by Nomon Tim Burnett
December 15, 2006
Dear Sangha friends,
The Holidays
The darkest days of winter are upon us and along with them the complex emotions and social phenomena of the holidays. Designed to cheer us up, the festivals of lights in the Jewish and Christian traditions with the commericialization and profit-making that we have mixed into them leave us I think a bit numb and confused by the whole holiday season. And throw in our family history about the holidays on top of that and you're really cooking. So it was striking to me the other day when I was woken up a little by the Christmas spirit!
My five year old son Walker and I were at a local nursery picking up a Christmas tree. It was a miserable weather day - just above freezing, raining steadily, and all of the trees were quite wet. Inside the little house where you pay the guy there (owner?) enthusiastically greeted Walker and asked me if he could give the boy a cookie. I paid my money went over and saw a very organized treats set up with hot cider, a tin of cookies, and coffee. All free and with cheerful notes. Then the guy asked me if I wanted help getting the tree on the car. I had the trailer on the back so I figured it would be easy enough to sling it in the trailer so I said no thanks to that. And thinking back I realize I usually saw no to offers of help from people at the store unless it's truly unavoidable. If I can do it myself I do. I wonder how much I do that in other parts or life. How are you at allowing people to help you?
We went outside and he followed us anyway. Once Walker had picked the exact tree the guy very cheerfully swooped in and grabbed it. Carried it to the trailer and laid it in. I felt very pleasantly ignored. The way a kind and all-knowing parent ignores the token refusals of a child who really would enjoy going outside but refuses to go. He just did it. I think my surprise about all of this showed in my face when I thanked him with a greater amount of sincerity than we usually offer people in that kind of situation at the store. I was surprised and quite thankful for this little act of skillful kindness. The man looked at me with a smile and said, "Merry Christmas." Really meaning it.
Christmas, or Chanukah, or whatever the occassion is, is like our practice don't you think? Is not different from our life. There is an opportunity offered to us to be aware of joy, to wake up to the potential of the moment. The potential of our relationship with the person in front of us, with our relationship with ourself, with our world. If the conditions are right and we make a little effort we might be surprised by a shift in perspective. Even a small shift can be so deep and wonderful. Like an old Zen poem I used to chant says, "A hairsbreadth's deviation will fail to accord with the proper attunement." Which is the negative way of saying it, we could also say, "even a shift in attitude as tiny as a the width of a hair can take us from suffering to joy" just like that.
I hope you find moments of joy in your holiday season. Necessary to this, though, is that we all be very honest with ourselves. If you're suffering you're suffering. Please don't burden yourself with extra worries about how you are supposed to be feeling during the holiday times or how you are supposed to be relating to your family members or whatever it is for you. It is how it is, that's where we start from. If we try to start from anywhere else, the ground is not solid and we can't be any traction, losing ourselves in the mire one more time. And if you're not suffering, if your finding the holidays pleasant and joyful, that's great too. Please do appreciate and enjoy that. Our life is just as it is, that's the bottom line of our way. So simple but so deeply helpful and supportive.
My last thought about the holiday season is this: practice generosity. We are all of us so blessed with material properity and support. So many in the world do not have this. And these days there are so many effective and direct ways of helping. Little ways and big ways. My personal favorite is The Slum Doctor Programme here in Bellingham but there are so many worth groups. I just read about a wonderful project of giving micro-loans directly to people who want to start up small, or even tiny, businesses all over the world also - see www.kiva.org. Janet and I sat down and decided we can and should give away 5% of our income. We kept having to up our plans in order to give all that away - a pleasant chore! We all intend to help out, but it's actually sitting down and doing it that really matters.
Commitment & Practice Period
Our annual Winter practice period is coming up. The schedule is below (and more information about the idea of practice period and how to join is coming). It's January 18 - March 4 this year. I can't say enough about the usefulness of practice period to us as lay practicioners. It's so easy for us to drift along. Sitting a little, coming to the zendo once in a while, picking up the occasional dharma book but not really staying with anything. Not that this is bad of us: no matter how we are practicing there is some benefit, we really can have faith in that. But we could and can do more. There is much to be gained from taking ourselves in hand and reinvigorating our practice in a situation where there is enough support to make that a real transformation not just another resolution made and sort of kept. Practice period with a sangha is that support. The schedule of practice period is that support. That it's just 6 weeks out of the year is that support. Many things, like sitting every day, or regular study, are actually hard to keep up daily over the course of the year, but they are very do-able every day for six weeks. And especially so since we know that 20 or 30 others are trying their best to do the same.
Appropriately enough the theme of this years' practice period is commitment. What are you committed to? How to you express that commitment? Are you satisfied with the way you live your commitments? Are commitments things we express with our bodies and actions or are they ideas? Ideologies? Our ultimate commitment as Zen students is of course awakening - enlightenment. Two abstract and confusing nouns those: awakening and enlightenment. What is that for you? If the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, or I would say continues with the next step, what is that step for you? Can you take it? Will you? What are the obstacles that stand in the way? How can you work with those obstacles skillfully. How can you get some help with those obstacles? How do we keep from defeating ourselves? The idea of commitment seems to bring up many more questions than answers.
I read recently an interesting and important article in Buddhadharma magazine by Thanissaro Bhikkhu - the American-born Thervadin monk who has visited the Bellingham Dharma Hall a few times. A smart guy, deeply steeped in the practice and study of the Buddha's teachings as expressed in the Pali Canon (the oldest written record in Buddhism). He brings up the concept of emptiness from the old Sutras and suggests that a root practice for us, and the practice most worthy of our deepest commitment is a study of disturbance in the mind and it's external manifestations as helpful and harmful actions in the world. Disturbances in the mind cause a subtle form of harm to ourselves which spreads to others he says. And if we can work honestly and carefully with our minds we can see the disturbance and the often confused and deluded perceptions that lead to disturbance. We can see the rationalizations and guilt that we add on top of disturbance of the mind. A mind free of disturbance is flexible and free, happy and joyful, able to respond to the world without difficulty.
How do we work with disturbance in the mind? He writes:
At the core of this meditation practice [of working with the emptiness of disturbance in the mind] are two important principles...The first is honesty: the ability to be free of embellishment or denial, adding no interpretation to the distrubance actually present [in the mind], while at the same time not denying that it's there. An integral part of this honesty is the ability to see things simply as action and result, without reading into them the conceit "I am."
The second principle is compassion - the desire to end suffering - in that you keep trying to abandon the causes of stress and disturbance wherever you find them. The effects of this compassion extend not only to yourself but to others as well. When you don't weigh yourself down with stress, you're less likely to be a burden to others; you're also in a better position to help shoulder their burdens when need be. In this way the principles of integrity and compassion underlie even the most subtle expressions of wisdom leading to release.
How is your mind now? Is there disturbance? Can you tell what the choices of mental input and action you made are that led to that disturbance? Can you adandon those choices and make different ones which disturb the mind less? This might be an excellent thing to study through the holidays. What does this action of mind, body or speech lead to? Is there disturbance in the mind? Can I make a little bit better choice next time? And can I also let go of the conceit "I am" and just work with things as they are without the addition of "me" on top of our experience. This last point makes me think of a point Norman often makes: "It's not your fault. But it is your responsibility."
As I go through my day I have been tryinig to remember to notice if the mind is disturbed and respond to that. So far this seems a very helpful focus for me and it might be for you as well.
Upcoming Events:
Buddhist Memorial Service for Adam Whoolery
New Year's Day, 2pm, Bellingham Dharma Hall
A long time sangha member and husband of Shamora Bearwood, Adam died in mid-October. New Year's Day marks 49 days since his death. In Buddhism 49 days is considered the usual amount of time a being needs in the intermediate "bardo" state before rebirth. Or another way of looking at it, after 49 days the person in the form we know him is truly gone and it is time to celebrate and deeply let go. We will celebrate Adam's life and say good bye to his departing spirit at a traditional Zen Memorial ceremony. No need to RSVP, just come. Donations in his name can be made to: Paralyzed Veterans of America (www.pva.org)
2007 Practice Period January 18 - March 4 – Full Schedule of Events
Shuso Entering Ceremony – Thursday, January 18, 2005 – 7:00pm, Bellingham Dharma Hall – with Zoketsu Norman Fischer and Kyoan Sandy Taylor, shuso. Please join us as the practice period begins with the shuso’s formal entrance to the zendo. There will also be an opportunity to state your own practice intentions during the practice period.
Opening Retreat – January 19-21, Vancouver with Zoketsu Norman Fischer. Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, hosted by our sister sangha in Vancouver, Mountain Rain Zen Community. The shuso will give her first formal talk, on her spiritual path, at this retreat. See www.mountainrainzen.ca Advance registration required.
Thursday night zazen – Thursdays 7pm – 9pm. During the practice period the Thursday night practice schedule will be three 30-minute periods of zazen, closing with the Pali refuge chant. Practice discussion with Resident Priest Nomon Tim Burnett available on request—1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22.
Friday lunchtime zazen – Fridays Noon – 1pm. Return to sangha practice in the middle of the day. One 30 minute period of zazen, followed by a short service—1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23
Saturday morning zazen – Saturdays 6am – 8am. Zazen, kinhin, zazen, service, simple breakfast. Sitting together in the deep quiet of early morning, morning service, and a little social time during an informal breakfast together—1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24.
Shuso’s Class – “Full Commitment: Buddhist Practice in the Technology Age.” What are we committed to? What are the stumbling blocks to Practice outside the Zendo?" The classes are designed to encourage lively discussion using your everyday experiences.We will incorporate the Eightfold Path and lessons from Zen Teachers as our guides. Shuso Sandy Taylor will make short presentations and lead discussion on Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm to 9pm at the Dharma Hall Annex—1/24, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21. $20 - $50 sliding scale, proceeds to help Sandy with travel and meal expenses from her weekly trips to Bellingham.
Buddha’s Parinirvana Ceremony – Thursday, February 15th 7pm-9pm. On this Thursday night practice we will sit two 30-minute periods followed by the Zen ceremony commemorating the Buddha’s passing away—a beautiful ceremony of lights and chanting.
Tea with the Shuso – A traditional part of practice period is a quiet meeting over tea with the shuso to get to know each other and discuss the practice together. To be scheduled with you by the shuso or her assistant. Practice Period Students only.
One-Day Retreat – Saturday, February 17, 9am – 3pm – Bellingham Dharma Hall
Join with the shuso and the sangha in sitting quietly for a day together. A Way-Seeking Mind talk by the Shuso, Sandy Taylor, will be given. Advance registration required. $20-$40 sliding scale.
Public Talk with Zoketsu Norman Fischer – Friday, March 2, 7:30pm, Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.
Final Sesshin of Winter Practice Period – March 1 – 4– Bellingham Dharma Hall.
With Zoketsu Norman Fischer. (Thursday 7pm – 9pm, Friday 6am – 5pm, Saturday 6am – 9pm, and Sunday 6am – 5pm) This more intensive retreat will conclude with the formal Shuso Question and Answer Ceremony (hosenshiki) at 2:00pm on Sunday, March 4. Advance registration required. $60 - $120 sliding scale
Sangha news:
Our new treasurer
Greg Greenan, Bellingham lawyer, husband, dad of 2, and a steady member of the sangha for some years has agreed to be our first Treasurer and serve on the Leadership Council in that capacity. Greg will be creating budgets and helping our financial system along as we start taking in more funds through our new Membership system (more on that soon from the Leadership Council!) and also helping to make sure we financially strong enough to give me some support through the new priest's stipend. Thank you Greg!
Looking for an Outreach Coordinator
The Leadership Council is also looking for a new Outreach Coordinator. The job is reduced from it's previous level because Edie Norton will continue editing the newsletter (with production help from Connie Martin), and Brian Davidson is helping get publicity out. The Outreach Coordinator needs to keep on top of our annual calendar and anticipate and plan for any outreach or publicity needed. Passing tasks to others in many cases. Plus we are looking for someone who can take a step back and think about how we can more effectively share the Dharma with the broader Bellingham Community. This is a Leadership Council position. If you're interested please let me or any Leadership Council member know.
Thank you to our outgoing Jisha
Bob Penny has finished a two year stint of being Norman's jisha (assistant). Thank you Bob for taking care of the teacher during this time. Stepping into the jisha stop now is Nancy Welch. Bob will continue as our representative to the Dharma Hall through October.
Thank you to our outgoing Outreach Coordinator
Edie Norton did a wonderful job getting our Outreach more organized than it has been. We are grateful that she will continue to edit the Newsletter.
yours in the dharma,
Nomon Tim
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.