Response to Sei-In's Comment

I think of this Calvin & Hobbes strip whenever I'm creating a test or exam.

Education

As I age in my role as teacher, I find myself more inclined to reward responses such as those shown. What does this have to do with zen practice? Something. What doesn't?

Work practice

When I joined the VZC a few years ago, the initial motivation was to learn how to be a "better" activist. I had been involved in environmental and social justice work my whole life and so had seen many, many mistakes made by me and others -- it seemed that often we were often doing more harm than good. A community-based spiritual practice with an experienced teacher was recommended by a visiting monk as a way to dive into the burning questions and doubts that I was struggling with.

Although sitting, walking, chanting, and meal practice were intriguing what really hooked me were the work practice opportunities offered by the VZC. Working with other people, whether in the VZC or in social justice groups, seemed to be at the heart of the difficulties and so the chance to explore that in a Zen practice context was very appealing. And it has indeed been rich and rewarding both in terms of volunteer work and also my paid job. In the last few months I've been particularly noticing how much VZC work practice is impacting work outside the VZC. The people I work with have also been asking more about Zen practice which is a good barometer for whether or not practice really is shifting my work habits!

We have many opportunities for work practice within the VZC already -- officer roles in the zendo; operational teams like marketing, peer support, and Sangha Sunday planning; collective work practice periods during zazenkais/sesshins; occasional work parties to remove broom or clean up the highway near the VZC; Board positions; and individual opportunities such as assisting with events, transcribing, gardening, zendo cleaning, or any of the bazillion things that need to be done to keep the VZC going.

Recently the VZC Board has been talking about how to tweak the coordination of work practice so we can better match members who are interested in engaging in work practice with tasks that need to be done (and that are a good fit for members' interests, skills, availability, etc.). This has been done informally for some time but with the steady growth of the VZC we are now looking to put a bit of structure in place to help keep things smooth.

In looking at what other centres do around structuring work practice as part of our development process, I came across this article by Zoketsu Norman Fischer. I really enjoyed it so thought I would pass the link on for y'all to enjoy!
http://www.intrex.net/chzg/Zoketsu.htm

It would be great to hear your thoughts on work practice: what's your experience been thus far, and what would you like to see develop in terms of further opportunities in this stream of practice?

Links of interest...

Two recent posts that folk may find interesting...

Here is a link to Eshu's article on the T-C blog, "Spiritually Speaking":

http://communities.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/blogs/spirituallyspeaking/archive/2010/05/20/papa-needs-a-new-pair-o-shoes.aspx#comments

Here is a link to a video conversation between Bernie Glassman and Jeff Bridges:

http://www.tricycle.com/blog/?p=1782

Post-sesshin

It's been just over a week since coming back from sesshin. I went in with a lot of anxiety as my first sesshin a year previously was really painful both physically and mentally.


This time around it was still painful although not nearly as bad (thank you Bikram yoga instructors!) and so there was more of an opportunity to experience other aspects of sesshin, particularly the experience of living in close quarters and practicing so intensely with a group of good friends -- "virtuous companions" in the sutra translation Eshu read from as part of his dharma talks.


Of course the magic of sesshin couldn't be sustained forever, it changes just like everything else, but it has been interesting to experience so pointedly the resistance of letting it change. Eshu had talked specifically during sesshin about the mistake of approaching practice from a self-oriented perspective (I'm going to be a better person) but sinking back into old habits so quickly after sesshin was over, especially regarding relationships with other people, I was feeling pretty disappointed -- what is the point of such intensive practice if I come back and am as big a jerk as I was before sesshin?


In reading a book by Desmond and Mpho Tutu ("Made for Goodness") over the last couple days, the following passage really hit home. Although the book is written from a Christian perspective this perfectly described my experience of this very special sangha and has lightened things up considerably.

A life of wholeness can accept flaws and vulnerabilities as doors to relationship. If we can do all things flawlessly, we have no need of anybody else. That is not ubuntu. Flaws and vulnerabilities destroy the illusion of self-sufficiency and can open our eyes to our common humanity. Flaws and vulnerabilities can build the bridge to human community and to a relationship with the divine.

Or as Leonard Cohen put it:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

So, cracked and all, onward we go! Thanks everyone for all your support this week with the post-sesshin transition, it's much appreciated.

We are empty curved space

"The universe does not exist 'out there,' independent of us. We are inescapably involved in bringing about that which appears to be happening. We are not only observers. We are participators. In some strange sense, this is a participatory universe. Physics is no longer satisfied with insights only into particles, fields of force, into geometry, or even into time and space. Today we demand of physics some understanding of existence itself."

"There is nothing in the world except empty curved space. Matter, charge, electromagnetism, and other fields are only manifestations of the curvature of space. "

— John Archibald Wheeler: Physicist, coiner of the terms "black hole" and "wormhole," collaborator of Albert Einstein, and teacher of Richard Feynman.

2010 TC10km Tasty Treat and Picnic Crowd Pleaser

Warm Almond Stuffed Dates with Sea Salt and Lemon

12 pitted dates, preferrably Medjool
12-24 whole roasted unsalted almonds
1tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Slit the side of each date and pull out pit. Insert almonds in the cavity and push the edges back together to enclose nuts. Warm the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add dates and cook, shaking the pan so that dates roll around in oil until warmed. 2-3 min. Sprinkle lightly with the salt and lemon rind. Toss again and serve. Serves 6.

Enjoy! with friends, laughter and sunshine.....

Birthday card

I thought people would enjoy this image. It is from the front of a card that my sister gave me for my birthday...

No Place Like Om

Tuesday April 20, 2010

Wearing The Robes For The First Time

My oh my, lions & tigers & snakes.

Tuesday night at the Interfaith Chapel, I came out. In freshly, lovingly hand crafted robes, it’s been a long time since I’ve worn a "dress".

What an opportunity for practice!

The stuff it brought up was all fear based with roots that reached in the past. I felt vulnerable and was afraid of being laughed at and not being good enough. There was even a tinge of feeling that I wasn't "entitled".

Logically, I was wearing the prescribed and accepted garb for the activity. Yet inside, out of the depths of the past, rose an image of 17 year old me graduating from high school in an orangish/yellowish/pinkish empire-waisted, puffy-sleeved dress with big flowers and my hair “done” up on my head. I felt awkward, out of place and very uncomfortable. I confess, I did it for my Mom.

As I immersed into the role of jiki, doing sampai, comically trying to sit while tucking robes under my legs and walking in kinhin, I felt at ease. Present. Even, graceful.

And finally, by evening's end, a homecoming.

(This time was for you too, Mom.)

Presence

What is presence?

Being fully aware, present, in every thought, action and word.

How do we practice presence?

By infusing quality into every action, thought and word; submersing into every moment with no concern for the next. No thing is more or less important then another.

How do we practice presence in action?

By fully becoming one with the action with no concern or expectation of the outcome.

How do we practice presence in thought?

By fully knowing that the mind is another sense organ, using it as a tool when memory or knowledge is needed, letting it go when it is not.

How do we practice presence in speech?

By being mindful that words are powerful tools, they can enhance life when used wisely, they can wound when not. Yet at the same time recognizing that the nature of words is their symbolic representation. It is not possible to explain the limitlessness of experience within the limits of vocabulary.

Presence is not a goal; presence is be-ing.