Zenwest Newsletter – February 2015

The whole experience of the one long day was very intense and painful but the choboji crew makes everything very manageable and comfortable. One of my most vivid memories of the trip was the overflowing snack bar that was open to us every time we had a short break. That kind of snack after a ten-plus-hour sitting day makes a gargantuan difference in how you feel about sitting ten hours the next day.

Another memory is of finding a message in a bottle on the beach one day that read something like “Live your life! If you are sad know that it will pass. Remember that you are not alone. Cherish your family and friends more than anything.” This was near the end of the sessin so I think it really made an impact on what my mood was going to be after I left.

Another thing I can’t leave out is the idyllic zendo we were using. On one side there are huge windows covering the whole wall with views of the ocean, which made for spectacular sunrises. Apparently this will be the last time the Rohatsu sessin will be held at camp Indianola due to a hike in the price of renting the space. This is not just sad because it is such a nice place but also because the rohatsu sessins have been held there for decades.

As for the actual zen practice, I think this sessin has really opened me up a little more to what zen is really all about, although I still don’t know. I realized the importance of dokusan (private interview) probably because there were three opportunities every day.
I also realized how important suffering (pain in your legs or otherwise) is in this practice. Looking back, I also see how important the consistent everyday sitting is, or how when you go to open yourself up as much as you can (sessin) it helps if you’ve done the ground work.

I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to have two amazing zen centers very close by and to have two equally amazing teachers running them. I think how Eshu and Genjo are organizing things; we all have the opportunity to see a very broad spectrum of zen practice which I don’t know exists anywhere else in the world. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with both teachers and I plan on pursuing their offerings as much as I can.

With gasso,

Matt Kelly”

“My recent stay (January 2015) in the Hermitage at Red Flag Mountain Temple most definitely had a profound impact on me. The structure itself represented the community building the perfect homage to our practice and I felt honored to have been a part of having seen it built from the ground up.

My time there allowed me to experience the wonderful treasures that I had previously overlooked. Everything from the simple, blissful quietude that seemed to seep in periodically to the perfect slice of rugged West Coast forest directly out of my window as I ate my meals. The meals themselves were surprisingly tasty and perfectly proportioned.

Eshu Osho prepared a personalised schedule that was a great balance of Zen Form and flexibility that strengthened my practice well beyond where it had been. It also became obvious how well Eshu Osho managed me and what I was going through experiencing the world ‘unplugged’ and retreating from my normal routines.

I would encourage a stay at The Hermitage to anyone who wishes to deepen their practice.”

—Jason Dunphy, Victoria B.C.