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I returned last night from the trip to Ann Arbor where I led a Saturday workshop for the seminary students on dharma<\/a> study and gave the talk on Sunday for about 70 people. Our very gracious hosts video taped the talk and I\u2019ll see if I can post it here sometime. \u00a0
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<\/span><\/div>\nAbove is\u00a0<\/span>Haju Sunim<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with the \u201cBuddha\u201d calligraphy of her grandfather teacher, Kusan Sunim, a very important Korean master (<\/span>click here for his brief biography<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nI had a lovely time hanging out with Haju (a delightfully tender and pithy iron woman of the dharma) and joining in with the practice of the seminary students.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nThe role of the teacher at the Ann Arbor center combines the Soto roles of head monk and work leader and teacher. In other words, Haju\u2019s energy is clearly the driving force behind all that happens. At the same time, Haju is skilled at\u00a0delegating \u2013\u00a0for example, asking the students what needed to be done on Sunday morning rather than assigning jobs.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAnother difference I noticed between their practice and Soto Zen was in the diversity of practices to which they are devoted \u2013 in what seemed to be a balanced way. Now this short weekend was my most significant contact with Korean Zen so take my thoughts here lightly as very provisional. I won\u2019t hold back, however, because noticing the differences and sameness between traditions is one source of the big fun I get from traveling around.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nAt the seminary meeting on Friday night, for example, the seminarians discussed how their practices were going \u2013 sitting, chanting, memorizing, art work, study, bowing, reciting Buddha\u2019s name, etc. And the morning practice on Saturday included 108 bows (taking about 15 minutes with the minutes toward the end of the 15 seeming rather long!), about 30 minutes of sitting, and about 30 minutes of chanting.
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<\/span><\/div>\nSoto Zen, and perhaps Japanese Zen more generally, has a sense of exclusive focus on sitting with the other practices in a supporting role. This may come from the developments in Japanese Zen that differentiated it from the broader field of dharma practice. Historically, the big reformers in the 1100s and 1200s came to advocate a single practice \u2013 reciting Buddha\u2019s name, homage to the Lotus Sutra, or sitting (in Dogen\u2019s case).\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nIn any event, by Sunday I had a feel (and deep respect) for the dharma-flavor flow within their forms.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nI\u2019m enjoying traveling around and teaching. In early April I\u2019ll be at several centers in the New York City area (see the right sidebar for more information) but after that I don\u2019t have anything scheduled. If you are a member of a group that would be interested in what I regard as \u201cmy hinky Soto perspective\u201d (or a teacher looking for a little break), let\u2019s talk. Just covering my expenses is enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\nOh, and thanks to those of you who offered comments about chickens and ducks, keeping the blog alive while I was out of the coop.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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