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Fourth Annual Great Sky Sesshin milwaukee zen center newsletter volume 25, no.3 May 2008 Inanimate Beings green star-bursts. And (Tiantong Rujing), who and-present being naturally Preach the Dharma behind each star-burst, also loved plum blossoms there is the plum blossom; How incredible! tiny perfectly formed and saw deeply into their the plum blossom is called How incredible! crimson maple leaves nature. For him, plum the past-and-present.” Inanimate things proclaiming appear. Yes, deep crimson, blossoms spoke Dharma. (4) The ceaseless the Dharma is inconceivable. for this red maple tree It is patently clear. (1) becoming, the never-still It can’t be known if the ears shows its glorious color Stop searching back and and ungraspable nature try to hear it, in both spring and fall. forth for something behind of past-and-present But when the eyes hear it, To watch this intricate the semblance of the plum continues forever. then it may be known. reciprocal dance of causes blossom. (2) Crimson maple leaves – Dongshan Liangjie (Jap. and conditions is to In the becoming of rain form, flowers emerge, Tôzan Ryôkai) (807-69), a observe the mutuality and the becoming of clouds spring arrives. founder of the Caodong (Jap. of the life of all things, the past-and-present are As we observe the Sôtô) sect of Zen the great truth of interde- naturally there. (3) burgeoning arrivals of pendence. Deep in the The past-and-present spring, we can begin How intricate it is, this mountains of Echizen, being empty, what end-point to share Dongshan’s thing we call spring! Each Dôgen also responded could there be? (4) realization that the tulip implicates all tulips, to the change of seasons preaching of Dharma the forsythia, the cold as he wrote one of (1) No need to seek goes far beyond words, wind, the racing clouds Shôbôgenzô’s best-loved hidden meanings, lectures and sutras. We and bursts of sunshine. essays: Baike (Plum mysterious messages sentient beings mistakenly Each breath of wind Blossoms). or interpretations. think that we have superi- includes – or perhaps The plum trees of (2) Why do we always or knowledge of Dharma we might better say “is” Japan offer the first sign wish things to be more because we can conceptu- – the flowers, the bud- of spring, producing or other than they are? alize it and talk about it, ding trees, the small green sweet small flowers in To represent something forgetting that all things, shoots of chives. Each is the midst of the last icy else, when we have not insentient as well as sen- all, all is each, and each blasts of winter, much yet met the Dharma they tient, demonstrate and all are spring. as our crocuses push are preaching? Dharma. Here is the As I recover from my up through their snowy (3) Each instant of life exchange that preceded second knee replacement blanket. As such, they is the timeless “now.” Dongshan’s realization: surgery the enforced become ready symbols Elsewhere in Baike, Dongshan asked: idleness has allowed me of renewal, hope and Dôgen says: When the old “Who can hear inanimate to focus on small things the simple reality of the plum tree suddenly flowers, things expound Dharma? ordinarily overlooked, coming together of the ‘the opening of the flowers is Yunyan said: What is such as the slow expan- causes and conditions the occurrence of the world.’ inanimate can hear it. sion of the buds on the we call “spring.” In Baike, A moment in which flowers Dongshan said: Can tree outside my bedroom Dôgen quotes often the opening is the occurrence of the master hear it or not? window. They have gone poetry of his beloved the world, is spring having Yunyan said: If I could from small bumps to master Tendo Nyôjô arrived.” And: “The past- hear it, then you could clusters of fluffy yellow- continued on page 2 Zen Center Still Life continued from page 1 chant Dharma?” not hear me Upon hearing this, This week it’s seven expound Dharma. Black-eyed Susans Dongshan experienced placed in greeting Dongshan said: Why a great insight. He then as we step from the entry couldn’t I hear you? wrote a verse; into the dim, underwater rooms. Yunyan held up his whisk and said: Can you How incredible! In the gloom the gold still hear me or not? of their yellow-fringed faces How incredible! gathers the light; Dongshan said: I can’t Inanimate things proclaiming they stand on crane-leg stems hear you. Dharma is inconceivable. anchored to a slab of garden slate Yunyan said: When It can’t be known if the ears the scissored grey of heron feathers; I expound Dharma try to hear it, a twist of green leaf-wings you can’t hear me? So left upon them, sparingly applied. But when the eyes hear it, how could you hear it then it may be known. A little rune-cheeked stone when inanimate things balances on left of slab proclaim it? Let us hear the as on a cliff’s edge, but does not Dongshan said: What Dharma of spring with distract from the cynosure scripture teaches about of this arrangement: our eyes. one carnelian berry, inanimate things -Tonen O’Connor drooping meekly on its green neck– expounding Dharma? Acknowledgments: a lily of the valley’s offering. Yunyan said: Haven’t Dongshan material – you seen that in the Zen’s Chinese Heritage, by Andy Ferguson The eye is drawn Amitabha Sutra it says, to the tiny globe, Quotes from Baike – Vol. 3 of “The lakes and rivers, the its color anomalous Shôbôgenzô, trans. by Nishijima against the mutant shadows birds, the forests; they all and Cross of the somber zendo. chant Buddha, they all It’s the color of fruit’s and flesh’s inner firings, the permu- tations of our most sensitive scarlets, oranges, plums, and reds: Milwaukee Zen Center – Schedule of skin, of mouth, of blood and of earth’s interior magmas. June 2008 And its perfect roundness, 4 Introduction to Zen 6:30 p.m. the favored shape that every planet mimics, is centered here among its companions July 2008 like the earth, a swirling pendant, 2 Introduction to Zen 6:30 p.m. white cloud-inscribed, 4 & 5 CLOSED for Fourth of July blue and green, that swings on the throat of dark, questionable space. August 2008 6 Introduction to Zen 6:30 p.m. This art is made 6-8 Pre-sesshin training period of materials gathered from the yard; Hokyoji in Minnesota living things, soon to wilt like us 9-16 Great Sky Sesshin, Hokyoji are stilled awhile, placed in relation, to startle us with color, shape and texture, To see the entire 2008 Schedule and more with at their core the berry, information on Two-day sitting, visit our web this very hanging heart site at www.milwaukeezencenter.org of ours, that strikes us so. -Mary Lux Happenings Our spring work day Tonen has had a busy was May 10 (see photo) time over the past few and thanks to the weeks: energetic efforts of Tojun, March 7-9- attended a Tomon, Chuck Eigen, meeting of the Association Mary Bernau-Eigen, of Soto Zen Buddhists Larraine McNamara- (dendokyoshi and kokusai McGraw, Pete Tofte, fukyoshi) in Los Angeles. Fereshteh Sadr and Tori Brundage our garden beds March 25- a pastoral were weeded, spaded and visit to Rogers Memorial prepared for planting. Hospital in Oconomowoc. Brad Warner, author Spring work day March 29- served as a of Hardcore Zen and Sit panelist for the Buddhist Down and Shut Up!, visited Conversations series, the MZC to act as guest hosted this time at the teacher for our two-day Mindfulness Community sitting on May 17 & 18. of Milwaukee, on the It was great to have him topic of enlightenment. with us again and we look forward to his participa- March 31 - gave a tion in the Great Sky keynote talk at the annual Sesshin in August. Volunteer Appreciation Evening at New Lisbon From Green Bay Correctional Institution. Correctional Institution She was grateful to to Yuanfu Temple, China. Chaplain Mark Teslik, A wall hanging depict- who provided transporta- ing the Three Treasures Yuanfu Temple, China tion from Milwaukee that was crocheted by to New Lisbon in the Doug Stream, editor of the driving rain. Sôsaku prison newsletter travelled to China along Fourth Annual April 1 & 8 – made with $850 in donations Great Sky Sesshin presentations on Buddhism to assist in the revival of August 9-16, 2008 and meditation to a large the site of the Second Hokyoji Zen Community in beautiful southern Minnesota group at the Unitarian Ancestor’s temple. ( See Teachers: Universalist Church West. photo of Andy Ferguson Susan Myoyu Andersen, Dokai Georgesen, Tonen O’Connor, presenting the art work Zuiko Redding, Brad Warner, Rosan Yoshida Buddha’s Birthday was to Abbot Guole.) celebrated on April 5, Co-sponsored by Cedar Rapids Zen Center with flowers, chanting, and Milwaukee Zen Center bathing the Baby Buddha, and a reading from For full information and registrations forms, visit the Ashvagosha’s account MZC web site: www.milwaukeezencenter.org of the life of the Buddha. or contact the Zen Center via phone or email. milwaukee zen center NON PROFIT 2825 N. Stowell Ave. Milwaukee WI 53211-3775 ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED P A I D MILWAUKEE, WI PERMIT NO. 2686 Wed., Thurs., Fri. Saturday Membership Information / Order Form 6:15 am Zazen 6:15 am Zazen (Zen sitting) 6:55 am Kinhin Name 6:55 am Kinhin 7:05 am Zazen (Zen walking) 7:45 am Service Address 7:05 am Zazen 8:00 breakfast, oryoki 7:45 am Service 8:25 work period City/State/Zip+4 8:00 end of practice 9:15 break, coffee & tea Phone 9:30 study class* I am interested in a membership 6:30 pm Zazen 10:30 end of practice (tax deductible): 7:10 pm Kinhin *except on all-day sitting days J General -$25/month 7:20 pm Zazen J Supporting – $30 or more/month J Out-of-town – $10/month J Participating - any amount you can afford $ Introduction to Zen An informal presentation on Buddhism and Zen, J I would like to make a one-time contribution $ followed by instruction in zen sitting, tea and discussion.
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