June 98 Sangha News

Quarterly Meeting

Come one, come all to the Honolulu Diamond Sangha quarterly meeting, to be held on Sunday, June 21, from 10 AM to noon. We'll do zazen from 8-10 AM, then form a big circle in the zendo and hold the meeting. As many of you doubtless know, the Diamond Sangha is run by its members and reaches decisions by consensus. Your mana'o is important; please come and share in the decisions that keep the Sangha functioning.

Good-bye to Nelson

On the fifth of this month Nelson packs his bags yet again and returns to California. He has had a busy visit to Hawai'i nei, holding two sesshins and numerous periods of dokusan. Thank you, Nelson, for sharing the Dharma with us.

Koko An Work Day

The Board has set aside Saturday June 6 as a Spring Cleaning Sangha Work Day at Koko An. Join us from 9:00 a.m. to noon for house and yard work at our oldest sangha home. Savory vegetarian pizza will reward the volunteers.

Words from the Tanto

Kathy Ratliffe, Training Leader for May, offered Words from the Tanto in last month's newsletter. Following this new custom, and with gratitude to Kathy for her leadership and her words, I offer the following for your consideration as May turns to June.

Zazen teaches zazen, it is said. I take this to mean that answers to practice-related questions may be naturally revealed in zazen. (And, of course, not only in zazen, but also with teachers and books and Sangha.) These are questions of the 'how' or 'what' variety ñ how do I deal with those renegade thoughts? What is my response to the chopper clattering by overhead? To a particularly painful memory? Simply by turning back to the practice, moment by moment, day by day, year by year, we find some resolution of these kinds of questions. We notice a self-correcting aspect to our formal practice. We see that practice is itself instructive.This is no less true for daily life practice, as poets and storytellers have long shown us. In the same way that zazen teaches zazen, daily life practice teaches daily life practice. As we carry our practice through the twenty-four hours we find all manner of things pointing out the Way. Getting up from our cushions we enter the world of meaning. This can be truly delightful and also harrowing. It's all right here before us."Zazen teaches zazen" also points to the fundamental fact that true practice is simply allowing the present moment to come forth as it is. Cultivating a particular mental condition or state of mind is not the point. The present moment informs itself andpractices itself there on your cushions, there in the checkout line. Fidelity to the present moment and all it contains, is our calling. This is not a project; indeed, it is a matter of life and death. How will you do it?

ñ Doug Codiga

Training leader for June

New Temple Keeper

The HDS Board of Directors has appointed Dana Meitz the new temple keeper at Palolo Zen Center. Dana has been a long-distance sangha member for years, flying over from Kaua'i to do sesshin as often as she could, and has also served on the Board of Directors for more than a year. We will be very happy to have Dana with us full-time!

May Sesshin

Our three day sesshin in May was well-attended and included many newer members whose energy and persistence inspired us all. Thank you to everyone who planned and participated in this wonderful sesshin. Let's do it again soon!

HDS Practice Leadership Revisited

When Aitken Roshi retired, HDS had a de facto "tanto pool" ó a group of sangha members qualified by experience and trust to occupy the head seat in the dojo and oversee the action there. We've recognized and made good use of this group, and now I'd liketo form similar pools for other leadership positions, namely for ino, jikijitsu, jisha, tenzo, and sesshin organizer.

All these new pools will be open to any member willing to serve; extensive zazen experience is not necessary. (In this respect, the new pools differ from the tanto pool, which one is invited to join only after mastering the other three dojo positions andafter long tenure in the group.) Please don't be shy about coming forward. The more of us available to serve in these positions, the better.

A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board at Palolo. If you're already trained nd ready to serve at a given position, add your name to that list in the "current" category. If you need coaching before making your debut, then put yourself in the "intraining" category. A leader-in-training either can take the initiative by requesting instruction from someone on the "current" list or can wait until a veteran offers training.

We'll draw upon these pools in recruiting leaders for community zazen on Sunday and Wednesday and also for sesshin. Of course no one will be drafted, especially for sesshin leadership. You'll always have the option of declining if you don't feel up to leading a given event. So no sweat. Sign up for all the pools you're already qualified to serve in as well as any other pool you'd like to join as a trainee. (One is probably enough to learn at a time.)

New volunteers for the tenzo pool would be especially welcome. HDS has just a few experienced tenzos now, and I wouldn't want to wear out (much less bite) the hands that feed us. Thanks to all.

ó Nelson

Sunday Event:

Practicing with Emotions

"Random thoughts are one thing, but what do I do with all these feelings?" If your zazen is disturbed when pain and sorrow arise ó if you would like to learn how to practice with your emotions ó then join us for the June 7 Sunday event, after zazen endsat 11 AM. The tanto pool will lead a discussion on this topic. Sangha members are invited to question and to share.

News from the Old Boss

There are lots of comings and goings at Kaimu of late. Tom Aitken has left the Big Island to attend a high school reunion on O'ahu, and Belinda Keyte will be attending the Maui sesshin. Aitken Roshi will therefore be visiting Akiko Masuda this coming weekend.

Pindi, Roshi's friendly gray and white cat, passed away peacefully at home. After a brief ceremony, he was buried in the garden, where a small statue of Jizo overlooks his grave.Roshi has a cold and is taking medication. Otherwise he is doing well. He sends his love to all his students and encourages us to enjoy our lives.

Showing the Bowl

Dear Friends,

As I'm sure most of you know, the Honolulu Diamond Sangha depends heavily on financial pledges to support its ongoing activities. This is especially the case now, given the relatively low number of visitors and residents at Palolo in recent months. Furthermore, the major repair and maintenance work which has been done at both Palolo and Koko An ó more of which is still needed ó has drained a significant portion of our funds.With this in mind I ask those of you who have not yet pledged financial support to the Sangha to consider doing so at the this time. I understand that this is but one of many opportunities presented to you to 'turn the dharma wheel,' and hope that you can allocate some of your resources to nurturing the Honolulu Diamond Sangha. For your convenience, a pledge form has been included with this newsletter. Your support will be greatly appreciated!

If you have any questions about the Sangha's finances or would like a copy of our budget, please call the Sangha at (808) 735-1347.

ó Jeff Giesea

Treasurer