year old boys, that the people on the Young Urban Zen retreat could be trusted not to get into trouble and to look after themselves. I caught myself doing surreptitious head-counts to see if all were present or if someone had slipped away, but then I wasn't completely sure how many people had actually made it: I think it was twenty-three, of whom seven came on bikes in the end, though we had mechanical issues on the way out which made us a little late for the opening - we made up for it on the way back by getting to City Center faster than the cars, who were stuck in long lines trying to get over the bridge...
So it was an entirely relaxing proposition this time around. The weather was kind to us, and threatened rain did not materialise until some time last night; we had blue skies and fresh winds blowing.
Right before we left, Blanche said it was great that we were using the guest house, as that was what it had been built for, large groups getting together to take over the whole building. It was a lovely space to be in, especially with the fire going in the evening and early morning. We deliberately kept things unstructured, and one person who had several ideas for group activities found us more inclined to lounge around the fire than go running around outside. I think everyone ended up outdoors on Saturday afternoon, with various lengths of hikes being undertaken; we all met back in the small dining room for dinner, and then congregated for the evening with smores, game-playing for those that wanted, accompanied by guitars, chat and just sitting around in company. I was the first to go to bed, and drifted off to sleep to the sound of singing downstairs.
It was lovely to get up before it got light and set the fire going again, and listen as everyone else stirred. I was most impressed that three people had got up for the early sitting; we all joined the later sit and the talk, headed to the beach again, had lunch and did a thorough clean of the guest house before a closing circle. I think most people were very into the idea of doing it again some time, and it may be that we try it for the whole weekend next time.

The city suddenly showed up looking very close

Above Muir Beach

Muir Beach at sunset

Making smores

Story-telling

Morning group shot

Blossom time at Green Gulch

The garden shed

Not Without A Few Casualties

I assume it will get quieter soon, but it hasn't happened yet this week. Yesterday we got a dozen or so people through tangaryo, and after the morning schedule today, I head off to Green Gulch for the inaugural Young Urban Zen retreat. There should be a couple of dozen of us there, and five or us at least are riding bikes over. Then I am planning to take most of Monday off.
There have been a number of interactions this week that probably would have gone differently if I weren't still recovering from last week: a whispered expletive to the doan in the zendo on Wednesday morning, chewing out the shuso at breakfast yesterday when she did something that I didn't think someone sitting tangaryo should be taking on themselves to do, and an interaction with a resident about turning lights off that came over, as I have just heard back, a little more hostile than it need have been. There have been apologies all round, and hopefully no lasting damage...

Study Hall - Extensive Record

Dharma Hall Discourse 281: "Going to the seashore to count grains of sand vainly wastes one's strength. Polishing a tile to make a mirror is a meaningless use of effort. Don't you see that the clouds above the tall mountain naturally wind and unwind around each other, so how could they be intimate or estranged? The water of a deep river channel follows along the straight stretches and curves without preferring this way or that. The daily activity of living beings is like clouds and water. Clouds and water are like this, but people are not. If they could be like this, how could they ever transmigrate in the triple world?"

Circumambulation

In the normal run of things, Parinirvana would be the highlight of the week, if not the month. This time around, it mostly meant that yesterday was another day working morning noon and night, after seven straight days of doing that last week - there is a lot to set up, and after dinner we rehearsed the five-person food offering with the new Abbess, jisha and shuso, before I went to put extra cushions in the zendo and set out the candles.
And then the spaciousness I was finding while sitting the first period rather evaporated with a series of things going awry, starting with the doan deciding to ring the bell for kinhin ten minutes late. We were always going to be pushed for time today, and then once we had also factored in people forgetting their bessu before service, and other delays, we were half an hour late to breakfast.
Nevertheless, the reading did move me as always; the candle-lit zendo was beautiful - being late meant that daylight was starting to change the feel of the room by the time we started the Robe Chant; the circumambulation was quite smooth for once - even if the incense offering clocked in a little slower than last week, necessitating a third round of the Dai Hi Shin Dharani - and afterwards I was able to bow in the kaisando with Hoitsu, Christina, Blanche and Vicki.
I am determined to take time off between lunch and afternoon zazen today, though between staff meeting this morning, and zazen and lecture tonight, it is going to be another long day.

The Weekend Starts Here

It has been showery and blustery all morning - not great weather for a long-awaited bike ride, but good weather for drinking coffee and going through the hundreds of photos I took during the past week, which I had only been able to skim through until today. Here are a few less formal shots.

An inkin lesson with Hoitsu and Hakujin - Greg looks on

Christina's and Hoitsu's shoes outside the kaisando during rehearsals

Name card

Speeches after the Stepping down

Anna, Jana and Jeremy after the Stepping Down

Laura and Diane of the Livestream crew

Orchids punctuated the building

The back room at the Angesho tea

Marsha and Christina before the Mountain Seat

Making sure the seating arrangements are right

Temple documents and seal

Taiyo arrives

Myoki took care of the planning for this event

Cynthia and Lisa off for tea

Siobhan and Gyokuden

Jinen and Yuji - the guys from the Sotoshu

Hoitsu 

Christina and Reb at the Angesho tea

Flower girls waiting for the grown-ups to be ready

The procession waits during the Jiden portion of the Mountain Seat

Fu and Anna, two of the jishas, check the script before part two

The monk is left holding the baby - Norman with Rio

Stepping Up

I was wondering how I could describe the Mountain Seat to people back in England, and what came to mind was: well it's a little less fuss than a coronation.
Having woken up this morning at the usual time, I went downstairs to find the tenzo already making breakfast and the shika going to sit zazen. I managed to get the last instructions typed up before the umpan rang, then when it got light, went out to stretch my legs with a quick hour on my bike, taking in the sunrise over the Bay, the moon high over Coit Tower, cherry blossoms in the Marina and fog enveloping Mount Sutro. And then to work.
Since we had done so much preparation yesterday, the transformation to today's set-up took less time than anticipated, and the things I thought I was going to be running round trying to take care of at the last minute were being done well before lunch. There was a lovely atmosphere in the building; everyone was working positively with little stress - even the kitchen seemed relaxed when I passed through. With the chairs we had rented, we had more seats than we had planned for, which was a good state to be in - I think we ended up with space for 170 people in the Buddha Hall.
And then the dignitaries and guests started pouring in, and it was time to get dressed up. I felt like I had my finger on the ignition switch, as I went up to the Angesho tea in the Conference Center to ask the Shinmei, Christina, if she was ready for the densho to begin, and then we started getting everyone into their seats. Up and down the street a few more times, to check on readiness, and then it was really happening.
I had already been excited, when I looked over the ceremony for the first time, maybe three months ago, that I was going to lead the Shinmei in a jundo around the zendo. Hoitsu added to that in the rehearsal by indicating that the Shinmei should bow with the ino afterwards, which wasn't as previously scripted. It was the first of several lovely moments I got to share with Christina, not just prostrating in unison, but also the huge warm smile on her face when our zagus were folded up and we bowed again to each other.
In the Buddha Hall I had an unparalleled view of proceedings, but I enjoyed the backstage moments more: after the Jiden ceremony, where the documents are signed and stamped behind closed doors, and everyone else stretches their legs, I was invited into the dokusan room so that the new Abbess could check over the rest of the script; again, she was smiling and saying she was having fun. The jishas were also borrowing the script as they tried to remember their movements for the second part. And when all were happy, I signalled the shoten to get us underway again.
Now there were several times in all the complicated choreography where things did not go as scripted. On one occasion, one of the Japanese dignitaries was muttering instructions to the Ryoban quite loudly, though it didn't make any difference, and one key step got skipped over, though when we alerted Christina, she very simply said, oh, I should be there not here, and we went back to where we should have been. As everyone said afterwards, these are the things that make the ceremony real and human - indeed one of the sweetest moments was during the Robe Chant, which the Abbess was supposed to do unaccompanied, but hearing everyone join in for the second and third time was very moving. What was most abundant through it all was the sense of mutual support and great love.

Christina talks to Hoitsu at the Angesho tea

Flower girl and  photographer waiting for the off

Processing down the street

Couldn't get all the procession in one picture

At the gate

Shujo Jisha holds the staff

Ryoban mudras

Robe Chant

Statement of support from Daigaku

I think there was some Swiss-German humour happening here

Mondo

Abbess and Reb

Abbess and Hoitsu

Marsha got the last word

Stepping Down

There were times during today's ceremony when I could sense that Paul was actually moved. Not that he would admit it of course; on Wednesday, before the Full Moon Ceremony, I tried him out with, "So this is your last hurrah, then?", and he replied with some gently amused scorn along the lines of "Get on with you". And he responded to a parade of fulsome statements of appreciation from his teachers, peers, colleagues, students and his daughter with some classic trans-Atlantic self-deprecation. But I think he was really touched.
It felt like a smooth day. We had a wonderful opportunity to hear Hoitsu Roshi speak, funny and clear even through a translator, and so very solid as well. I could tell the work leader was getting impatient that we went way past the alloted time, but nobody, least of all me, is going to ask Hoitsu to wrap it up so we can get on with work.
When we did, it was a bit of a whirl for a few hours. I was glad that I had given myself the task of picking up the monju from Benkyodo - apart from my trip to Rainbow, it is the first time I have left the building in a week. And it was lovely out there. But then there was a ceremony to do, and I had to spend some time looking over the script to get this one in my head, since the Stepping Up has taken so much attention. I didn't get to join the okesa receiving ceremony with most of his students in the dokusan room before we got underway, but that was okay.
Instead I got to stand in the entrance to the zendo hearing the inkins get closer on the procession while the densho also sounded, then bow to Paul, lead him into the zendo to offer incense and bow, then take him on a final jundo as Abbot, and lead him up to the Buddha Hall. Now that was something. And it flowed from there, hearing him express his gratitude before he stepped off the mountain, then a five-person food offering and the Heart Sutra, taking my time over the dedication, and sitting back listening to the praises being sung - while taking some pictures of course.
There was a great dinner afterwards, the dining room full of chat and colour, but I didn't stay so long, for all that there were lovely people from all over the world to say hello to. Saving a bit of energy for the rest of the weekend.

This was completely filled later

Altar with tangerines and monju

Paul on the Mountain

Mel addresses Paul

Paul and Audrey

Paul in the chair

Bowing out