- Please continue to offer bows for the family of Alison Templeton, a Peninsula School parent, who died on April 1st after a long struggle with cancer
- Please offer bows for Gil Bergman, Shannon's husband who is ill and may be suffering from COVID-19
- Please continue to offer bows for Jeff Ghazarian and his family, friends of Lilliana Mendez-Soto’s nephew who died on March 19th at the age of 34 from COVID-19
- Please continue to offer bows of well-being for:
- Rev. Les Kaye, Misha’s Zen teacher, who is recovering at home while undergoing chemotherapy
- Brendan, Kate Haimson’s son, who is recovering at home from surgery
- Lilith Armitage, Shannon Bergman’s daughter who is recovering well at home from surgery
- Michael Tieri Ricaud, Dainuri Rott’s brother, who is suffering from MS
Our new ZHS on-line schedule (go to our website for more information: zenheartsangha.org):
(Note: no Friday or Saturday schedule this week due to sesshin schedule)
- Mondays: 7-8:30pm - zazen, short service, lecture/discussion
- Tuesdays-Fridays: 5:30-6:10pm - zazen, offering of merit/bows
- Saturdays: 8:00-10:15am - zazen, short service, tea, discussion/study
Wonderful links shared by sangha and friends:
- New tab on Zen Heart Sangha website with resources about COVID-19 (zenheartsangha.org)
- From our dharma friend, Fumiko Arao, a beautiful video on the tea ceremony from the Asian Art Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Bn7r63iDfL0 - From our dharma sister, Alisa Tu, an article on grief:
- https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief?fbclid=IwAR2f8ajEFn_MpazcdxvTj8MsuQZ7xlNtS44KG2b0NukPh6K012FWfGCdd8A
- From our dharma sister, Kathleen Dickey, for a bit of humor and wisdom from New Zealand: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/world/australia/jacinda-ardern-easter-bunny-essential-worker-tooth-fairy.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
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From dharma teacher, Misha Merrill, from her sesshin lecture on Friday of the koan "Dogo Offers his Condolences":
Dogo and Zengen
went to a house to show sympathy. Zengen
hit the coffin and asked, “Alive or dead?”
Dogo replied, “I won’t say alive, I won’t say dead.” Zengen demanded, Why won’t you say?” Dogo repeated, “I won’t say.”
On their way home, Zengen cried, “Tell me
right now teacher, alive or dead! If you
don’t tell me, I will hit you.”
Dogo
said, “You may hit me, but I won’t say.”
Zengen hit him.
Later after Dogo
died, Zengen went to Sekiso and told him the foregoing story. Sekiso said, “I won’t say alive,
I won’t say dead.” Zengen said, “Why won’t you say?” Sekiso repeated, “I won’t say, I won’t say.”
I won’t say dead.” Zengen said, “Why won’t you say?” Sekiso repeated, “I won’t say, I won’t say.”
At these words Zengen came
to awakening.
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After hearing and sitting with the koan mentioned above, I reflect on the serendipity of it in this time. As it happens, the Apostles are asking this same question on this day, as they our outside the cave of their savior. Alive or Dead? Christianity is asking the same question hundreds of years later. Alive or Dead? In much the same way, I think they are reflecting on that question at the core of their faith. Wonderful that we are all asking this question, regardless of our tradition.
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