8 pRIMARypOINT OCTOBER 1987 An account of the "Engaging American Buddhism" ,"MAY OUR BODIES BECOME A retreat and experiment for artists with Thich Nhat ,'. Hanh at the Foundation 1-12 Ojai May moon-so tnoughts arc very simple: heaven ers of the culture." Time after rime as peo­ is to walk on the earth, horne, just taking ple got up and went to the eenter and either (The follo .....ing account is drawn from a retreat journal kept bJ' Ellen Sidor. one of simple steps, happiness." (Thay) spoke or sang or whatever. I felt chills of more than 60 artists participating ill all unusual and historic ltl-day retreat last May Sitting under the medicine tree, 50 quiet resonance and often eame to tears. at the Ojai Foundation, high up ill the foothills above Santa Barbara ill southern folks. Ike hum. Waiting, not waiting, There are a lot of good hearts here. California.. Special thanks go, to Thay (Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Xhut Hanh) readiness, not even readiness. Just being friendships already underway, a sense of in­ and his senior assistant Sister Phuong, the Ojai Foundation staff and founder Joan there. No thought of enlightenment or credible leisure to explore whatever is Halifax (a long-time student of Zen Master Seung Sahn), and Marlow Hotchkiss teaching, no teacher, no student. Thay emerginl People's personalities are begin­ and Cynthia Jurs, coordinators of the retreat. The basic concept for the retreat comes slowly. Goes down to the Dharma ning to emerge. especially through the . flo .....edforth from Thay's idea of artists as 'lineage holden' 'for the culture and that yurt to get a cushion. Prep. is xiow=-cvcry­ works that were shared last night. The won­ Buddhism can most fully take root ill A merican culture with the active participation thing moves slowly here. but no one seems derful silliness of play without alcohol or of artists who are practicing. The three basic elements to be joined were a firm 11fI­ uptight about it. Sense of having "enough" party food or even music-c-how amazing! derstanding of the Dharma, meditation practice, and artists in their art process. time is delightful. It feels very old, very The Deena and Rose is used with A man in under a song/poem bJ' Metzger Betsy permission, Many ordinary. robes sitting Tea ceremony. Monday .... Marlow taking of the quotes used ill the journal cannot be attributed; thou that can are so noted. tree. Simple, everyday. Serene. From the offering to the Buddha-walking Participants lived in tents and a fell' guest yurts scattered about the Ojai property. Thay'x Dharma talk: slowly, mindfully, shyly, a lot like Jesse did The daily schedule included {III early morning meditation, breakfast, samu (work per­ old the last two See- Sitting like this is an opport unuy to be ha,» (his JO-year son) days. iod in which people could choose the area they wanted to work in), a 45-minute I I' cannot be now, the» ;_--. py. you happy .....alking meditation, Dharma talk by TJIl/Y, then lunch. After lunch there lI'as free whe;l? Happiness is made from awareness.' SII.ENCE time for studio .....ork or gatherings, a tea ceremony (for the first three days) in which "Solitude-dwelling in the present much group sharing I\�/J done, allother sitting period, then supper. 111 the evening moment and not worrying about us being the time WlB' spent in a big gathering. either sharing a common project like gatha attached to past or Future. Solitude is the writing or watching live or slide presentations of each other's art, and a closing base for contact with others, Solitude Silence sitting, means getting in touch with yourself. Many Pours into me As the retreat got underway it rapidly became apparent that there were I1Uj'IY of us are afraid of being alone-so often we Like a cataract of wine agendas being .....orked on, probably too many. To llst'just a fell': working Oil Thay's do not have the courage to turn off a.boring Reddening the sea agenda of creating forms for American Buddhism, slowing down and being on TV program. And I'm drowning retreat (ill the case of some artists, their first experience), exploring feminist forms "The awareness of-suffering is a very irn­ In a drunken melody within Buddhism, the II-step program and iIJ relationship to Buddhism, networking portant part of growing up as a human be­ Whkh is still .....ith other artists, Oil one's 011'11 and last but 1I0t least, trying to working projectts), ing. But some kinds of suffering are use­ Whkh is still stay with the schedule. For most of the first week, Thay insisted that ..... e keep silence less-we make them up. First recognize at meals. which created all interesting tension as ideas. network ing and mirth bub­ them, by breathing. Life is both dreadful And if I do not speak. I will die bled increasingly forth. An everpresent sound lI'as the mindfulness bell, rung and wonderful. Suffering is not And if I speak. this silence throughout the day sometimes as often as el''ery !5 minutes, to remind us to stop enough-you will wither like a flower with­ Which has become my breath what we were doing, breathe and smile. out 'water. You must' also emphasize and Will disappear On the final day, we offered a public performance to share the experiment with open yourself to the wonderful. .. The two " several hundred invited guests and dignitaries. following days, for those On "heroic sitting"-'.'In many .Zen Silence' who could stay .....ere for rest and evaluation of the retreat. Unfortunately there is Centers we do violence to ourselves. When Breaks over me not space in this (0 give more than a brief taste of the retreat. A, enough publication we force like it will bounce .'. something that. Like an avalanche of snow fuller. richer account of it, including contributions from the many notable artists back. Our body has a habit of recuperat­ Burying the trees present and their follow-up discussions, will be published hopefully sometime next ing. We need to learn the non-violent way And I'm dreaming To add name to a list to receive write to: year. your information. please l.ightworks, of sitting." Of a frozen melody Route 7, Box 123C, Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Whichiswhite In the spirit of continuing the experiment begun at Ojai, the Prol'id;nce Zen Cen­ Sunday presentations: "Our art is evening Which is white ter in Cumber/and, RI, is planning a IO-day artists retreat ill early July 1988. with a our practice" our art is how we transform ..... relaxed schedule and non-hierarchal structures. Please rite to the Director, Provi­ our suffering." (Joan Halifax) ..... The And if I do not I will die speak. ' dence Zen Center, 528 Pound Road, Cumberland, RI 02864 if you .....ish to receive meeting of the Buddha and the God­ And if I speak. this silence information about this retreat. 'dess-theme? Koan? Try to imagine what " , ' Which has become breath I \_ •• _ 'my ! .�. that meeting ,would be like. (Anna Will disappear , ..... The Three the :.,.";-- Douglas) Fates. updated: Five dozen artists., mountains, sun, chil­ energy field and yet dra\\n to it. S_uch a fun­ creator. the pres,erver, the transformer. dren, YUTts: ;;iorful foo,1:'t�vo;'0Id dqgs" 'ny idea: really, �etling a bunch of artists to­ "Fhis �in� of silence; it<is so�swoot wheelbarrows. and stones everywhere.' 'gether to meditate and turning'them loose Third da}. Fasting still, feels good, light, I fear that it has nl) end "The valley of the moon" -stark mountain' on this land! It t'eels good! Usually if's "not 'tight. full'of electrons. At samu this a.m., range. boulder-strewn. Hummingbirds. touching"-he;e it's "touch. please." four o'f us are qigging a terrace below the And if I do not speak. I will die sage growing everywhere. Joan (Halifax) Shape, flO\\·. listen to the land. pO"Yer spot. Hot ,work_:_full sun. great And if I speak. this silence said last night that there i's,�met;hing. irre­ A group of us "are- working on a power view" cutting into old sod to 'create a path Whkh has become my breath pressible. something t1�fl-t"<\,mable here,' spot that has been neglected-has a Celtic for walking and meditation. It.took a while Will disappear something .... wild? Last nig.pt lik'e a burst of .maze and fantastic loo\out. J"he idea is to for the four of us to get into a team effort, cheering from an at'hletic fi-eld, coyotes)n make it welcomjng, nurturing, inviting. but once we did, a rhythm established itself. full melodic cry. voices �trangely like Lots of energy In that spot. I walked it, yes· Much water needed! The little park seems fc) 1987 Deena Metzger I and was entranced the children. to invite our terday by energy. , Rose , Betsy . under the tree meditation' instruction: breathe . possiblliti�s.' Sitting teach,iog today- ' 'Walking ;:r· .. nI ". f, "f hungry, sleepy. listeninl? Jalk about like a thread through sheets of papeL Eaeh tSl.;T.?ay Tea Ceremony'. Saturd:,:ty afternoon .. , "Tan­ mindfulness in such simpIe'terms: how to step a page, the breath holding, them ing the child in the adult, the adult in the tea J.·,litter their eat a and not gerine peels, empty cups. really tanger_ine! BeiMt �er� " together.