Recently, to celebrate the acqusition of Roshi Philip deep for long enough to have let go of the Kapleau’s papers for the Special Collections Ar- stickiness of being caught in self concepts created chives of the Rubenstein Library at Duke University, through conditioning. One of the beautiful hall- a special symposium was organized by Duke’s De- marks of that symposium was the obvious flexibility partment of Religious Studies. Mitra-roshi, whose and ease with which the various participants—all first teacher was Roshi Kapleau, was one of of whom were long time Zen practitioners who the speakers at the symposium. What follows is an had done years of residential training in authentic edited version of her talk, with special commentary monasteries—interacted. [in italics] added for this Oak Tree issue. And here it must be said that time on the cushion, while it may result in that openness, is not neces- sarily sufficient to do so. There have been all too many examples of “teachers” whose behavior did not exemplify any real degree of enlightenment. Most important in our practice is never to avoid acknowledging, accepting and working to change the many negative behavior patterns that deep left to right: Daiun Sogaku Harada Roshi, Hakuun enough zazen can reveal. The work of The Long Yasutani Roshi, Roshi not long after he Maturation in which we bring to life in our moment returned from Japan to moment behavior, speech and thought what we have realized in our zazen is absolutely vital. Roshi Philip Kapleau’s American Zen Kapleau exemplified that Long Maturation; in all the years I worked with him—including years as his Following his work in Japan as a court reporter at secretary and extended periods with him in resi- the post-WWII War Crimes Tribunals, and subse- dence in Mexico when he was working on one of quent courses on under D.T.Suzuki at his books—over and over again it was obvious that , Philip Kapleau returned to as soon as he saw where he was in any way dys- Japan in search of authentic Zen practice. His first functional it was instantly gone and he never acted teacher there was Roshi, Abbot that way again. And this continued to the moment of Ryutaku-ji, and it was Soen Roshi who first in- he died at a very advanced age. troduced Kapleau to the flexibility that comes forth from deep Zen practice. Soen Roshi only required Besides requiring only an hour of zazen a day, Kapleau to do an hour of zazen a day, anywhere Soen Roshi also took Kapleau along with him in the temple except in the . Only monks in when he went to visit his many artist and musi- training were allowed in the zendo and Kapleau cian friends. Eventually, convinced of Kapleau’s wasn’t able yet to sit the long hours in the tradi- “deep vow,” as it is put in Japan, he took him north tional postures required, nor had he yet passed to Hosshinji Monastery for Rohatsu with through the requisite barriers of commitment to Daiun Sogaku Harada Roshi and translated for him ongoing, deep practice. during the sesshin.

Openness and flexibility, ease and acceptance That Rohatsu sesshin was exceedingly painful are readily expressed by one who has done truly physically for Kapleau. He was a middle-aged

Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 page 1 American businessman, accustomed to sitting in bows as there are in the Japanese culture in gen- chairs when he sat, not sitting in either of the ac- eral—only the three prostrations at specific times in cepted postures of a zendo, and he fainted from the the zendo schedule. pain the last night of sesshin. He also came quite close in that sesshin to having kensho. I first became a member of the in September 1975, went to my first sesshin Daiun Roshi further expressed that flexicility—liter- the following March, and moved to Rochester from ally and figuratively this time—when Kapleau was Istanbul in time to attend the November sesshin invited to join him in doing yoga, a practice rare in that year. Intent on doing long term residential those days in Japan. Zen training, after attending all daily sittings, as many sesshin as possible and several training pro- Daiun Roshi was ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist grams, in August of the following year that finally monk, but having become dissatisfied with the Soto happened. From then on I trained under Roshi Zen practice of the era, trained at length in the Kapleau in Rochester, in Mexico, and in Santa Fe, Rinzai Sect and was eventually given transmission serving as his secretary a number of times. in both Soto and Rinzai lineages. Eventually having finished my formal training and Hence it was that Roshi Kapleau’s training included not feeling I was ready to teach, I went to Japan working on in the traditional Rinzai way and for three months, sitting several sesshin at Sogenji was subsequently able to offer training to his under Harada Shodo Roshi at Sogenji in Okaya- students. ma, sitting with Morinaga Soko Roshi’s at Daishu-in in Kyoto, and sitting Rohatsu sesshin at All of these examples registered on Philip Kapleau Bukkokuji in Obama under Harada Tangen Roshi, and must have influenced his decision to eventually before returning briefly to the U.S. and the RZC create a Zen meditation practice environment that and returning to Sogenji a few months later for would fit with the American psyche and personality ongoing residential training. Thus it was possible while at the same time maintaining the depth of and to experience both the American Zen created by committment to true practice he had experienced Roshi Kapleau at the Rochester Zen Center as well under Nakagawa Soen, Daiun Sogaku Harada, and as pure , both Rinzai (Harada Shodo . Kapleau, by then Roshi, also Roshi & Morinaga Soko Roshi) and Harada-Yasuta- frequently remarked that the Obaku Sect, a relative ni- Soto (Harada Tangen Roshi) forms. latecomer to Japanese Zen despite its introduction to Japan centuries before, was spoken of as “the There were many new terms to learn: “” and foreign sect,” and held it up as an example of the “jisharyo” instead of “monjutor,” “jihatsu” or “oryo- need for Japanese Zen to become transformed ki” instead of plates and bowls, “taku” instead of into an American model if it were to be successfully “clappers,” and “inkhin” instead of “bell.” And there accepted in the States. were others. The forms also differed some among the three temples—and the flexibility was there. And so, over many years in the Rochester Zen When I was assigned to be jisharyo at the first new Center there was much experimentation as Roshi training period once I arrived for long term training Kapleau sought to create that American Zen. at Sogenji I asked, “What does the jisharyo do?” Chinese takeout brought in for sesshin meals, or- “Make sure everyone follows the rules,” was the chestral music played during sesshin or at the very answer. “What are the rules?” “You’ll find out.” end of sesshin, the translation of most of the chants into English (working with them to make them em- What I found out was that there were indeed rules: inently chant-able), the use of plates and bowls, Among others, everyone was expected to be in forks and spoons for meals, washed by the kitchen the zendo, seated, already doing zazen at least crew after each meal; the number of bells rung to 10 minutes before the scheduled beginning of a indicate the beginning of sitting was reduced, and round of sitting. No hats, no gloves, no socks in the a number of administrative changes both to the zendo, and keep your hands on top of your rakusu running of the zendo as well as the running of the regardless of freezing winter temperatures—nor in Rochester Zen Center. And there were no polite the dining room, which was the kitchen, where we

Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 page 2 sat on benches at a normal height table instead of someone who has done years of Zen practice and on our knees on the tatami (ouch!) at low tables in then stops. It is even sadder to hear of someone the kohojo. (Flexibility there, too!) But there were who is teaching Zen and stops actively training. exceptions, and the exceptions were on a case by Yes, at a certain point one’s students become one’s case basis—truly flexible. That became a venue teachers—but only if we are willing to open to that. for practice—to tune in and discern when it was It can make a positive difference if we are also con- appropriate to be flexible. tinuing to train with a teacher who is at least a step ahead of us. “Tuning in and discerning” comes forth as an as- ☸ ☸ ☸ pect of ongoing, deepening Zen practice—when we are able to let go enough of the rigidity developed “In People and in Things, There Is No Trash” out of conditioning. “Letting go” necessarily pre- cedes the ability to tune in and discern; tuning in Today is the seventh and final day in this sesshin and discerning is impossible without having let go in October 2019 at Mountain Gate in northern New sufficiently to be able to step out of the familiar but Mexico. It is important to understand that it is the very narrow trench of our conditioning. Letting go efforts of each one of us working on deepening can be quite frightening for people but is absolute- our own practice, our own focus, our letting go of ly essential if we are to not only taste but live the thoughts, ideas, of talking—which begets thoughts incalculable freedom that Zen practice, practiced and ideas—focusing deeply on this one chance, deeply enough, can uncover. this one week, to open to what we have not yet opened to and become a little bit more free of our In Japanese Zen temples one significant expres- stuff, that supports everyone else here in sesshin. sion of a flexibility of character is to “bow and serve.” Another is the prescription that there is only There are still hours left in this sesshin and it’s vital one word acceptable as a response when one is not to let up! It’s also tempting to allow just ONE asked to do something. That word in Japanese is, little thought about later or tomorrow or next week. “Hai!”—”Yes!” No discussion, no argument, simply The more you resist that and use the extended the humility and flexibility to do what is asked with- outbreath to go deeper and deeper and deeper, out the friction of inner commentary. the greater benefit this sesshin will have for ev- erybody! Roshi Kapleau used to say that in order Back to the subject of Americanizing Zen practice… to reach the depth of mind you’ve reached at this point if you were just starting out, you’d have to Still, there was a distinctively Japanese flavor to go to almost seven more days of sesshin. It may the format, the chanting, the meals, the whole Jap- not feel like you’ve reached much focus or depth anese temple experience. And there were more of opening in your practice, but you can’t sit this differences between the Japanese format, whether many hours in sesshin without doing so unless Rinzai or Soto, and the forms of the Rochester Zen you’re not really doing your practice. And if that Center. Roshi Kapleau had indeed been success- were the case, you’d be out of here well before the ful in creating an American form of Zen without sixth day. losing the depth and intensity of the practice offered there. Thank you, Roshi! It’s important not to judge your practice. There are moments when you might feel you have deep I went to Sogen-ji the first time in September 1992 insight but your teacher can see that it’s only su- after sitting sesshin with Harada Shodo Roshi at perficial. There can be moments when you think Cloud Mountain in the Northwest U.S., and re- your practice is going terribly but the teacher can turned to Sōgen-ji in September 1993 after another see that important headway is being made. If you Cloud Mountain sesshin with Roshi. In 1996 I want to really become truly free, don’t bother to returned to the States but returned to Sōgen-ji for judge; it just inhibits your practice. And if you’re five or six weeks each year as well as attending judging anyway, don’t judge your judging! Just all Harada Roshi’s American sesshin until about one extended outbreath offered 100%, and then five years ago. Since then I’ve only attended his the next and the next and the next, without thought American sesshin. It is extremely sad to hear of to comfort, without thought to time. Only this deep page 3 Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 yearning to reach what is barely out of reach and temple and for the practice of the others living CAN be opened to if you persist! there, and so they were asked to leave. Belen- da married a Japanese monk and helped run his I’d like to share with you part of the autobiogra- family temple for the rest of her life. They had two phy of Morinaga Soko Roshi, a Japanese Rinzai daughters, who were grown by the time she died a master. He was the roshi who sanctioned Myo- few years ago of pancreatic cancer. kyo-ni—the woman who taught at the Zen Centre of Londonl—after her many, many years of Rinzai Belenda knew Morinaga Soko Roshi and was Zen, residential training in Japan. It was Myokyo-ni encouraged by him to do translation. So it is that who first translated Torei Enji’sTreatise of the In- we have this wonderful book, giving us a window exhaustible Lamp, along with the commentary by on the initial Zen training of Morinaga by his first the contemporary Rinzai master, Daibi. This trans- teacher, the highly regarded Rinzai master, Goto lation of this treatise is highly recommended, and is Zuigan Roshi, and his attitude toward it—both at currently only available at a reasonable price from the time and with later insight—of Morinaga, who Zen Centre London. Torei’s Treatise was more became a true himself. The book is recently translated by one of the Cleary brothers, highly recommended! Zen training is unique; it’s but that translation does not include Daibi’s com- not the same as learning a trade or studying to ments, which are an invaluable help when reading become a high school teacher or even a Ph.D. or studying Torei’s text. If I were to sum up the past forty years of Morinaga Roshi died of cancer in Japan some- my life, the time since I became a monk, where around 1997; it was his Sangha with which I would have to say that it has been an I sat zazen when I was in Japan in 1992. He was ongoing lesson in the extent of my own unusually tall for a Japanese man of his era, and he stupidity. When I speak of my stupidity, I insisted that his foreign students learn Japanese. do not refer to something that is innate, but He was the master of Daishu-in, a subtemple of rather to the false impressions that I have Ryoanji, where the famous rock garden that is cleverly stockpiled, layer upon layer, in my featured in so many picture books in the West is lo- imagination.” cated. A friend of mine who was a long-time monk —p.15 and student of Morinaga Roshi spoke of how he and fellow monks in residence at Daishu-in would That, in a nutshell, is the human condition. And climb over that garden wall after hours and do as well, it is a cause of suffering. It’s our assump- [late night zazen]. What an incredible place to do tions about things, it’s our skewed perceptions of yaza! The deeply silent, profound spiritual energy events, that cause this. Through Zen practice we in that garden is wondrous. become increasingly free of our conditioning, as our perceptions become more clear and more ac- This is from a book called Novice to Master: curate. We wrap a false identity around us and we An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own see everything through the lens of that identity, as- Stupidity. It was translated by Belenda Attaway suming, “It’s this,” “It’s that,” “He’s This,” “She’s Yamakawa, who was also the translator for Harada that way,” locking ourselves into frozen, misguided Tangen Roshi, Abbot of Bukkokuji. Unlike Sogen- relationships through those assumptions—far from ji, where Chi-san—an American woman who was the true reality. Consider that deeply! born in Ithaca NY and went to her first sesshin at the Rochester Zen Center—did simultaneous I was born in the town of Uozu in Toyama translation for Harada Shodo Roshi at Sogenji, Prefecture. The fierce heat of World War Belenda would receive a tape of Tangen Roshi’s II found me studying with the faculty teisho, take it home and translate it. Then later in of literature, under Japan’s old system the day during sesshin the foreigners who were not of education, in Toyama High School. yet fluent in Japanese would gather and she would High school students had been granted read it to them. Belenda went to Japan from the formal reprieve of military duty until after States and briefly lived at Bukkokuji, training with graduation from university. When the war Tangen Roshi, but the roshi decided that having escalated, however, the order came down women on site was complicating things for the that students of letter were to depart for

Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 page 4 the front. Presumably, students of science book about Buddha’s Pure Land beside would go on to pursue courses of study the control stick, certain to remain unread. in medicine or the natural sciences and Many lunged headlong at enemy ships; still thereby provide constructive cooperation many others were felled by the crest of a in the war effort; students of literature, on wave or knocked from the air before making the other hand, would merely read books, that lunge. design arguments, and generally agitate the national spirit. Then, on August 15, 1945, came Japan’s unconditional surrender. The war that At any rate, literature students, who came evertyone had been led to believe was so to be treated as nonstudents, had to take right, the war for which we might gladly lay the physical examination for conscription down our one life, was instead revealed, at age twenty and were marched, with no overnight, as a war of aggression, a war of exceptions, into the armed forces. What evil—and those responsible for it were to be is more, the draft age was lowered by one executed.” year, and as if under hot pursuit, at nineteen —pp. 16-18 I was jerked unceremoniously into the army. He returned from the war, alive; both his parents We all know that we will die sooner or died before the war ended. The family land, his later. Death may come tomorrow, or it may only inheritance, was taken after the war in the re- come twenty or thirty years hence. Only distribution of land. His father had always told him our ignorance of just how far down the never to let go of the family land, that it was the road death awaits affords us some peace most secure investment he could have. Yet that, of mind, enables us to go on with our lives. too, was gone. He was alone, wandering about But upon passing the physical examination aimlessly, not knowing what to do. and waiting for a draft notice that could come any day I found the prospect of my Finally he decided to see if he could enter a Bud- own death suddenly thrust before my eyes. dhist temple, which would give him a place to live I felt as though I were moving through a and food to eat—though in post-war Japan, food void day by day. Awake and in my sleep, I was quite limited and not easily available. When I rehearsed the various ways in which I might returned from doing Rohatsu sesshin at Bukkokuji die on the battlefield. But even though under Harada Tangen Roshi, who had been some- I found myself in a tumult of thoughts thing of a guardian angel to Roshi Kapleau when about death, there was no time for me to the two were training at Hosshinji, Roshi Kapleau investigate the matter philosophically or to asked me if any tofu had been served at sesshin. engage in religious practice…. When he learned that every other day each person was served a whole cake of tofu he exclaimeed, Among human beings there are those “A WHOLE cake!” It seems that only every two or who exploit and those who are exploited. three months a few cakes of tofu were donated to The same holds true for relations among Hosshinji while he was there, enough only for the nations and among races.... Now, at last, monks to have a few bites of it in a meal. Japan was rising to liberate herself from the chains of exploitation! Therefore, this was The temple Morinaga finally was accepted into a righteous fight, a meaningful fight! How was a very small temple where Goto Zuigan Ro- could we begrudge our country this one shi—a very highly regarded Rinzai Zen master who small life, even if that life be smashed to had been head of the Rinzai headquarter temple, bits? Such reckless rationalization allowed Myoshinji—was living. A middle-aged woman had us to shut off our minds. taken upon herself to provide the roshi with meals and took care of housekeeping, but there was no And so it was that we students set out one living at the temple but the roshi and Morina- in planes, armed only with the certainty ga. There, Morinaga learned many lessons... of death and fuel for a one-way trip, with favorite works of philosophy or maybe a So it was, through these mysterious causes page 5 Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 and conditions, that I was led to knock at Roshi was then seventy years old, and I the gates of Zen temples. I still feel very told myself, “That foolish old man! So what grateful that, after calling at two or three if he is the head of Myoshinji or the head temples, I was brought to Daishuin in Kyoto, of Daitokuji. Lots of ‘important’ people in where I still reside, to train under Zuigan this world aren’t worth much. If believing Goto Roshi.” were so easy that I could just believe, —p. 25 unconditionally, in somebody I had just me fort the first time, then wouldn’t I have Daishuin, as you heard earlier, is a subtemple of believed in something before I ever showed Ryoanji, where the famous rock garden is. While up here? Didn’t I come here in the first you may not know that, you would recognize a place because I DON’T find it so easy to photograph of that garden, which makes it see believe?” much larger than it actually is. The profound quiet, the deep spiritual power of that garden is beyond All this ran through my mind, but I knew description. I hope you will some day have a from the start that if I said it aloud, I would chance to visit and experience it. be told straightawa, “In that case, your being here is a waste of time. Go on home Zuigan Roshi, formerly the abbot of now.” Myoshinji and at that time the abbot of Daitokuji, was a truly great man. I showed Figuring that, even if my words were a lie, up at Roshi’s door with long, stringy hair, this man would have to let me stay if I spoke unkempt, with a towel hanging from my them, I said, “I believe in you. Please.” waist and heavy clogs on my feet. This great man’s first words to me were, “Why At that time, I had no idea of the weight of have you come here?” those words, “I believe,” but it was a lesson I was to be taught before the end of that In reply, I rambled on for about an hour very day. and a half, covering the particulars of my —pp 25-26 situation up to and including my present state. Roshi listened in silence, not And then—and this is sort of the point of sharing attempting to insert so much as a single this with you, this chapter is titled, “There Is No word. Trash.”

When I had finished my exposition, he “Follow me,” directed the roshi, and he spoke, “Listening to you now, I can see assigned me my first task, which was that you’ve reached a point where there’s to clean the garden. Together with this nothing you can believe in. But there is no seventy-year-old roshi, I went out to such thing as practice without believing in the garden and started sweeping with a your teacher. Can you believe in me?” bamboo broom. Zen temple gardens are carefully designed with trees planted to “If you can, I’ll take you on right now, as ensure that leaves will fall throughout the you are. But if you can’t believe in me, entire year. Not only the maples in autumn then your being here is just a waste of time, but also the oads and the camphors in and you can go right back where you came spring regularly shed their foliate. When I from.” first arrived, in April, the garden was full of fallen leaves. Zuigan Roshi, for his part, set forth in no —p. 27 uncertain terms from the very beginning the precept of believing wholeheartedly in one’s In cleaning the grounds of a Zen temple in Japan, teacher, but I was not sensible enough at the sweeping is down with a broom made of twigs that time to yield with a ready and honest, tied to a stick. It takes a special kind of movement “Okay!” to sweep just what is on the top of the moss or the pebbles or the sand in a way that you’re not also

Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 page 6 sweeping up a lot of what lies under the leaves. nothing but trash. I got back, though, only Morinaga had not yet developed that skill. to find Roshi squatting over the remains of the leaf pile, picking out the stones. After The human being (or, my own mind, I he had carefully picked out the last stone, should say) is really quite mean. Here I was, he ordered,”Take these out and arrange inside my heart denouncing this ‘old fool’ them under the rain gutters.” and balking at the very idea of trusting so easily; yet, at the same time, I wanted this When I had set out the stones, together old man to notice me, and so I took up that with the gravel that was alreadty there, and broom and swept with a vengeance. Quite filled in the spaces pummeled out by the soon I had amassed a mountian of dead raindrops, I found that not only were the leaves. Eager to show off my diligence, I holes filled but that my work looked rather asked “Roshi, where should I through this elegant. I had to allow that these stones, trash?” too, failed to fall into the category of trash. There was still more, though: the clods of The words were barely out of my mouth earth and scraps of moss, the last dregs. when he thundered back at me, “There is Just what could anyone do with that stuff, I no trash!” wondered.

“No trash, but…look here, “ I tried to I saw Roshi going about his business, indicate the pile of leaves. gathering up these scraps and placing them, piece by piece, in the palm of his “So you don’t believe me! Is that it?” hand. He scanned the ground for dents and sinks; he filled them in with the clods of “It’s only that, well, where should I throw out earth, which he then tamped down with hi these leaves?” That was all that was left for feet. Not a single particle remained of the me to say. mountain of leaves.

“You don’t throw them out!” he roared “Well,” he queried, ‘Do you understand again. a little bit better now? From the first, in people and in things, there is no such thing “What should I do then?” I asked. as trash.” —pp. 28-29 “Go out to the shed and bring back an empty charcoal sack,” was his instruction. And this brings me to the First Grave Precept of the Sixteen Precepts: Not to kill, When I returned, I found Roshi bent to but to cherish all life. Zuigan Roshi was teaching the task of combing through the mountain Morinaga not to kill, right there. “In people and in of leaves, sifting so that the lighter leaves things, there is no such thing as trash.” came out on top while the heavier sand and stones fell to the bottom. He then We human beings and our societies get into lots proceeded to stuff the leaves into the sack of judgments. This person is this way; that person I had brought from the shed, tamping them is that way; I don’t like that person, they’re nasty; down with his feet. After he had jammed or, this person is awful, they shouldn’t even be the last leaves tightly into the sack, he said, considered part of the human race. We determine “Take these to the shed. We’ll use them to our interaction with these people based on our make a fire under the bath.” judgments of them. When we say about someone, “They’ve got a great personality” or “That person is As I went off to the shed, I silently really nasty!” we are freezing them. We’re basically admiutted that this sack of leaves over my killing their option to change, to be any different shoulder was perhaps not trash; I also told from our perception of them. This is a very im- myself that what was left of that pile out portant aspect of this first of the Grave Precepts. there in the garden was clearly trash, and There are many nuances of all the precepts. Of page 7 Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2019 course, most of us are not inclined to stick a knife February 21-23 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- into someone literally, nor to kill even an animal, ; Please have your applications in (if but this more subtle way of “killing” is perhaps this is your first sesshin at HVZC) or sign up by even more harmful. To judge a human being freez- February 15. es them into a box and your reaction to them and interactions to them form your own box, so that no February 21-28 7-day Sesshin at Mountain change, no forward movement, no liberation for ei- Gate; deadline for applications is February 10. ther one of you is possible. And yet, human beings have tremendous potential to change. March 20-22 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- sensei; Please have your applications in (if this There’s a book by Kathleen Dowling Singh, The is your first sesshin at HVZC) or sign up by Mar 15 Grace in Dying, in which she share many stories of people dying, including those who were nasty, March 15 Benefit concert by Peter Gach, difficult to be, right up to within days of their death, internationally known pianist; details to follow. and suddenly within those last few hours they changed, becoming loving and open. Everyone March 20-27 7-day Sesshin at Turtleback has the potential to change. We are working on Zendo in Lawrenceville NJ; deadline for change right here now, with every single breath! applications: March 13. For information please We’re letting go our attachments to who we think contact Shotai at [email protected]. we are, and willynilly, change takes place. Consid- er this as you go about your daily life and interact April 3, 4, & 5 Celebrations more info to with others. The fundamental basis of every be announced closer to the time. human being is pure, perfect, eternal, joyous. It’s only because of conditioning that we behave in the April 17-24 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; ways we do. “In people and in things, there is no deadline for applications is April 8. trash!” April 17-19 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- November 2 at Albuquerque Zen sensei; Apply & reserve by April 10. Center; for info & to reserve a zendo seat contact Daishin at [email protected] Deep Zen practice affords us the opportunity to November 13-20 7-day Sesshin at Mountain see clearly who we really are, and with that seeing, Gate; deadline for applications is October 9. wisdom and compassion naturally arise. When we see a need, we naturally move to meet it. The prac- November 30 - December 8 Rohatsu Sesshin tice of dana—generosity—is a way to express that at Mountain Gate; deadline for applications is compassion by support to our places of November 21. practice and to our teachers, who guide us through the pitfalls of practice and help us to reach depths December 26 - January 1 HVZC Rohatsu Sesshin led by Sozui-sensei and ending with we never knew existed. Without dana, neither our special Sangha breakfast January 1. Zen centers nor our teachers would be available to us or to future generations. Offering support to 2020 Calendar our places of spiritual practice and to our teachers is a vital component of our practice as Zen stu- January 8-15 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; dents, because it affords us not only an opportunity deadline for applications is January 3. to express compassion and gratitude, but it also January 24-31 7-day sesshin led by Mitra-roshi; ensures the continuity of Zen itself. Where would deadline for applications is January 18. Roshi we be without a place to practice and a teacher to expects to be at HVZC January 22-February 1. guide us?

The Oak Tree in the Garden, a bimonthly publication of Hidden Valley Zen Center, is available as a free pdf download via email and also, by paid subscription, as a hard copy for $20 per year within the United States or $35 per year internationally. To download a subscription form for either pdf or hard copy, please visit www. hvzc.org