▶ Memorializing Harada Now, here. Tangen Roshi points Two eulogies: A physicist speaks Tangen Roshi Dharma friend, out that what we most deeply long for everyone, and a son remembers teacher, and an unforgettable man. for is already here. his dad. SUMMER 2018 | VOLUME XL, NUMBER TWO ediTor ZEN BOWChris Pulleyn | [email protected] ediTorial coNsulTant The mind of the Zen adept is taut—ready, like a drawn bow Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede | [email protected] COPY EDITOR Summer 2018 | volUme xl, nUmBeR tWo Cecily Fuhr | [email protected] arT direcTor nearly 30 years ago I traveled with our 3 M SOUNDINGS Daryl Wakeley | [email protected] daughter to Bukkokuji to meet with Tangen Proofreader Roshi. My objective, or so I thought at the A child of rich birth | A correction | John Pulleyn time, was to gather background material on Remembering the first law of Call for submissions Roshi Philip Kapleau so that I could write thermodynamics | What is a student of the Roshi? | A father’s love, finally All readers are encouraged to submit essays and his definitive biography. The fact that I had images at any time and on any topic related to Zen neither the skills nor the temperament of revealed | Definition of “roshi” practice. Articles may be of any length. Suggestions for articles and artwork are also welcome, as are a biographer had not yet occurred to me, “found objects” such as quotations, haiku, and/ and I proceeded to interview Tangen Roshi or excerpts from articles in other publications. Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede Submission guidelines may be found on the Zen Bow with the energy of a reporter covering a page of the Center’s website: www.rzc.org/library/ complex story, looking for the juicy bits as Harada Tangen Roshi zen-bow. For any and all questions and suggestions, well as the facts. 1924–2018 please email Chris Pulleyn at [email protected]. Aided by the late Belenda Attaway Brushes with death, boundless subsCribing to Zen Bow Yamakawa, the roshi’s interpreter, I asked energy, and the many manifestations The subscription rate below reflects current postage Tangen Roshi numerous questions about of Kannon: Tangen Roshi’s life and fees : his old friend: What was his first impression 4 issues 8 issues lessons. ▶ 6 U.s. : $20.00 $40.00 of Kapleau-san? How did he fit into the FoReign : $40.00 $80.00 monastic community? Were there any Wes BoRden, jonathan Please send checks and your current address to : memorable anecdotes he wished to share sheldon, shiRley (somyo) helvey, Zen Bow Subscriptions Desk with me? To each question, Tangen Roshi & dhaRman (shindo) stoRtz Rochester Zen Center 7 Arnold Park replied with some variation on the same Our memories Rochester, ny 14607 theme: “Ah, Kapleau-san. He worked very of Tangen Roshi please note : If you are moving, the Postal Service hard.” charges us for each piece of mail sent to your Towards the end of our conversation, Anecdotes from former and present old address, whether you have left a forwarding address or not. If you change your address, please reflecting on the many years since he had inhabitants of Bukkokuji. ▶ 12 let us know as soon as possible. Send your address seen his Dharma brother, Tangen Roshi corrections to the Zen Bow Subscriptions Desk at haRada tangen Roshi the above address or email [email protected]. lifted his eyes, smiled, and waved one hand in a gesture of pure delight, saying “It’s all a Awaken to the True Self Countless good deeds dream.” I was gobsmacked, and still am. Tangen Roshi himself speaks about If you’re thinking about financial planning, estate When I returned home, my husband planning, or both, please remember that there are his life and practicing in the here and myriad ways you can help the Rochester Zen Center asked me, “How was Tangen Roshi?” I burst now. ▶ 21 through planned giving. The right kind of plan into tears. There was nothing to say. can help you reduce your taxes significantly while providing for a larger, longer-lasting gift to the Zen Center. Because there is a wide array of bequests, 26 M SIGHTINGS annuities, trusts, and other financial vehicles to consider, you’ll want to work with your financial Letters to the Editor | Reader reviews | advisor to decide what’s best for you. Long-time A new Buddha arrives in Auckland Zen Center member David Kernan, an attorney who concentrates his practice in tax law, has generously offered to help point you in the right direction at no charge. For more information about planned giving and David’s offer, please contact the Center’s receptionist. ON THE COVER COPYRIGHT ©2018 ROCHESTER ZEN CENTER. FOR REPRINTS PHOTO By Amaury Cruz | Amaury is a retired lawyer, writer, political AND OTHER PERMISSIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR AT activist, and award-winning photographer. He is especially fond of nature, [email protected]. including mountains, rivers, and the sea—above and below the surface. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN ZEN BOW ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS ALONE AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE ROCHESTER ZEN CENTER, ITS A publication of the Rochester Zen Center DIRECTORS, ITS TRUSTEES, ITS MEMBERS, OR ITS STAFF. 2 ZEN BOW SUMMER 2018 Summer 2018 Soundings CHILD’S PLAY His answer was really quite different— my yoUngest son was four last January thoughtful, considered, and reflective. [2013]. On the morning of his birthday, as Now don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say, we were walking to nursery I asked him, “What a terrible answer, Hugh! That’s not a “How does it feel to be four?” Quick as a word of Zen!” Because there was nothing flash he answered, “Cold!” I thought wow, wrong with his answer, of course. It was what a great answer, a real word of Zen. also perfect in its own way. Developing this Ummon himself couldn’t have done any ability to think rationally, critically, and to better! Spontaneous, in the moment, and reflect on experience is a normal and abso- completely one with the circumstances in lutely necessary part of growing up. which he finds himself. But along the way, we lose touch with If you spend time with young chil- something. We lose touch with the more FERMILAB dren, you also see that they have a special childlike side of our nature. We lose touch transparency. They can’t hide anything— with the simplicity, openness, and respon- literally. When my rail card or my wallet siveness that we have clearly all had at A EULOGY FROM A PHYSICIST goes missing just before I go to work in the some stage. Master Hakuin expresses this yoU Want a physicist to speak at your morning, I ask Zach if he’s hidden it. He’ll in his “Chant in Praise of Zazen” saying, funeral. You want the physicist to talk to say, “Yes! But it’s not under the sofa, don’t “Like a child of rich birth wandering poor your grieving family about the conserva- look there!” So we play this little game and on this earth, we endlessly circle the six tion of energy, so they will understand spend a few minutes looking for it before worlds.” that your energy has not died. You want finding it, you guessed it, under the sofa. Each one of us is this child of rich birth. the physicist to remind your sobbing There’s so much in the mind and behav- We always have been and we always will mother about the first law of thermody- ior of a young child that is similar to the be. The old masters never tire of remind- namics: that no energy gets created in work we’re doing here. Similar to our hopes ing us of this. Mumon offers us the finest the universe, and none is destroyed. You and aspiration for practice: this sponta- wine in China, and we can eat the fanciest want your mother to know that all your pastry straight out of Kuan Yin’s hands. energy, every vibration, every BtU of heat, Only the richest person can really appreci- every wave of every particle that was her ate these wonderful things. beloved child remains with her in this We may believe, and zendo leaders are world. You want the physicist to tell your always telling us, that this practice is hard, weeping father that amid energies of the that sesshin is so tough. Well, they’re cosmos, you gave as good as you got. wrong. This is easy. What is really tough And at one point you’d hope that the is to “endlessly circle the six worlds.” To physicist would step down from the pulpit be trapped in this world of dualism, self and walk to your brokenhearted spouse and other, good and bad. To be trapped there in the pew and tell him that all neous, transparent simplicity, with noth- inside this prison of our own making. This the photons that ever bounced off your ing hidden, everything out in the open. endless cycle of thoughts. face, all the particles whose paths were When my older son (who was eight So we return to our practice and the interrupted by your smile, by the touch of at the time) saw how interested I was in child returns. We return to our practice your hair, hundreds of trillions of par- Zach’s answer, he asked me to ask him the and the child starts to play. We dive deep- ticles, have raced off like children, their same question. So I asked him, “How does er into this “samadhi of frolic and play.” ways forever changed by you.