Gone Fishing… Back on Sunday

Well, actually, gone Zenning.

And, therefore, a small head’s up for both of you who follow my blog. No more postings until Sunday…

One of the few things about my current life that I wish could be a bit different is that I can do so few intensive meditation retreats in a year. I love being a parish minister (well, except when I hate it. Interestingly there are no other emotions involved…). Now that love of the job is the big emotion. But as a consequence of this my weekends are spoken for. And therefore, retreats, what we call sesshin, currently only roll around twice during the formal church year. There are one days, but nothing like dawn to dusk and a little beyond to really get the juices racing. One of these is scheduled over Rohatsu weekend and the other in the Spring. Our Boundless Way community also sponsors a full seven day retreat in the summer. (Ah…)

Tonight we begin the Spring three-day.

And, even this is hedged in.

A death in the congregation, family health matters, our church’s annual meeting, some reports, and the ordinary life of a religious community means that I’m focused on parish life right up to about three this afternoon, when I throw some luggage into the car, drive up to Watertown, pick up Jan, and we drive up to New Hampshire for one of the two retreat facilities we currently use. (One has an amazing zendo, meditation hall, but not quite enough beds. The other has all the beds we’re likely to need, but too small a zendo…)

When we arrive we’ll be joining forty two or three or four of our closest friends engaging the great project, giving full heart and mind to the matter at hand. Lots of zazen, lots of dokusan. A little ritual. And then some more zazen. Oh, a bit of sleep. And maybe a bit more zazen…

Then Sunday morning we get up at four, the normal time for getting up, but instead of launching into the last half day of retreat, Jan & I will throw that luggage into our car and dash back to Providence where I’ll preach (sermon is in the bag, thank you for asking) and then participate in our annual meeting which had been cross scheduled through one of those small series of oopses that happen.

In many ways this is okay.

There is something about the rhythm of practice and real life that is Zen that doesn’t require cooling down or warming up.

’tis one thing.

And, it seems, old Dogen was right, that thing is one continuous mistake.

So lovely.

So sad.

So weird.

So amazing…

And, you know: I have to admit, I’m ready to sit down, shut up, and pay attention for a bit more than the daily taste…

So, see you all on Sunday!