Departure
As you might imagine, things have been busy here at Great Vow Monastery for several days, and the night before the pilgrimage was certainly no exception.
Chozen was just beginning a new banner at the beginning of the evening, and was (we think) up all night attending to various last-minute details and flashes of inspiration.
By 3:30 this morning there was evidence that a bodhisattva or two had been at work in the kitchen: fresh orange-glazed muffins and hot tea were ready for those few folks who were actually just waking up.
As a driver and holder-down of the fort, I decamped early to a tent nestled quietly amongst the blackberries. The stars were brilliant in the night sky; it seemed you could hear their humming; the Milky Way was a sweet smear of light, and there were meteors everywhere.
I sat out front this morning, chatting with Rob and Ryushin, and exploring the artistic qualities of flash vs. no-flash for nighttime photography. In between photos, I told them that every shooting-star I’d seen had elicited an instinctive wish for the safety and happiness of all beings, accompanied by a sincere desire that the impending pilgrimage go well; that deep human connections be made; and that everyone return safely and much-enlightened by the trip.
We decided to express our feelings in this regard by conducting an impromptu ceremony for an auspicious departure. I struck the large densho bell 108 times, and Ryushin answered each peal of the bell with a chest-shaking THWOMP! of the taiko drum. Meanwhile, Rob was offering incense and doing bows in the Founder’s Room. At the end, he offered a dedication for the proceedings.
Sometimes ceremony just happens to you, and when it does, it feels good.
Traffic was light, and I made it back to the monastery *almost* in time for morning service.
The photos below look like a lot of people standing around in the dark. The handsome guy with the new shoes is Rob, official blog liason for the pilgrimage! The little hairy guy with four legs is the venerable Mickey Bays.
Chozen was just beginning a new banner at the beginning of the evening, and was (we think) up all night attending to various last-minute details and flashes of inspiration.
By 3:30 this morning there was evidence that a bodhisattva or two had been at work in the kitchen: fresh orange-glazed muffins and hot tea were ready for those few folks who were actually just waking up.
As a driver and holder-down of the fort, I decamped early to a tent nestled quietly amongst the blackberries. The stars were brilliant in the night sky; it seemed you could hear their humming; the Milky Way was a sweet smear of light, and there were meteors everywhere.
I sat out front this morning, chatting with Rob and Ryushin, and exploring the artistic qualities of flash vs. no-flash for nighttime photography. In between photos, I told them that every shooting-star I’d seen had elicited an instinctive wish for the safety and happiness of all beings, accompanied by a sincere desire that the impending pilgrimage go well; that deep human connections be made; and that everyone return safely and much-enlightened by the trip.
We decided to express our feelings in this regard by conducting an impromptu ceremony for an auspicious departure. I struck the large densho bell 108 times, and Ryushin answered each peal of the bell with a chest-shaking THWOMP! of the taiko drum. Meanwhile, Rob was offering incense and doing bows in the Founder’s Room. At the end, he offered a dedication for the proceedings.
Sometimes ceremony just happens to you, and when it does, it feels good.
Traffic was light, and I made it back to the monastery *almost* in time for morning service.
The photos below look like a lot of people standing around in the dark. The handsome guy with the new shoes is Rob, official blog liason for the pilgrimage! The little hairy guy with four legs is the venerable Mickey Bays.
posted at 3:52 PM
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