in Red Cedar

I woke up around 8:30AM, left the motel a tiny bit after 10AM, and lumbered back into town. I arrived at the Red Cedar Zen Community doorstep, and the head priest, Tim Burnett, was standing at the door and talking with a lady. I went up to the two, and Tim knew who I was right away: "You must be Kevin," he said. He ushered me into the building; I took my boots off in the foyer and Tim, who struck me as quiet but friendly, showed me where I could stay for the night, stow my personal effects, and very quickly take my second shower of the day.

I managed to shower and change before the noon zazen session. The beginning of the session didn't seem that different from doing ch'am-seon in the Korean tradition: be quiet upon entering the dharma hall, bow formally to the Buddha image, then take a seat on an empty pillow (I had been worried about taking someone's usual seat, but Tim, very relaxed, told me to just pick an empty spot).

The structure of the session was:

1. seated meditation for about thirty minutes (no walking meditation)

2. bowing (three full prostrations) to the Buddha

3. chanting the Metta* Sutra (a gentleman handed out sheets on which the sutra had been printed in English, in prose form)

4. bowing (three full prostrations again)

5. announcements, introduction of new people

Perhaps the most startling difference between the ch'am-seon I've done in Seoul and Germantown, Maryland and what I did at lunchtime today was that, several minutes into zazen, Tim started talking. I admit I was pretty surprised. I need to ask him whether this is normal in the Japanese meditative traditions, or whether this discursive interlude is a concession to logocentric Western culture. I suppose I should ask the logically prior question first: does this usually happen?

Some of the meditators used chairs; others used the standard cushions. There were about six of us in the dharma hall, not counting Tim. We sat in two ranks, facing away from each other.

I had the chance to meet several fellow attendees after the session was over. Edie Norton led bells and chanting this afternoon. She's an accomplished meditator with experience in both Zen and Vipassana traditions. Her good friend Lorna (last name?) was also there; Lorna invited me to join with her as she peppered Edie with a list of fascinating questions that had arisen ever since she (Lorna) began reading Shunryu Suzuki's classic collection of dharma talks, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.. Edie's answers were very educational; she spoke from long experience. Lorna took notes on a legal pad.

Tim was sitting with us, and he called me away for a moment to discuss a possible southward route for tomorrow morning, as well as to call the Community of Christ on Samish Island and see whether arrangements could be made for me. I think we're still waiting for word on that.

I also had the chance to meet Dr. Diane Mirro, the Zen community's registrar. Diane, who was working away on a laptop in the downstairs area, told me she had done aikido and iaido (sword-drawing art) in Texas, but after nearly twenty years of practice she had put it all aside to be "among the snow-capped peaks and bald eagles" here in Washington. She, too, is a long-time Buddhist practitioner as well as a professional chiropractor.

When the time came for Edie and Lorna to leave, Lorna said she would read my blog (thanks, Lorna!). She also said she was heading out to Germany to see her son, who lives there with his wife and child.

I'll be meeting even more people tonight, as there will be a 7-9PM zazen session with a brief cleanup/chores period afterward.

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*"Metta" is often translated "loving-kindness."


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