WATERFALL

2004 spring newsletter

Zen is considered the most direct path within the schools of Buddhism. Most types of meditation in Buddhism are known as ‘meditation with an object’. This is meditating on an image, a phrase, a feeling, etc. Zazen is known as ‘meditation without an object’. It is reality contemplating reality. We don’t try to do anything but dwell in the reality of the moment. Here we must be careful. We find ourselves watching the moment from the outside. We must cultivate the practise of relaxing, being at home with, being at one with, this moment. Little by little we find ourselves doing this. It requires not being swept up in our thoughts. Following the breath or thinking ‘now I am breathing in’ as we breath in and thinking ‘now I am breathing out’ as we breath out can help with this. It is a matter of our scattered mental activity becoming naturally focused on the activity of the moment, which is our breath cycle.

As we become a little more at ease with, at home with, at one with, this moment we find we then must do it with both the inside and outside. We practise being more at home with the place we find ourselves in, the external and we practise being more at home with ourselves, the internal. Practising with the external senses is not so difficult. It requires us not to cut off from our external senses and yet not to react to them. It is the same principle for the internal but it usually seems more difficult. We practise not ignoring or repressing thoughts, emotions or body sensations. The tricky part is not reacting to them. We have such old habits of thinking about our thoughts, making a story about our emotions, blindly responding to body sensations. Yet, with time and practise, we do settle further into being at home with ourselves. In being at ease, at one, with ourselves we simply let be the natural thoughts and emotions that arise. While thinking we don’t attach to our thoughts. We simply feel any emotion that arises without making stories about it.

In this way we slowly cleanse all the old hidden blind impulses. As we become clearer the world seems brighter. We are not just aware of things but alive with them. We gain more vitality in simply being ourselves.

In our practise with daily chores, at work, with friends and family, we do the same practise. It can help bring us home to carefully and deliberately engage in a simple act. When we get up in the morning and get a coffee or tea notice and connect to what we are doing, feel the warmth of the cup, the taste of the drink. It’s not to make a special practise but to catch life as we engage in it. The same can be done with a glass of water at work. These simple practises can help center ourselves, come home to ourselves, when we’re in situations that distract us and bend us out of shape.

Zen holds that we already have Buddha Nature or our true self. This isn’t something we have to get. It means to deeply trust ourselves beyond our doubts, avoidances and neuroses. It is in letting go of what’s not genuine that the genuine core of our being can become manifest. We can also say it is to truly find ourselves. This self isn’t an object. It’s the manifestation of ourselves in the full engagement of this moment.

Buddha Nature is the wonderful and genuine qualities of our humanity. To grief at the loss of someone, to do the daily chores freshly and naturally as if for the first time, to be willing to greet each moment and engage with all it is, to be happy with a happy person, to be sad with a sad person. All else, the doubts and neuroses of our small self, has gone.

Eshin

Centre News

Buddha’s Birthday ceremony and potluck lunch

Sunday May 2 at 11 am .

Everyone is warmly invited to the Zen Centre's main gathering of the year.

In the Buddha’s Birthday ceremony we chant and pour tea over the baby Buddha. This is followed by a potluck lunch where we can appreciate the delicious food and enjoy mixing with our sangha friends. Children and partners are most welcome.

Sesshin dates for 2004 – May 8 th to 15 th, August 14 th to 21 st, and November 13 th to 20 th. Places are filling, the May sesshin is already half full, so don’t wait too long to let the centre know if you wish to attend.

The Prince George Zen group is extending their zazen-kai schedule to two a year. Besides the usual November zazen-kai, this year will see one on April 17th and 18th.

In January the annual administration meeting was held. Reports showed the centre’s practise was strong with increased attendance in the zendo, sesshins and some of the zazen-kais. Financially, the centre’s income exceeded our expenses and the excess was used in paying down the mortgage. Directors for this year are Brad, Eshin, Gareth and Ian.

Sunday December 28th was the annual end of year grand cleaning of the centre. Thanks to Branko, Brent, Bryson, Eshin, Jerry, Myorei, Peggy, and Shade for their hard work

Saturday January 3rd was the New Year potluck lunch. The New Year potluck seems a good time and setting to re-affirm our practise together. A good crowd enjoyed the delectable and varied food. Bryson, a person of many musical talents and abilities, kindly entertained us with his accordion playing a varied and excellent repertoire of tunes. A special welcome was extended to Carolyn and Leo, Fred and Louise’s children.

In December of last year the centre heard of 80 acres of land near Salmon Arm being offered to a Buddhist group. Eshin, Myorei and Ian took a trip to investigate. The land was spectacular but an earlier investigation for a retreat centre done by the directors showed the best and most workable option was to eventually move to a larger place in the city.

The Zen Centre has some boxes of Eiju incense available for $15. Eiju is an excellent sandalwood incense for home use.

Sangha News

Branko will be visiting Bosnia in April to see his family. He’ll be gone a couple of weeks. We’ll miss his frequent, strong presence in the zendo. Best wishes for a good visit, Branko!

Peggy discovered she had thyroid cancer a few weeks ago. A successful operation was performed on March 16 th and the prognosis is good. She’s talking of rejoining the zendo by the end of the month.

Gareth unfortunately broke his ankle in late February and missed the sesshin. A ligament was torn as well as a bone broken. It’s going to take a while to mend and for us to see him in the zendo again. He’s missing the sangha in the meantime.

This comes after his brother passing away on January 29 th after cancer. Gareth had been making frequent trips to Seattle to see and support his brother and family since before the holiday season.

Congratulations to Eshu and Niki for their second child. Maggie Jean was born in Victoria at 5:02am on Sunday January 18th. She weighed 8lbs 5 oz, and is doing just great

Karsten was born to Martina and Uwe. He's healthy, weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces at birth. News is that he’s been rapidly growing since birth.

Stuarts father died naturally of old age on Jan 3 rd. He was 93 years old and was very clear and peaceful up to his passing.

Janice was in Vancouver over the holiday season. She stayed at the Centre for a couple of days allowing folks to make contact and find out her news.

Jason phoned from Toronto to say ‘Hi’ to the centre. He was travelled to Vancouver several times at the start of the new year and was looking forward to visiting the Centre and meeting old friends.

Eshin, Myorei and Louise went to the Rinzai-ji sesshin in December. Fred went to the Mt Baldy sesshin this February. John Dumbrille went to the Rinzai-ji sesshin in January. Eshin went again in March and April which included Rinzai-ji meetings. A few people are checking into going to Mt Baldy for part of summer seichu. As of today Mt Baldy’s web site still has winter seichu details but upcoming sesshins with Roshi can be found in the Roshi’s Schedule section.

Contributions

The Centre asks for a contribution from its friends. This is a way to support the Zen Centre itself and to repay benefits from the Centre’s practise. A contribution of $20 per month is expected and many contribute $35 or $50 per month.

A great thank you for all the donations so far this year from Adrian, Alicia, Brad, Branko, Brent, Brett, Bryson, Chris M, Chris R, Dennis, Dorothy, Fred, Gareth, Gordon, Ian, Ivan, Janice, Jason and Laura, Jerry, Jey, Judith, Keith, Kenny, Marlene, Martina, Michelle, Mike, Myorei, Pat, Paul, Peggy, Peter, Pouyan, Rebecca, Shade, Shaun, Steve M, Stuart, Tracey, Yves and the many anonymous donors. Thank you !!