May 19, 2020

I would be converted to a religion of grass. 

Sleep the winter away and

rise headlong each spring. 

Sink deep roots. 

Conserve water. 

Respect and nourish

your neighbors

and never let trees

gain the upper hand.  

Such are the

tenets and dogmas. 

As for the practice—

grow lush in order to be

devoured or caressed,

stiffen in sweet elegance,

invent startling seeds—

those also make sense. 

Bow beneath the arm of fire. 

Connect underground.

Provide.

Provide.

Be lovely and do not harm.

- Louise Erdrich

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Our ZHS on-line 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
• For more information:  www.zenheartsangha.org)  

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Special bows for today: 

• Please offer bows for Annette Merrill, Misha's cousin, who died on May 13th from lung cancer
• Please offer bows for all those in residence at Gordon Manor suffering from COVID-19
• Please offer bows for Donald Kennedy, former president of Stanford University, who died from COVID-19
• Please continue to offer bows for Nick Battaglia, Camille Spar's father, who died Aprill 13th 
• Please continue to offer bows for the family of Alison Templeton, a PS parent, who died on April 1st 
• Please continue to offer bows of well-being for:   
• Claudio Pannunzio, dharma friend of Twining Vines Zendo, who is undergoing chemotherapy
• 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 
• Michael Tieri Ricaud, Dainuri Rott’s brother, who is suffering from MS

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Wonderful links shared by sangha members and friends:

• Zen Heart Sangha website: resources about COVID-19: www.zenheartsangha.org
• From our dharma sister, Misha: article from the New Yorker, Reinventing grief:   https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/11/reinventing-grief-in-an-era-of-enforced-isolation
• From our friend, Candace Pierce:  Song of The Longest Time - Quarantine Edition
  https://youtu.be/LpAKcQufacc
• From our dharma sister, Camille: a modern fairy tale about the pandemic:  
• https://www.facebook.com/826415330774102/posts/2904759752939639/?vh=e&d=n
• From our friend, Candace Pierce: Bolero from Juillard:   https://www.juilliard.edu/school/news/media-gallery?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&utm_content=bolerojuilliard_04.30.20#/node/146356
• From our dharma sister, Lucille, for a little humor on 'What You Should and Should Not Do:   https://youtu.be/wVs5AyjzwRM  

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Many thanks to those of you who are sending me articles to share, links to helpful information, and for making comments…it is a gift beyond measure. Please know that you can either leave a comment on the blog itself, or send something directly to me and I will be happy to paste it in.