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Poetry – A Buddha Gazes

April 24, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Shigyo Alexander Marrero

A tadpole stirs in Beecher Lake
Fresh ripples lap at the shore
A Buddha gazes
The Moon gazes back
The still, fresh water listens

Filed Under: Shigyo Alexander Marrero

Poetry – Tulips

April 10, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Hokuto Osho

tulips singing praise
petals fall to wind and rain
only praise remains

Filed Under: Hokuto Osho

Engaged at ZSS – Questioning the Confines

April 3, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Yuki Eric Michels

When the deep meaning of things is not understood,
the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
The Way is perfect like vast space
where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.
Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject
that we do not see the true nature of things.

— Sengcan, Xinxinming (“Trust in Mind”)

Although I am a Buddhist, my bible is the Tao Te Ching. “The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way” — for me, this is the most important truth that can be put into words. The reality that can be spoken, or even merely conceived of, is not the ultimate reality. The true nature of things, at the end of the day, exists before and beyond our conception of it.

I have had great teachers who helped me understand the ways of things, who taught me truths and realities. And I believe my greatest teachers are those who taught me to question reality, to question the ways of things, and to not believe an asserted truth simply because it’s posited strongly — even (and especially) my own assertions. They teach me to remain open, supple, and curious.

Easier said than done, however, in a society that simultaneously tells us both, “Your reality is nothing in the grand scheme of things, so why even try to make a difference?” and “Your reality is the only reality, so do whatever the hell you want.” We are taught to simply inherit the world we are given, to accept the truths that we are told, and to act within the confines that we are born into.

Humans as a species have existed for 300,000 years, and we only have about 7,000 years of written human history. That means our contemporary economic and political systems have existed for approximately 0.1% of human history and 4% of written history. So why does it feel like it is so often framed to us that this society is the pinnacle of human civilization — that this is the “best of all possible worlds”?

Who created borders and nation-states? Who created profit and loss? How? And why? I believe if there is anything we ought to question, it is: Why are there certain things we are not taught to question, or even taught not to question?

A society that is rich, and yet creates poverty, is violent. A news media that feeds off of mental illness is deranged. An economy that profits off of war is diseased. We still live in a time of empires, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and the dispossessed masses are forced to constantly fight for their dignity.

“Rules of war” were created to ensure children aren’t subjected to famine and torture in clashes between peoples, and so that genocide couldn’t be rationalized away as a form of self-defense. Yet these levers have failed, and we are pressured to simply accept the suffering forced upon us and others, threatened with the prospect of an Even Greater Evil.

Why are these the choices we’re presented with? Why is this the reality we’re forced to accept? The quote that started this letter can be read in two ways: It is because we choose to accept and reject things, that we do not see the true nature of things. And, The mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail when we refuse to accept that we do not see the true nature of things.

I implore you to continue questioning the things we are not taught to question, and especially the things we are taught not to question.

Filed Under: Yuki Eric Michels

Engaged at ZSS – Awakening with the Spring

March 6, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Kyotai Amanda Hill

“The purpose of a Zen community, to embody fully the reality of buddha nature, is not at all separate from achieving harmony with the natural environment and its rhythms. The community practice forms reflect the ecological Buddhist worldview of mutual interdependence.”

– Dogen, Pure Standards for a Zen Community

The days grow longer, the sun appears higher in the sky, and a tiny crocus peeks through the snow – the first breaths of spring come to our attention. Being engaged with ourselves and the environment, the separateness disappears.

Observing the Winter Sky

Orion, the hunter, has long been a favorite constellation of the winter sky as it’s easily identifiable with the three bright stars of his belt: Alnilam, Mintaka, and Alnitak. Even as we name these stars, imagining a picture and myth to explain our place in this universe, other cultures make alternate inferences. Lakota Native Americans viewed these same three stars as the back of a bison, with neighboring stars creating the remainder of the mammal.

Following the line of Orion’s belt to the north, you will find Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the Seven Sisters because of its seven main visible stars. Subaru, the Japanese word for Pleiades, means “united” or “gather together.” For fans of The Lord of the Rings, this star cluster is thought to be the inspiration for Remmirath, rem (mesh) and mir (jewel), or the Netted Stars.

Awakening of the Forest

Male bears are beginning to emerge from hibernation, while their female counterparts will remain longer. We may begin to see the woodcocks as an initial sign of the spring migration, soon the warblers and songbirds will follow. The daffodils, snowdrops, and crocus begin to bloom, and minute red buds can be seen on the maple trees. The earth is opening before our eyes.

Below the Frozen Waters

As the ice begins to melt, the dripping sound of water permeates the air. The nutrients that have settled on the bottom of lakes and ponds over the winter stir, offering an opportunity for growth. All the dormant life, being nourished, slowly awakens to the spring. Soon the frogs’ resounding croaks will be evident.

I am reminded of Indra’s Net, which metaphorically represents dependent origination, depicting the universe as a network of interconnected jewels, each reflecting the light of others. Francis Cook wrote, “The Hua-yen school has been fond of this image, mentioned many times in literature because it symbolizes a cosmos in which there is an infinitely repeated interrelationship among all members of the cosmos.” I often consider this, acknowledging that all of my speech and actions affect things seen and unseen in my immediate and distant environments. Each of us reflects the other as jewels in a net or the moon on the ocean.

“Not a thing in the entire universe is missing from the present time. Observe and meditate on it deeply.” As we move into spring, Dogen’s words inspire us to take in everything, observe it deeply, feeling the unity of the internal and external.

Filed Under: Kyotai Amanda Hill

Article – Interim at Dai Bosatsu Zendo

March 3, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Daishin Pawel Wojtasik

Recently, I found myself blessed with a week free of obligations. The idea of going somewhere radically different from my home in Brooklyn took root, and Dai Bosatsu Zendo monastery in the Catskill Mountains emerged as the perfect destination. I used to be a resident there from 1998 to 2000 — the magnificence of the setting and the profound intensity of practice left an indelible mark on my memory. Since it was February, the monastery was in the Interim period. Being mostly familiar with sesshin (intensive retreats of 5 to 7 days) and kessei (a training period of up to 3 months), I was not sure what to expect. I wrote to Chigan Roshi to ask if I could join the community for a week. Roshi responded that the residents would be happy to have me and that I could come for as many days as I wished.

To get to DBZ I was advised to take a bus to Monticello, NY, a ride which took about 1 1/2 hours from New York City. Upon my arrival in Monticello, I was picked up by two of the residents, Hanqing Zhou and Bryan Alonso. Once at DBZ, I was welcomed by the third resident, Jim McIntire and later I was happy to see Kanchi Lucía Oliva Hennelly, who lives nearby and joins the residents for zazen and meals, whenever her schedule allows.

When I woke up the first morning at 5:50 a.m. and rushed to Kaisando chanting, I realized that this would not exactly be a vacation. I soon found out that the Interim schedule, although much more relaxed than sesshin or kessei, still provides an opportunity for serious practice.

During interim, residents get to perform many tasks normally reserved for senior monastics. We started the day with a short morning service, followed by a period of zazen. This took place in the dining hall which is used as the Zendo during Interim to save energy. Read More

Filed Under: Daishin Pawel Wojtasik

2023 Annual Report

February 16, 2024 by Devyani Sadh

By Jifu Devyani Sadh

As we reflect on the past year, we express deep gratitude for your steadfast support of the Zen Studies Society. Our monumental $1.5 million Dai Bosatsu Zendo Monastery Restoration campaign surpassed the halfway point. Your contributions enabled vital upgrades to reduce our energy expenditures and environmental footprint. Despite the concurrent capital campaign, our general fund donations remained strong, and we achieved a remarkable 34% surge in unrestricted revenue. This growth was largely attributable to increased rental income from the newly renovated Beecher House and earnings from our three-year-old Endowment Fund.

Beyond financial success, 2023 marked the highest in-person attendance in the last five years, driven by heightened energy at New York Zendo. We welcomed over 5,000 visitors across 500+ events at our two temples. The year also brought significant Dharma transitions, honoring our former abbot as Abbess Emerita, welcoming the new abbot, and launching a Dharma teacher training program with nine Junior Dharma Teachers.

Explore our 2023 Annual Report for insights from our new abbot, updates on the Monastery Restoration campaign, and details on pivotal transitions. The report offers an overview of our programming, activities, and financial health, and recognizes major donors and supporters who made it all possible.

Thank you for being a valued member of our sangha. May we continue to practice together and make our shared vision of living with insight and compassion a reality.

Filed Under: Jifu Devyani Sadh

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