The main event for the course today was arriving at Tofuku-ji, where we received a brief lecture on Zen and sat zazen with Kei-san. \u00a0The temple was cold, perhaps even colder than the weather outside. \u00a0The room where we meditated had a space heater in each corner, so I made sure to sit next to one. \u00a0I\u2019m not someone who enjoys the cold very much, but I think the cold helped me to stay vigilant during zazen.<\/p>\n
I liked listening to Kei-san\u2019s lecture, and I liked his answers to our questions. \u00a0Though I had read about some of what he taught us before his lecture, I found it refreshing to hear the words said. \u00a0I have an easier time connecting to words coming from someone\u2019s mouth than I do to words on a page in a textbook. \u00a0I liked when he said that Zen is in everything we do, not just sitting, and that the purpose of Zen practice is not maintaining the proper form while sitting. \u00a0It was also interesting to hear his responses to our questions about his priest work and his engagement with the community. \u00a0Though he said that people who run into him treat him as though he\u2019s a regular person, it was clear to me that when he is working – \u00a0giving dharma talks, leading zazen, or even doing these things in the Zen Cafe – he is always focused on the dharma and on the practice. \u00a0Perhaps \u201cfocus\u201d is the wrong word to use in this instance, but what I mean is that he doesn\u2019t seem like the kind of person to be talking about Zen one minute and drinking and discussing politics with his friends the next. \u00a0Kei-san strikes me as someone entirely devoted to the dharma.<\/p>\n
The koan he gave us to answer was \u201cIf you are in Jinko\u2019s (2nd Zen Patriarch\u2019s) position and told to bring your mind, what would you bring?\u201d \u00a0In this case, \u201cmind\u201d does not mean mind in the common sense, but kokoro, which is \u201cheart-mind\u201d. \u00a0You can\u2019t just think of the answer; you have to feel it, to experience it. \u00a0I\u2019ll let it sit for a while and see if I experience anything before we go back to Tofuku-ji.<\/p>\n
I know for some of us, sitting zazen made today feel longer. \u00a0However, our time at the temple only took up about two and a half hours. \u00a0I spent the rest of my day exploring with others. \u00a0This morning, Joanne, CJ, Leah, and I went around some of the shopping areas close to the hostel and got some food along the way. \u00a0We also visited a small temple but I don\u2019t remember what it\u2019s called. \u00a0I ate my first onigiri from a FamilyMart; it was interesting eating salmon and rice at 6 something in the morning, before the sun had even risen. \u00a0I liked it though.<\/p>\n
Then Kagaya-sensei took our whole group through Nishiki Market, then Gion, where I ate ramen and it was delicious. \u00a0After we ate, we went to Tofuku-ji. \u00a0Once we were done with our visit at Tofuku-ji, Kagaya-sensei split off from us, and we all got dinner at a Tofu restaurant (except CJ because he got lost while shopping on the way back).<\/p>\n
Today was my first day of starting to get acquainted with the city. \u00a0I\u2019m hoping that by the end of the trip I\u2019ll be competent enough to explore on my own. \u00a0Of course, before then I\u2019ll have to finish my portion of the work for the Zen group\u2019s presentation. \u00a0But I\u2019m currently struggling to keep my eyes open. \u00a0So for tonight, I commend myself to dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The main event for the course today was arriving at Tofuku-ji, where we received a brief lecture on Zen and sat zazen with Kei-san. \u00a0The temple was cold, perhaps even colder than the weather outside. \u00a0The room where we meditated … Continue reading