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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ZEN STUDIES SOCIETY WINTER/SPRING 2007 WINTER/SPRING 2007 CONTENTS The Golden Wind Blows Eido T. Shimano Roshi 2 Independence Day Roko ni-Osho Sherry Chayat 6 Just Sit and Expect Nothing Myochi Nancy O’Hara 10 Shaking Soyen Shaku Daiden Chuck Young 13 Misogi-no-Kokyu-Ho: A Spiritual Treasure Yuho Carl Baldini 14 A Letter from Sister Jeannine Jinin Sr. Jeannine Boutin D.W. 17 Zen in Action Soun Joe Dowling 18 Little Jizo in Shikoku Fujin 19 New York Zendo Shobo-ji News 20 Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji News 21 New York Zendo Shobo-ji Schedule 2007 27 Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji Schedule 2007 28 Published annually by The Zen Studies Society, Inc. Eido T. Shimano Roshi, Abbot. New York Zendo.Shobo-ji 223 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021-6087 (212) 861-3333 Fax 628-6968 [email protected] Dai Bosatsu Zendo. Kongo-ji 223 Beecher Lake Road Livingston Manor, NY 12758-6000 (845) 439-4566 Fax 439-3119 [email protected] Editor: Seigan Ed Glassing; News: Aiho-san Yasuko Shimano, Seigan, Fujin, Graphic Design: Genno Linda King; Editorial Assistant and Proofreading: Jokei Kyodo, Myochi Nancy O'Hara; Calligraphy by Gempo Roshi cover, Eido Roshi pg 5. Photo credits: Facing page and pg 9 Daishin Pawel Wojtasik, pg 2, 25 Jinen Nancy Woodard, pg 6 Myorin Catherine Landis, pg. 14, 15 courtesy of Kotaro Hiruta Sensei, pg.17, 18 Genkai Stefan Tessler, pg 22 Shinkon Peter Glynn all others Seigan Ed Glassing. We ask that no part of this newsletter be reproduced without permission of the publisher. ©2007 The Zen Studies Society, Inc. 1 The Golden Wind Blows . by Eido Shimano Roshi From around the middle of September So far the answer is, things happen, including witnessing some to the middle of October, the color of “Not yet . not yet.” troubled students come and go. We find the leaves around Beecher Lake and Dai it easy to blame them or dismiss them; Bosatsu Mountain change from green to When will I be able to say ‘the Golden “He’s crazy.” “She’s a piece of work.” yellow and red. This has been true for Wind blows’ in my heart, at any time But this is just a mere expression of our countless decades. The wind becomes throughout the year, without experi- own frustration, and we don’t realize chilly and crisp, and this particular wind encing any of the things I mentioned that by saying such things the situation is called the Golden Wind. above? If there is any objective in life, often becomes even worse. this one is mine. A monk asked Master Ummon, We don’t have the guts to accept that “What will happen when the trees The other day, I received in an e-mail a the problem isn’t with them, but it’s wither and leaves fall?” short article about a therapist in Hawaii within ourselves. And to truly help oth- who had the ability to heal mentally ill ers, there is only one way – that is, to Ummon replied, prison inmates without even seeing improve ourselves. “The Golden Wind blows.” them. At first, I was half-believing, half- doubting. But as I continued reading the More and more, I think and feel that In the past, I have spoken on this koan article, I couldn’t help but agree with this we all live in three concurrent worlds: many times, but today I am examining it doctor’s methods. the smallest one is our own separate, from a slightly different perspective. It individual world – the intimate things The article talked about “total responsi- that we ourselves are the only ones to goes without saying that the monk was bility.” In general, it means that we are know; such as our childhood, school not asking about trees and leaves in the ultimately responsible for what we experiences, memories, friendships, and literal sense. Naturally, he was talking think, speak, and do; and beyond that, so on. For each of us, this is our own about our state of mind. When we are things are out of our control. We are personal world, which nobody else young, just like the trees in the moun- responsible for what we do, but not knows as precisely as we ourselves do. tains, we have many green leaves, such as what anyone else does. Thus, we live in The second world is the world which ambition, anxiety, desire, uncertainty, as our own separated individual worlds, encompasses our society; the common well as hopes and dreams. and within these small worlds, we cry cultural interests we share, and the basic with sadness and loss, and we smile with feelings that we all experience together. When we experience a certain amount of happiness and gain. The third world is the entire universe as human life, and have confronted one immense realm. difficulties and disappointments one after But having practiced zazen for almost another, these leaves fall one by one, like my entire life, and having experienced Within the first world, it is very easy the trees in the mountains. But when many difficult things such as bitterness, to take personal responsibility, as its we become almost leafless, amazingly accusations and unbelievable surprises, contents are solely of our own con- enough, we discover that we still have particularly as a foreigner coming to the struct. We built these worlds from our many hidden leaves: such things as attach- U.S., my personal definition of total own unique thoughts, feelings and ment, fear of death, regret, and others. responsibility has changed from what I experiences. There are also layers of used to think. To me, total responsibility karmic conditions accumulated over When I read this koan, particularly in means that everything – literally every many lifetimes, even though we do not the autumn, every year I am compelled single phenomenon inside and outside of have a conscious memory of them. to introspect and ask myself: Can I my being – is wholly a projection of myself. These are still the result of our own honestly say ‘the Golden Wind blows’ deeds, whether we acknowledge it or not. in my heart? It is entirely my responsibility when Within the third world, it is also relatively 2 WINTER / SPRING 2007 3 ‘easy’ to take total responsibility, We often speak of compassion and heart was hurt, Gempo Roshi felt it because, as Zen practitioners, we wisdom. But concretely, what are very deeply in his own heart, too. are able to cultivate a state of mind they? Getting back to this Hawaiian through deep zazen in which any gaps therapist, he was asked how did he This story about Gempo Roshi, and or boundaries between ourselves and heal his mentally ill patients without the story about the Hawaiian therapist, the vast universe often disappear. ever seeing them face-to-face? He are the same as Master Ummon’s replied, “I just keep saying, ‘I’m sorry’ Golden Wind: it is always blowing in The second world is the most difficult and ‘I love you’ over and over.” their hearts, as they always live in the to accept and acknowledge our per- world where there are no boundaries sonal responsibility for. For example, Some of you may agree immediately between ‘self’ and ‘others.’ the current president of the United that this is it. And some of you may States . is he also a projection of laugh at me. If you agree, the Golden They have the guts to say “I am sorry,” ourselves? In the Book of Rinzai, there Wind is already blowing in your heart. and in this way, are expressing deep is a saying: “Whether you are facing If not, your leaves are still attached to love for each one of us. internally or externally, whatever you your tree. meet, kill it. If you meet a buddha, kill To accept this love and say, “I’m sorry. the buddha. If you meet a patriarch, kill Years ago, while I was attendant I love you. Thank you,” is far more the patriarch.” monk to Gempo Roshi, I went up to difficult than attending Rohatsu his quarters one day and witnessed a sesshin. But we have to do this, other- Now in reality, as long as you live with- strange sight. He was kneeling on the wise the world cannot be changed. in the second world, do you think you floor, bowing deeply, and saying softly, can expect to meet a buddha or a over and over, “I am so sorry . I must mention one caution: in the Zen patriarch on Broadway? No. But with- please forgive me . .” tradition, we often hear such expres- out fail, from dawn to dusk, you are sions as ‘suchness’ and ‘accept things as they are.’ While these statements always meeting yourself. What Master When I asked him what was the mat- are true, they may be a bit misleading. Rinzai is saying, is to kill yourself; in ter, he told me that while entertaining There is an unspoken, underlying truth other words, to change yourself. a guest, he accidentally said something that things are changing moment by Everyone you see, whether they are a insensitive, and hurt his visitor’s feel- moment. Accepting suchness does not buddha, a patriarch, the President or ings. So he was apologizing to his mean that no effort is necessary on whomever, these figures are none guest by kneeling, facing in the direc- your part. A spinning top appears to other than mirrors, reflecting your tion of his house, and expressing his be stationary, despite its being in own self-image.