- .. . 1925 , · 2 & 3· 2014–15 7 , 14607 Address service requested Zen Bow 4 · 2014–15 Zen Bow Faith in Dharma The subscription rate is as follows : With the ’s 50th anniversary approach- Four issues ight issues ing in 2016, this retrospective issue will fea- U.S. : $20.00 $40.00 ture a selection of essays, photographs, and Foreign : $30.00 $60.00 illustrations from the past on the theme of Please send checks and your current address Faith in Dharma. to : 0c- Zen Bow Subscriptions Desk Rochester Zen Center 1 · 2015 7 Arnold Park Rochester, NY 14607 Adapting to Change While Zen practice and day-to-day condi- lease ote : If you are moving, the Postal tions are not two, they can sometimes feel like Service charges us for each piece of mail sent they are, especially when we find ourselves to your old address, whether you have left a struggling to adapt to new circumstances or forwarding address or not. If you change your to balance demanding responsibilities. This address, please let us know as soon as possi- issue will explore how Zen practitioners ble. Send your address corrections to the Zen balance practice with life events. Submit arti- Bow Subscriptions Desk at the above address cles and images to the editors, Donna Kowal or email [email protected]. and Brenda Reeb, at [email protected]. Sub- mission deadline : June 1, 2015. ¯ Zen Bow : Practice Where You Are · 2 & 3 · 2014–15 In Coming and Going We Never Leave Home by Jim Robicsek 3 Zen and the Art of Law by Christina Curry 6 Polishing the Third Jewel by Allen Broadman 8 The Long Distance Run by Eric Higbee 11 A Tiger Leaves the Mountain by Kathryn Argetsinger 14 The Power of Term Intensives by Phil Swanson,Susan Rakow, and Ken Elliott 17 Out-of-Town Members : by Grant Swanson 20 This Practice by Roberta Kurland 22 So Where Are You From? by Anonymous 24 Sit Here by Loretta Smith 26 Not So Far by Bryan Hoffman 28 From Indra’s Net ¤¥ 50th Anniversary Celebration, 2016 31 ¥¨© ª«¬ © 2015 ¥« ¬ ¤ ¥ ¬ ¥- ¯ ¬ : Donna Kowal & Brenda Reeb O ª ¯ ¬ : Tom Kowal ¥ : Amaury Cruz ¨ ¯ ª : Chris Pulleyn O John Pulleyn 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 members, or staff. Danne Eriksson In Coming and Going We Never Leave Home Once, long ago, Roshi Kapleau said, ‘When favorable or unfavorable conditions, we are one you’re centered, you’re at the Center.’ Clearly, he with the Sangha, not to mention the whole uni- wanted to encourage out-of-towners who were verse ? Can we see that by being truly centered, having difficulties maintaining a strong practice grounded, aware, and ‘in-tune,’ we’re ‘bringing away from the Center. Of course, he was also all beings to Buddhahood’ ? letting us know that the physical circumstance Most of us have come to understand that to of daily life is not as important as whether we’re remain focused and attentive the support of oth- attentive, alert, and aware. ers of like mind is needed. Yet the society sur- In some ancient text, it says, ‘When his dis- rounding us, unlike the Buddhist ‘noble broth- ciple, Ananda, told Shakyamuni Buddha that erhood’ of the past, appears to be focused on the the Sangha was the most important part of the pursuit of personal pleasure and wealth far more practice, the Buddha said : “Say not so, Ananda, than spiritual endeavor. So where do we find the say not so, the Sangha is the whole of the prac- cultural support that we need ? Dominant socio- tice.”’ cultural teachings promote the consequences of As is the case with so many sayings, there are the ego-centered states that come from pursuit shades of interpretation to this quote. Can we of a non-existent ‘I, Me, Mine,’ and marginal- appreciate that when we’re centered, in either ize spiritual authenticity. Being a staff or local 3 Sangha member allows the practitioner to get sesshin as often as I once did, I’ve upped the the support system that comes with the practice. ante. Daily sittings here can sometimes last two Learning early on that the support system hours and longer, but sometimes there’s only was so important for reasons we needn’t belabor enough time for one or two rounds. In addi- here, I’ve been extremely fortunate to find other tion, my wife and I have a fine little zendo, a like-minded individuals who, though not Zen beautiful altar with several Buddhas and a fan- practitioners, are nonetheless on a genuine path tastic Quan Yin astride a dragon. These aren’t that is supportive to them. In some cases more, substitutes for training at the Center but rather in some less, but even the less supportive cases additions and expansions. Over the last year or often reveal useful input that can further refine so, I’ve found time to listen to teisho podcasts, practice. so that I’m breaking off a tiny bit of sesshin in There was a time when I wondered whether I the middle of the work day. To whomever came should live in Rochester and/or be a staff mem- up with the idea of using the World Wide Web ber, and those incipient questions have never for spreading the Dharma, I bow in gratitude. really left. But making the decision to move to Over the years, I’ve honed my practice so that a Zen Center carries with it a host of ramifica- twice-a-year sesshins are the high points of dai- tions that I’ve never been able to wrap myself ly sittings the rest of the time. It’s quite unusual around. now that I get to town for ceremonies, but daily I was once asked to become a resident at the prostrations to end every sitting and the rare Toronto Zen Centre, after practicing for only lighting of incense before one of our Buddhas a year or so. By declining, was I kowtowing to fills in a few gaps. From time to time I’ll also do unconscious desires to be free of the constraints some kinhin, usually before retiring. imposed by the Centre ? I’ll never know. It’s often been said that the group environ- Sometime later, I was asked a number of ment gives one the opportunity to penetrate times why I didn’t move to Rochester. Again, more deeply into practice in a shorter time, and it never seemed right. Instead and quite fortu- this is very true. However, it’s also true that nately, I’ve been able to find ways to continue for those whose need is up to the task, work- practice at home as well as at the Center, and at ing alone is rife with opportunity. A friend in other places too. I feel fortunate to have karmic the Tibetan tradition sometimes sits, by himself, obstructions that give rise to a burning, desper- for three months and longer. He said, ‘It’s about ate, unquenchable need to sit wherever I am. nine hours of sitting a day, outside of making Instead of living in Rochester, I’ve gotten meals, cleaning, sleeping, and so on.’ He’s been used to long distance travel to and from both 7 doing this for years and I can’t fathom how be- Arnold Park and Chapin Mill. Driving and fly- cause it’s so beyond me. On the other hand, I’ve ing are more opportunities for zazen. heard of people who find their practice falling I’ve known people who would never go to a apart after they leave staff, so apparently the sit- particular center even though they feel an affin- uation is different for each of us. Imagine that. ity with the teacher simply because it’s too far We can always bear in mind that just because away, too difficult to access, too rustic, etc.. One there are only so many days available for con- elderly man I knew years ago said that he want- centrated training at Chapin Mill or Rochester, ed to practice with others, rather desperately in in no way is this a statement about practice in fact, but the groups he’d been to all had people the future. Predicting what will happen tomor- who were a decade or more younger than him. row, let alone next year, is dicey. Again, a quote He somehow couldn’t swallow that. from Roshi Kapleau, who trained in Japan for In consequence of not being closer to the thirteen years : ‘There’s a saying in Japan, “The Center, and as a substitute for not attending devil laughs at he who plans for tomorrow.”’ 4 Amaury Cruz Each of us, at any moment, must concern our- conditions, how can we not practice with dedi- selves foremostly with how we comport our- cation and upright behavior when we’re on the selves regardless of circumstance, always finding receiving end of the warm embrace of all the ways to discover deeper levels of understanding, Buddhas ? compassion, and commitment. If so, why not Some have said that the Zen school isn’t a practice where we are and allow an unfoldment religion in the ordinary sense of the word. Pre- that is as plain as the ground beneath our feet ? sumably, they mean things like dogma, beliefs, In fact, that’s exactly what Roshi Kapleau did. sanctity, opulent rituals, and so on. To a degree, After severe training at Hosshin-ji for three this is true.