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Today's thought
“Good fortune is as light as a feather .... and few are strong enough to carry it.”
--Zhuang Zhou, Chinese philosopher (c. 286 BC)
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Happy Birthday, Buddha
 Every year, on April 8, Japan celebrates a festival of Bussho-e, the Buddha's birthday. The celebration is known colloquially as a "hana matsuri" (flower festival). On this day, a painting depicting the birth of the Buddha is on display at Sensoji Temple's main hall, and Buddhist memorial ceremonies are held. Each year, the temple is packed with visiting worshippers.
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Contemplating the end of existence
Zen masters are fond of saying that we can never die because we were never born in the first place. I’m not really sure what that means but there are a few clues. For instance, when a Zen devotee told Suzuki Roshi she was afraid of dying he thought for a moment before responding. “You will always exist in the universe in one form or another.”
Due to my advanced age, I’m what might be called “an old man” so I too have pondered the end of life and what might be called my next act. I’ve read hundreds of articles and books about Zen and, thinking back on it, I realize now how strange it is that I’ve found precious few outside of the Zen fait h who can tell me with any certainty what happens to us when we “cross over.”
So I’m forced to look inside my own mind and find my own answers. Here is what I imagine is happening:
Life itself is an energy field, the greatest energy in the universe, akin to a river that flows through all livings things — humans, animals, the wind. Everything.
Before we’re born an ultimate power (God, energy overlord … whatever) takes a bowl of water from the river and gives it your name. When its useful life is over, downstream a few hundred yards, a lifetime away, the water is dumped back into the stream. It is distributed throughout the river of energy to be put back into play again at a later date.
Eventually, the energy of all sentiment beings will be drawn from the river … and then dumped back in again when their useful lifetime is over. The energy of the water that was once you will be distributed in the river and reclaimed in some form or another in other living things.
Bottom line: I don’t know what happens after death but I’ll take Suzuki-roshi’s word for it. So, when it comes my time I’ll leave you with this thought … and then I’ll meet you on the other side.
--Don DeMaio
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A master sculpter finds the perfect Buddha block
A master sculptor was surveying different blocks of marble at the quarry. In his lifetime he had learned that there existed a "suchness" to every piece of stone. Finding that "suchness" and releasing it to its true life had been the secret of the sculptor's success.
"Ah-ha," he would say. "There is a heroic figure locked in that piece and a saint trapped inside that other one. But where will I find the stone from which I will sculpt my masterwork, a glorious statue of the Buddha?"
 He had been searching for what he called the "Buddha block" for over forty years and now he felt his energies waning. He had traveled to the great quarries of the world: Italy where Michelangelo had mined his stone, Vermont where the stone glowed with light, and to obscure regions of the mountains of China. Nowhere could he find that one perfect slab from which he knew he could release the most perfect likeness of Buddha.
He consulted experts from around the world. He hired a specialist to scour obscure areas. No success. In search of consolation, he sought out a local Zen priest, who headed a small temple just at the end of his street. When he explained his fruitless search, the priest smiled and said, "No problem."
"Do you mean you can tell me where I might find the perfect material from which I can release the Buddha of my dreams??" said the excited sculptor.
"Of course." "Where?" "Over there," said the priest, pointing to a stone well in the courtyard. The excited sculptor ran to the well and looked down. There he saw his own image looking back at him.
—Source: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
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In the end there's only love ...
 May the blessings of these practices awaken your own inner wisdom and inspire your compassion. .... and through the blessing of your heart may the world find peace...
The Sarasota Zen Group meets every Sunday night at 7 pm for Zen and zazen (meditation). We start with readings and discussion, then transition into zazen and chanting. During times of the pandemic we meet virtually through the magic of the app Zoom. Submit this form and we'll email you the instructions.
Come join us. Find the rest and inner peace that keeps us all in balance.
In non-pandemic times our zendo, or meditation space, is in the Reeb Room on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota (map here). Email us at zen@uusarasota.org or, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can use the contact form on our website.
Forward this email to a friend.
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