'Don’t be attached’ is something we hear early and often in our Zen practice. We come to see this doesn’t mean being unattached, not being involved, but means not to hold on when things change. Change is constantly happening.

Later we come to see that we ourselves change. Our emotions change, the body changes, our thoughts change. There is an observer of this and it’s easily assumed that the observer doesn’t change. It’s as if the observer is the core element of ourselves. The Buddhist term ‘impermanence’ indicates there is no enduring, permanent entity in anything. This is a little deeper than ‘everything changes’. Buddhism points out that there is no permanent entity in ourselves. However, many people simply want to change the way they are and develop that way. This view is based on some permanent, although changing, sense of themselves.

We enter Mahayana practice when we come to see we have no meaning outside of the relationships we are in. Our nature is fundamentally relational. Our selves are formed, disappear and appear according to the relationships we are in.

However there is something in the way we are bought up that takes ourselves as a self-contained ‘system’ even though it is contact with our surroundings.

The new biology of the last few years is discovering a self that is based on a dynamic inter-connectedness and the quantum based view developed initially in physics.
Roshi has often said Buddhism has not differed with science. Or perhaps it was that science has not disproved Buddhism. Much of this new biology describes in detail the mechanisms that show the self is an intimately inter-related dynamic system together with its surroundings, and cannot have a separate existence. Even cells, loaded with sensors, are the same way.

On one hand we need to know our surroundings. This starts in the practice of moment to moment awareness and mindfulness. It’s something we get better with in time. At first we notice just a little. In fact, we notice how often we forget to be mindful. In time we are more constantly aware. It helps to have an attitude of interest in what is happening.
At first we are simply aware of something, and this at first appears as if outside. We must practice eliminating the distance between the observer and the object. At first we listen to sounds. In time we find we say sounds are being heard as the observer and observed melt into each other. It is the same with seeing, smelling, tasting and touching.
Over time we feel more at home with where we are no matter where we are. There is an arising sense that we are intimately part of our environment, not separate from it. Here we see that a view of having a separate existence is simply an idea or opinion and is just that. It is not the reality we experience beyond our views and ideas.

On the other hand we pick up the practice of manifesting ourselves. This is the practice of the bodhisattva. It is manifesting in accordance with the situation. We utilize our intelligence and insight to gain wisdom on how to grow. As we begin to see that all is ourselves, that we are one inter-connected whole, we see that harming others is the same as harming ourselves. Our growth and evolution is not driven by social, economic, psychological, etc theories on how to be. Our growth and evolution is driven by learning and adapting to lifes experiences. It is life that moulds and developes us. Zen practice gives a direction to our evolution, rather than to let it randomly occur.
What holds us back is old habits and conditioning, what old Zen Masters called ‘dusts of the past’. With mindfulness and a good spirited bodhisattva practice the habits and conditioning become apparent. Our practice of interacting with others quickly makes them apparent.

Zen points out that to change in the sense of bringing forth a new way of being requires the old way of being to go, dissolve, drop away. Our whole self and its way of being must go for a new way to appear. Early in Zen development in China there was a period of discussion of ‘gradual practice’ and ‘sudden enlightenment’. It was finally accepted that within gradual practice sudden enlightenment states appear. Sudden enlightenment is simply that the self and surrounds have become one. The old
separate self has gone. Then that oneness breaks open and a self appears – self consciousness arises – along with other selves and things.
We evolve as a human in quantum steps as well as the gradual changing that occurs. Zen practice demands we see this and apply it vigorously.

This brings us to the fact that we are humans and Zen practice is a way to bring out our potentiality as a human. It’s as if we have the seed of humanness in us and it seeks to develop and grow towards the fullness of a human. Zen practice is simply a way of living life to develop and evolve our potentiality as a human being.

This article was inspired by what I have been hearing about new biology. What is also interesting is that some biologists see society and politics as biological ‘systems’. It’s thought that seeing them this way may lead to a more functional and beneficial way of working with these areas. Let’s hope so, as the present separation based view of society and politics, giving rise to clashing and conflicting inter-actions, is not a helpful way and gives little hope of improvement.

Contributions – many people have written poems, here’s a selection:

David Ashton Through the window, winter A falling snowflake Shakes the house From the wood Of the table top My face looks out Countless cries One voice Can’t ignore Seagull Comical walking Soaring majestic Waterfall Between serenities Bedlam Steve Weiner I can not even carry My silence Out the door Evening falls In a pond Bored with sickness A million-headed beast Is mind Is mine One more day One less day A light goes on                   No saints No sinners What a relief		Peter Smith Pure trust -- the weight of awareness held in my mudra. Answer to a koan, my experience here --still searching. Thoughts of fiction; look around, live here! Same old breaths; less here to hold my concentration. Ordination for a nun, with each stern sila her smile broadens. My dharma, a stone, each day rolling it uphill. All around nothing to grasp, just this. Don't cling, let the breath go… here is another. Lost my place, don't know whether to breathe in or out. Clank, clank, clank-- Shoji left the tea ball in the pot again. It took many years to get it into this room, this breathing statue. My mind fiercely resists this axe of oblivion.
Jon Contorines Mind Net Moment after moment I cast the mind net on the river of my life and still, so many fish escape! The Awakening           I. meditating in the pre-dawn night are my eyes open or closed?          II. in the flickering firelight the Buddha altar appears and disappears         III. the first light already here when i see it		To Catch a Falling Star Every night When I look up at the heavens at the billions of stars I recognize your soft and gentle light. Season after season I watch you journey across the sky. When storm clouds cast an impenetrable shadow, I feel you in spite of my blindness. When your light dims and finally darkens Of all the billions of worlds You will fall on my world So I can catch you.

Centre News

Joshu Roshi's 44th anniversay of arriving in the west was celebrated at Rinzai-ji on July 21st. Eshin, Glenda and Judith were local students present for the toast, monks breakfast, a long dharma talk and a courtyard lunch.

Eshin has been in Los Angeles most of June helping the head temple, Rinzai-ji, on behalf of Gentei, the vice-abbot. It was a busy time with a lot of work yet also time for developing stronger ties with the board of directors and other Rinzai-ji people. Deeper ties are also formed with other Rinzai-ji temples and the people that lead them at the Osho meetings that Eshin attends.

Eshin joined the Puget Sound Zen Center as guest teacher at their May spring retreat on Vashon Island. Koshin, the Rinzai-ji Osho that leads the group, and Eshin worked smoothly and effectively together. Koshin has been invited as a guest teacher at a Zen Centre of Vancouver retreat but it may be a while as he presently has many commitments with family, sangha and work.

Vancouver’s remaining 2006 sesshin dates are August 12th -19th, and October 28th – November 4th. The 2007 sesshin dates will be worked out in late summer.
Some sesshins have been filling up. In February we had seventeen participants and had to turn away another three people because of lack of space. Priority is given to full timers and a payment secures a place.
The May sesshin was nearly full with thirteen people with ideal pleasant, cool weather. Congratulations to Rod, Larry and Glenda on their first sesshin. Everyone sat solidly and expressed appreciation for the benefits. The local people were joined by Judith and Larry from Prince George and Carlo from Kitimat. The three tenzos have matured to working by themselves, taking turns each day. Five of the participants plan to do sesshin with Roshi this summer.
The August sesshin is filling up slowly so far.
Thanks to Catherine and Ken, once again, for the continuing use of their beautiful rural island property. Our work practise each day helps keep up the grounds and is one of the ways we say thank you.

The Thursday noon zazen has been stopped. It was appreciated by shift workers and mothers, but numbers have dropped to zero. This zazen period can be reintroduced later if needed.

The Prince George Zen group held their latest weekend sit in April. Eshin led the semi-annual weekend zazen-kai. Unfortunately, a few had to cancel at the last moment as their children were in competitions. In this case family certainly comes first! The zazen-kai was the first in the new downtown zendo. A dozen people attended the orientation Friday evening and it's hoped they will join in the regular Tuesday evening meetings.

The Zen Centre has a new archway from the street. Eshin put up the frame and Ian finished the lattice work. A climbing plant will start growing over it soon.

The web site www.zen.ca has pictures in the Sangha | Centre News | 2006 section of much of this news. The Photo Gallery has an extensive selection of spring flowers at the centre and older newsletters are found in the Sangha section.

Sangha News

People that have gone, or plan to go, to sesshin with Roshi: Eshin and Myorei at Rinzai-ji in June, Branko at Mt Baldy in July, Glenda and Stuart at Rinzai-ji in July, Stuart staying on at Mt Baldy for August.

Chikako has unfortunately heard she has stomach cancer. She lives in Victoria and was part of the zendo in former years. On many Saturdays or Sundays her photo is placed on the butsudan and the Dharani of the Great Compassionate One is chanted for her well-being. Chikako’s condition has improved recently, surprising her doctor who thought she would not last this long. Best wishes for her condition with this difficult illness.

Eshin was helping at Rinzai-ji for most of June. Thanks to our members for keeping the centre and introductions going during this time. It shows the strength of our sangha.

John, Michelle and their three girls have returned to Bowen Island after a long period of study with Roshi at Mt Baldy.

A Vancouver area Zen sangha picnic is planned for the afternoon of Sunday August 20. All sangha members of the various Zen centers are welcome. An email announcement will be sent later when details are decided on.

The Dalai Lama is certainly not part of our sangha, but the sangha may be interested to know that he will be given an honorary Canadian citizenship in Vancouver this September. So far he has always travelled on an Indian refugee’s certificate. During his visit he will inaugurate the ‘Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education’. According to Victor Chan his presence will likely be seen more frequently in Vancouver due to this institute, the increasing strong personal connections he has been developing here, and Vancouver’s potential as a place of peace.

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 as appreciation of the practise and centre grows.

A great thank you for all the membership and general donations since spring of 2006: Adrian Dobre, Attila Szabo, Brad Leggett, Branko Vrbic, Brent Eichler, Carlo Piroso, Chris Martin, Chris Massey, Chris Reuten, David Ashton, E'cho, Glenda Carberry, Gordon Davidson, Ian Hignell, Jonathan Gallant, Judith Johnson, Kumiko Yasukawa, Larry Steele, Lee Dutta, Mike Henley, Myorei, Paul Martin, Peggy Scott, Peter Kendall, Pouyan Jafarizadeh, Rod Maincot, Shamus Finnegan, Sheryl Sirotnik, Steve Kaposy, Steve Weiner, Stuart Slind, Taiga Chiba, Tony Ross, Trevor Thomas and for all the anonymous donations. Thank you!

A big ‘Thank you’ for the items that the sangha donates or in the giving of time to help the centre. It surely reflects the pride and importance the centre has for them. The Zen Centre of Vancouver is a registered charity. Not in the sense of receiving charitable assistance. Not in the sense of a thrift store, taking any old things not needed any more. It is in the sense of doing charitable work, helpful work, and needs good effective tools and assets to do this.
However, if you have old stuff keep it for the next yard sale that the centre has. Yard sales always provide about $500 of income.
Thanks to Mike for the weekly help with shopping; Chikako has donated some excellent incense; Myorei donates and arranges the flowers that so enhance the centre; Trevor for many books, and Glenda for donating coffee and refreshments.