by Nomon Tim Burnett
November 30, 2007
Dear Sangha,
Winter is truly here in Bellingham with temperatures around freezing all day and people getting their scarves and hats out of the backs of drawers. My son Walker is even softening up about his Shorts Religion - so far he's worn shorts to school every day - which is good as we were starting to wonder if Child Protective Services would be at our door with a few pairs of sweat pants soon. I guess having a growing child gives one new seasonal markers.
We just had Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S. - we are used to Thanksgiving and associate it with paper Pilgrims' hats and turkeys but it is kind of amazing that we have a national holiday about gratitude if you think about it. How understand Thanksgiving in a deeper way that through the stereotypes of American consumer culture? Ironically our day of reflection and gratitude is also followed by a consumer orgy in the big box stores as the Friday after is the biggest shopping day of the year.
My family and I had a nice more or less traditional Thanksgiving meal with friends with turkey and cranberries and stuffing on the table. And at the start of the meal our hosts were moved to express out loud their gratitude for their lives and their families. It was a touching moment with more than a little awkwardness to it. We are not used to speaking out loud in a group about love, about commitment, about gratitude. This seems to be reserved for couples as a topic and even then probably not raised often enough.
Thinking more about gratitude I realize that the gratitude for what we appreciate that sustains us and nourishes us is the first layer of gratitude, and this is what we tried to express at the Thanksgiving table. We could all use more practice and more support in feeling our gratitude for all of the things that we appreciate. The things we love. The things we know help us to live. Our families. Our friends. Children. That our basic needs for food and shelter are so amply met in the very fortunate circumstances most of us live in.
It made me appreciate traditions like the Sabbath which I think are in essence a kind of weekly Thanksgiving. A time to engage in practice and ritual that helps to remind us about who we are and what holds us up. Lately I am interested in what Judaism and Christianity seem to do so well - we have much to learn from these traditions as Buddhism is established and formulated in the West. I'm sure from the inside Sabbath traditions also have their problems and confusions, but a weekly ritual, inclusive of family, to remember the roots and basis of our living is a very good idea. Maybe we already do this to some extent in our Buddhist sanghas with weekly sitting groups such as our Wednesday night practice at Red Cedar Dharma Hall. But there is more room for exploration certainly in how we can support the practice of gratitude.
A key practice that engenders gratitude year 'round that we would all do well to increase is the practice of generosity. These last few years my wife and I have been sponsoring an orphaned girl, now I think 16 years old, in Kenya. We pay her school fees and expenses in a sponsorship program organized by my friend Tim Costello's wonderful charity The Slum Doctor Programme. For a surprisingly small sum (about $900 / year) we have been able to completely take care of the education and material needs of another human being. The letters we get from Mercy break our hearts every time. She expresses her gratitude, her fears, her losses, her joys in her accomplishments.
Reading Mercy's letters always changes us. We start out busy with our morning or whatever we're doing. Not completely out of it but somehow just a little bit disconnected. After reading one of her letters we're somehow right there. And we feel our connections to each other and we feel our gratitude for our oh so fortunate circumstances. Here is a girl with so little who loves and dreams so big. Here's hoping that somehow Mercy will get to be a neurosurgeon and live a satisfying life. May the world protect and nourish her and give her the space she needs to enter fully into adulthood.
But thinking further about gratitude I think this first level of gratitude is not complete. That this remembering and feeling our gratitude for the thinks we prefer, the things that warm us up and hold us, is not enough. I think the full practice of gratitude has to include gratitude for everything even the things in our lives we don't like. We are given this one life with it's full spectrum of pains and joys. Somehow complete gratitude must include our whole lives, not just a selection from them.
I suspect we can learn to extend our gratitude with practice. Like the practice of loving kindness meditation where you gradually increase your ability to send love and good wishes to people you love the most, and then those you are less close to, to those you are neutral about to eventually those with whom you have the greatest difficulty, I think the practice of extending gratitude works the same way. Once you feel some deep connection to your gratitude for friends and family and fortunate circumstances can you extend your gratitude a little farther? Can you extend your gratitude to the things you don't like so well, to the things that seem to limit you, to the things that are hard to bear? Even to the things you really abhor about your life and this world?
For me right now I am working on extending my gratitude towards the limitations that my family life place on me. Of course my family is first on my list of things I am grateful for, but if I am honest about the thoughts that arise I have to admit that I am challenged to be grateful for the limitations of being in family life. I know I need these limitations, that they are in fact part of the support and holding of family life, but the mind of desire can so be so rankled by them. The way that to be fully a part of a family you have to give up many of your own wishes and desires. To take responsibility and put in the time to keep the family healthy and whole.
So I am interested to see if I can more fully be grateful for my family life in its full range. To see if I can be fully grateful for my wife's presence in my life including the mysterious illness that gives her fatigue, including her wishes that I not be gone today working on the Dharma Hall, including any habits of hers that I don't like. To see if I can be fully grateful for the opportunity to play Lego Stars Wars games with my son. To notice if I'm itching to be somewhere else and let those thoughts go. To embrace what is more fully and feel full gratitude for this life as it is.
For as you might have guessed I have been rather pulled in all directions this Fall by our emerging new Dharma Hall. Part of me is always wanting to put more time and energy into the center, into the sangha, into these emails, into planning new classes and programs, into finally getting some recent Dharma talks on the website, into helping with my teacher's new website, and so on and so on. Sometimes I find the mind railing against the restrictions of life with a family. If only I was single, if I lived the lifestyle of a monk, I might think, if only I was unhindered by family life look how much more I could get done for the sangha! It's easy to think that way. Easy to focus on something outside, some imaginary condition outside the actual conditions of my life and elevate that idea and focus on it, forgetting to appreciate life as it really is.
And the fact of the matter is I wouldn't be that much use to the sangha as a workaholic blizzard of unrestrained energy. You would all tire quickly of that kind of resident priest, and so would I. And how crazy I would be to trade in my wonderful family for my compulsion to do more. Do do do. And so gratitude for things are they really are, the constraints of a family life, is also a way to remember to appreciate what is. We have all kinds of ideas of how things would, should, or could be different and better, but how much would be lost if the universe somehow cooperated with this desires? Is our mind's idea of a better life really a better life? It's hard to know. But a good starting place seems to be appreciating more fully, much more fully, this life as it is. With all of the things we like and all of the things we don't like.
This is a topic worth more exploration and I am happy that our incoming shuso (head student) John Bailes will be offering a class on generosity during our Winter 2008 practice period. Generosity and gratitude have much in common. I think one is not fully possible without the other. Without gratitude for things as they are, our generosity is lopsided and clingy. But without generosity, without truly giving ourselves to the world, our gratitude is a little precious, a bit self-centered.
Red Cedar Dharma Hall building update
Speaking of gratitude, October and November have been amazing months for our sangha. It's hard to believe all that's happened since the summer when we accepted the proposal to create the Earth Room in the context of a new dharma center. The outpouring of generosity and support has been simply amazing. We had 5 large work party weekends, every one of which was well attended with hard working friends all working with good spirits. Much is done and there is still a bit more to do in the home stretch.
Flooring: our bamboo "click together" floor continues to be very beautiful and very slow to assemble. The back classroom, hall, and most of the zendo are done. Front rooms (Foyer, Earth Room) are still to go. Several sangha members are trained in assembly and at least a little flooring seems to happen every Saturday [see also work parties scheduled, below] - thank you to all flooring bodhisattvas!
Electrical: our excellent and friendly electrician, Dave Carron of City Lights Electrical, is working steadily and helping us in many ways to afford the project. Lights are done throughout the upstairs and on the front porch and look great, heat panels are all in for the zendo and we are very very happy with them, switches and outlets and a ceiling fan added for the Earth Room. Dave is still working on city required exit signs and emergency lights and will be adding more heat panels (thanks to your generosity, see funding update below) and a few more outlets. We see no real hitches in completing the electrical work in the next week or so.
Heat: We took a little gamble and put in cutting edge radiant electric heat ceiling panels, they are from a company called Enerjoy and locally distributed by Heating Green (www.heatinggreen.com). They are excellent. Very fast, very mellow and even heat, silent. We have yet to see an electric bill to get a sense of operating cost but I am optimistic it will be fine. The amount of heat and perceived comfort per watt is much higher than plug in electric heaters certainly. The zendo panels are such a success the Leadership Council decided to dig into our remaining funds and add them downstairs and in the back classroom. That should be done in the next few days.
Walls: Our beautiful paneled partition walls are substantially done. Carpenters and architects Lou Hinkle and Bob Penny expect to be working a few more weekends finishing up. Also the unfinished wall between back classroom and bathroom hall (moved to satisfy ADA requirements for hallway width) will be completed by the landlord's builder once the electrical is inspected. Post inspection there is sheet rocking and finishing out of the Earth Room and back hall.
Paint: The downstairs is completely (and I mean completely) painted and looks great. The upstairs just needs some touch up and once walls are sheet rocks (Earth Room, classroom/hall) there will be another flurry of 3-coat painting there.
Gardens: The front garden is totally in and to bed for the winter. It will be wonderful to watch the native plants there start to leaf out and grow in the Spring. The back garden is on hold awaiting Spring and an assessment of our finances at that point. We are happy to announce that we have received an offer of a special $2,000 donation to help us get started on the back garden which will be a space for walking mediation, relaxing, and kids to play.
Misc: There are many minor projects in the accessibility and fire safety areas to get done still: hand rails, reversing our front door, emergency lights and exit signs (handled by our electrician), and a ramp in front. In the end the entire upper floor will be completely ADA accessible and wheelchair-bound practitioners are welcome.
Red Cedar Dharma Hall funding update
The leaders of the sangha are deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed financially to this new project. We put out the call to raise $5,000 to help us complete renovations on the new center and our sangha and friends responded. To date we have raised over $6,000! Thank you, thank you, thank you. One of the many things raising these additional funds makes possible is to extend our excellent new heating system (radiant heat panels on the ceiling) into a few more rooms. Because of funding constraints we had initially decided to rely on the existing old-style baseboards in the downstairs and the back classroom upstairs. The downstairs especially with ceramic tile on concrete floor turns out to be very cold in winter so I am grateful to say I have placed an order for the better radiant system for downstairs and the back classroom. If you are still considering making a donation we do still have some unfilled wishes but it looks at this point like the essentials of setting up the building will be covered. Thank you again for the support.
Red Cedar Dharma Hall organizational update
Red Cedar Dharma Hall will be the home practice space for Red Cedar Zen Community now and Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) starting in January, but did you know we are making the space available to other community groups for hourly rental or regular weekly use? Our new building manager, Latona Maillard (thank you Latona!) has created a web site to explain the building, handle scheduling and rental. See his fine first draft at
http://dharmahall.redcedarzen.org and if you know of a compatible group who might be able to use our facilities please let them know. Latona's contact information is on this website.
We picture Red Cedar Dharma Hall as a lively center for community. A place for peacefulness, growth and inner work. A place decided to mindfulness, peacefulness, and compassion. We hope offerings will include things like mediation in different traditions, yoga, tai chi, chi gung, non-violent communication. Please spread the word and help make this possible. (and along the way we hope with the help of these other groups to be able to afford the rent once the initial Earth Room donation is depleted!).
Red Cedar Dharma Hall: finishing up and grand opening
The Grand Opening of Red Cedar Dharma Hall will be a special ceremony with our guiding teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, myself and the sangha. Please come and invite friends and loved ones to this public ceremony and celebration on Wednesday January 23rd at 7pm.
To finish getting the building ready we are scheduling a work day and two more work party weekends. Mark your calendars and come help us put the final touches on so we can shift our focus from construction practice to meditation practice!
Work Day: Saturday December 8th, noon - 5pm. Immediately after our rohatsu retreat. Painting, flooring, cleaning, hanging our temporary sign on the building.
Finishing Up Weekend Work Party #1: January 5 & 6
Finishing Up Weekend Work Party #2: January 13 & 14
Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 2pm
As we did in October the larger work party with lunch provided will be on the Saturdays. Sundays are quieter but offered for those who can't make the Saturday time. Projects will be painting newly sheet rocked walls, cleaning, trim carpentry, window washing. I am looking for volunteers in advance for: (1) the Saturday meal, (2) coordinating work on the Sundays.
Poems from Jean LaValley
In her wonderfully reflective talk on aging during our Buddhism in Bellingham 2007 lecture series, Bellingham Insight teacher Jean LaValley read a poem and a quote. Here they are for us to enjoy again:
Earl
In Sitka, because they are fond of them,
People have named the seals. Every seal
is named Earl because they are killed one
after another by the orca, the killer
whale; seal bodies tossed left and right
into the air. “At least he didn’t get
Earl,” someone says. And sure enough,
after a time, that same friendly,
bewhiskered face bobs to the surface.
It’s Earl again. Well, how else are you
to live except by denial, by some
palatable fiction, some little song to
sing while the inevitable, the black and
white blindsiding fact, comes hurtling
toward you out of the deep?
*
Poem: "Earl” by Louis Jenkins, from North of the Cities.
In order to be utterly happy, the only thing necessary is to refrain from comparing this moment with other moments in the past, which I often did not fully enjoy because I was comparing them with other moments of the future.
Andre' Gide (1869-1951)
Upcoming Events
Bellingham Dharma Hall (Association), Annual Meeting & Party
Friday November 30 , 6pm - 9pm
Red Cedar Dharma Hall
This is a reminder that the Bellingham Dharma Hall's annual meeting and
party will be on Friday, November 30 from 6 - 9 p.m. Mark your calendars!
We will begin with a potluck dinner at 6 pm, followed by a brief
meeting. There will be a presentation from the Board on our
organization's transition from the Bellingham Dharma Hall to the
Bellingham Dharma Association. There will be opportunities to become
involved as we expand into new territory. We will also hear a brief
report on what each of the four member Sanghas are up to. If you have
questions about all the changes afoot, this will be a great time to ask
and get answers.
So, come and eat and meet and celebrate new changes with your old
friends in the Bellingham "Mahasangha"!
Rohatsu (Buddha's Enlightenment) All Night Sit, hosted by Terry Thompson
Friday December 7 , 10:00pm - Saturday December 8, 6:00am
Red Cedar Dharma Hall
A quiet all night sit to celebrate the Buddha's mythical final effort. Alternating 30 minute sitting periods and 10 minute walking periods. Come or go as desired. Optionally join the Rohatsu retreat at 6am. Drop in, no registration required for all night sit.
Rohatsu (Buddha's Enlightenment) Retreat with Nomon Tim Burnett
Saturday December 8 , 6:00am - noon
Red Cedar Dharma Hall
In early December, Buddhists throughout the world gather for retreats in celebration of the Buddha's enlightenment. Joining with all Buddhists, the Bellingham Zen Group will host a half-day retreat on December 8 at the Dharma Hall. Please come for sitting and walking mediation, a special Buddha's enlightenment ceremony, and a Dharma Talk by our resident priest, Nomon Tim Burnett.
We will serve an oatmeal breakfast and tea. Please feel free to contribute to the meal.
Scholarships (half of registration fee) are available even for our short retreats. Please send an email to the registrar if you are interested. Also, please note that we have moved: Our new address is 1021 N. Forest Street.
This retreat will probably be our first practice and first Dharma Talk in the upstairs full Zendo. Come join us in warming up the space!
For additional information please contact the Registrar at 360-510-3167or registrar@bellinghamzen.org. To register online for this event please complete our online registration form.
Work Day: Saturday December 8th, noon - 5pm. Described above.
Finishing Up Weekend Work Party #1: January 5 & 6
Finishing Up Weekend Work Party #2: January 13 & 14
Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 2pm
Described above.
Opening Ceremony: Red Cedar Dharma Hall
Wednesday January 23, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
The Grand Opening of Red Cedar Dharma Hall will be a special ceremony with our guiding teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, myself and the sangha. Please come and invite friends and loved ones to this public ceremony and celebration on Wednesday January 23rd at 7pm.
Winter Practice Period 2008
January 24 - March 2
Bellingham and Vancouver
Practice Period is an important annual 6-week event in our sangha life. Every year in the dark of winter we support each other in turning inward, in remembering our intention and studying our hearts. During practice period there are more events at the zendo and each member of the sangha, whether in Bellingham or far afield, considers their life and life style and makes practice more of a priority. Either through a (new this year) written commitment form or verbally at the opening ceremony an import way of empowering ourselves in practice period is just to state our intention, whether it's a point by point plan, or a particular practice or emphasis or just a feeling we want to become more aware of. Practice period is a time when habits can shift and discoveries can be made. The mutual support of the sangha is strongly empowering as well.
Opening with a shuso (head student) entering ceremony for John Bailes, long term priest who is visiting us from Massachutses to be shuso, on January 24th, including a weekend retreat with Zoketsu in Vancouver January 26-27, a weekend of sangha practice and work at Samish Island February 9-10, and a closing sesshin at the Dharma Hall Feb 28 - March 2nd. Mark your calendar especially for the Shuso's Dharma Inquiry Ceremony (hossenshiki) which closes the practice period on Sunday March 2nd in the afternoon. This is an important sangha event and a great ceremony for expressing the Dharma together. There will also be additional zazen meetings, a class by John, probably a class by me, and other events. We'll get details on the website as soon as we can.
The full practice period schedule will follow in a separate email and is available at http://www.redcedarzen.org
yours,
Tim
Nomon Tim Burnett
Resident Priest
Resident Priest Nomon Tim Burnett has been a student of Zoketsu Norman Fischer since 1987 when he was a resident at San Francisco Zen Center's Green Gulch Farm. After sitting practice periods at Green Gulch and Tassajara Zen Monastery, Tim helped found the Bellingham Zen Practice Group in 1991. Tim was ordained as a Zen Priest by Norman in June, 2000. Like his teacher, Tim is interested in the possibility of deep and complete practice by lay people.
A person of wide-ranging professional interests, Tim has been a botanist, elementary schoolteacher, writer, and computer programmer. In addition to his work at the Resident Priest of Red Cedar Zen Community, Tim works as a software developer.