Greetings to all:
I have been reading through a wonderful small book by the late Zenkei Blanche Hartman (former Abbott of the San Francisco Zen Center) called "Seeds for a Boundless Life." It's a book of very short passages, most no more than a page long. I have been reading a passage and then reflecting on it for a day or two before moving on to the next passage.
Anyway, in a few of the passages, Zenkei discusses her life before Zen and the transformative experience that brought her to Buddhist practice. Because a couple of those passages are relevant to what is going on in the world right now, I would like to share her story with you. On page 10, in a passage entitled "The Most Transformative Moment," Zenkei tells us that:
"During the Vietnam War, I was a political activist. I fought for peace. There was some contradiction. There wasn't any peace in me. I hated the people who disagreed with me. That was a kind of war within me. In 1968, I was just beginning to look at the way in which I was vigorously clinging to my opinions about things and denigrating others who had different opinions.
When there was a strike at San Francisco State University, the police came with their masks and clubs, started poking people. And without thinking, I ducked under the hands of people to get between the police and the students. I met this riot squad policeman face-to-face, with his mask on and everything. He was close enough to touch. I met this policeman's eyes straight on, and I had this overwhelming experience of identification, of shared identity. This was the most transformative moment of my life -- having this experience of shared identity with the riot squad policeman. It was a gift. Nothing had prepared me for it.
I didn't have any conceptual basis for understanding it. The total experience was real and incontrovertible.
My life as a political activist ended with that encounter, because there was no longer anything to fight against. The way I described it to my friends was, the policeman was trying to protect what he thought was right and good from all of the other people who were trying to destroy it -- and I was doing the same thing. Since I had no basis for understanding the experience ... I began to search for someone who would understand it."
Later, on page 35, she talks more about her search, and states that "in searching around, I was fortunate. I met Suzuki Roshi, and I went for zazen instruction on Friday afternoon, the third of July, 1969"
So, 51 years ago this Friday, Zenkei Blanche Hartman sat zazen for the very first time, making this Friday something of a Zeniversary.
Gassho,
Juki
sat today/lah
I have been reading through a wonderful small book by the late Zenkei Blanche Hartman (former Abbott of the San Francisco Zen Center) called "Seeds for a Boundless Life." It's a book of very short passages, most no more than a page long. I have been reading a passage and then reflecting on it for a day or two before moving on to the next passage.
Anyway, in a few of the passages, Zenkei discusses her life before Zen and the transformative experience that brought her to Buddhist practice. Because a couple of those passages are relevant to what is going on in the world right now, I would like to share her story with you. On page 10, in a passage entitled "The Most Transformative Moment," Zenkei tells us that:
"During the Vietnam War, I was a political activist. I fought for peace. There was some contradiction. There wasn't any peace in me. I hated the people who disagreed with me. That was a kind of war within me. In 1968, I was just beginning to look at the way in which I was vigorously clinging to my opinions about things and denigrating others who had different opinions.
When there was a strike at San Francisco State University, the police came with their masks and clubs, started poking people. And without thinking, I ducked under the hands of people to get between the police and the students. I met this riot squad policeman face-to-face, with his mask on and everything. He was close enough to touch. I met this policeman's eyes straight on, and I had this overwhelming experience of identification, of shared identity. This was the most transformative moment of my life -- having this experience of shared identity with the riot squad policeman. It was a gift. Nothing had prepared me for it.
I didn't have any conceptual basis for understanding it. The total experience was real and incontrovertible.
My life as a political activist ended with that encounter, because there was no longer anything to fight against. The way I described it to my friends was, the policeman was trying to protect what he thought was right and good from all of the other people who were trying to destroy it -- and I was doing the same thing. Since I had no basis for understanding the experience ... I began to search for someone who would understand it."
Later, on page 35, she talks more about her search, and states that "in searching around, I was fortunate. I met Suzuki Roshi, and I went for zazen instruction on Friday afternoon, the third of July, 1969"
So, 51 years ago this Friday, Zenkei Blanche Hartman sat zazen for the very first time, making this Friday something of a Zeniversary.
Gassho,
Juki
sat today/lah
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