Last Three Weeks

Phew! It's been difficult to post the past 3 weeks. In addition to being ridicuously busy/absorbed in the program, my internet time has been sucked up by course/housing registration, photo posting, and writing essays (I gave up on hand-written). And, even now, I've only got fifteen minutes before the cafe closes :(.

Well, Zen came and went. We spent three weeks meditating under the guidance of Sensei Ekai Korematsu, whose presence and awareness filled up the room every time we sat in meditation or listened to his dharma talks. He's Japanese, but went to college in the U.S. in the early 70s, was formally trained in Japan, but now has a family and teaches in Australia. He laughed a lot, which I'd never seen in a Zen teacher, and was very aware of the struggles that Westerners had in taking on Zen meditation.

I had some experience before with Zen practice, and really benefited from taking it on again in a formal context. In particular, working with the very formal sitting, bowing, and walking techniques was of great benefit. I also enjoyed multiple conversations with the teacher where I got to ask questions about Zen practice I had been wondering for years. He clarified a lot. I was also given the chance to be the bell ringer for our 24-hour Zen retreat. I can't express how grateful I am to have been given, prematurely, that responsibility. It reminded me of how much I enjoy being in a leadership role -- a spot that's somehow behind the scenes of a particular ritual/performance/project. I also got to see my mind in a new way, up against this very formal practice. There's lots more to say about Zen, but much much more not to say, so I'll leave it at that.

I've decided the topic and location of my Independent Study. Meaning, I know where I'll be in India for four weeks of November and Decemeber. I am going to Dharamsala, India -- the capital of the Tibetan Government in Exile, and the largest refugee center for Tibetans. While I'm there I will be doing a retreat in a form of Tibetan mediation focused on cultivating compassion; I'll spend a week or two interviewing monks/nuns about the practice and doing library research, and then the last week I'll write my paper. Around December 10, I head back to Bodh Gaya for one more week to view other students' presentations/projects and to present my own research paper. I am leaking with joy and gratitude to get to visit this highly significant cultural (and tourist) center. Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet, Dharamsala has served as a major place of teaching, ritual, tourist attraction, and political significance (although it's a very safe area, not as caught up in Tibet/Chinese tension as say Lhasla).

I hope you've all enjoyed the pictures (I'll try to caption them if I can).

Also, if you want to send me any mail, I'd be happy to receive it! The address is

c/o Burmese Vihar
Bodh Gaya, Bihar
INDIA 824231

Mail can take from 1-2 weeks. Don't send anything valuable or fragile!