At the back end of Beecher lake.
I found myself at Dai-Bosatsu Zendo high up in the Catskill mountains this past weekend doing Samu (work Practice). It has been some time since I had been to DBZ and was apprehensive, slightly scared and excited to return. In 2005 I had done a 100 day training period called Kessei and have not been back since. So, it has been some time between visits. I arrived Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon and I needed to unwind losing some pent up resistant energy so I went for a run around Beecher lake. The Trail around the lake was quite over grown which made my footing precarious to say the least. I did manage to round the lake with no twisted ankle though! Then I did another mile and a half on the main road giving me a good work out preparing me for the weekend. I was completely unaware how much more of a workout the Beecher Lake trail was going to offer in the up coming two days. Anyway, after my run...I proceeded to my room, showered and joined the community for evening zazen and an informal meal. I felt so at home being there it was like I never left. After zazen I went for an evening walk, then made my way back to my room and my nice comfy futon...all was right in the world.
Genryu and Dennis prepared for Samu!
5:30 a.m. the morning wake up bell (Shinrei) goes off... up and down and through out the entire monastery waking us up to call us to morning zazen. I used to really dislike that bell and sure I will again at times but it was a beautiful sound that morning. It was like an old friend whispering in my ear from behind me..."Welcome back Chimon. You were missed." I preceded to the Zendo and adjusted my posture. I had a feeling the morning sits may be a bit long and I was right...probably about an hour total with one moment about half way to stand or adjust posture. Being the stubborn person I am, I sat straight through....it was awesome! It's as if the mountain itself was supporting my sit...my legs stayed awake, pain was there, but manageable...it was an awesome sit. Then came the meal gong...we proceeded to the eating area for a formal meal which took some remembering on my part, for I had not eaten with Jihatsu (a monks food bowls) in a while, but it came back to me mostly...just as the meal chanting was coming back as well. So...zazen, meal and then morning meeting and work assignments. My assignment, along with Carlos, Genryu and Dennis...Clean up the lake trail and make it walkable. Awesome!
The four of us split up into two groups each taking one side of the lake. We set out with one person weed whacking and the other following behind raking to keep the path clear of clippings. It was a wet, rainy day which was preferable overall. I would rather have it wet and cool while doing this kind of work. Hot and dry would kick up a lot of dust and would have required many stops for hydration breaks. So the cooler temperatures were a gift over all. We got a large chunk done the first day and by the time we were to stop...I was whooped. Once we stopped we had about 45 minutes to rest, clean up and be ready to go to the zendo for the evening sit followed by our evening meal. After our meal I crawled into bed and slept the best sleep I have had in the past 6 years!!! I stirred once to look at the moon that was peering in on me from a clear nights sky. I peered back, smiled and drifted to sleep once more. The next thing that stirred me was the Shinrei bell...OK...starting to dislike it again. No, not really. It wakes me so I can stretch before our sit and I need to stretch... for sure. Zazen was again wonderful and our morning meal was perfect for the day ahead.
This day was sunny and quite a bit warmer. Luckily most of the weed whacking was done so we only had a little more to do of that. We set out after the whacking of the weeds to get large flat stones for parts of the trail that were marshy. To get the rocks to these spots Genryu used the row boat to float the rocks to where we needed them and I then went and met him so we could set the stones. At the end of our work session,we had gotten a lot done. There were a couple of bridges in serious disrepair but the monastery carpenter (Zomu) was going to handle that part. We had really spent ourselves good and all of us were tired and ready to wrap it up. So it's time for our farewell meal...it is about 1:30 and all is going well. Everyone is eating and chatting enjoying the time we had shared in pretty much silent work practice. I started to clean my room and prepare for departure around 2:45-3:00 pm and get my bags down to my car. This is when I had my greatest lesson of the weekend.
Upon approaching Dai Bosatsu Zen Monastery there is construction happening at the main gate house. The main entry way was coned off and blocked by a ladder. If you did not know there was an access road another 100 feet past the gate house you may become quite confused and for some reason there was no sign indicating as such. I fortunately, had someone behind me to point the entry way. However one young woman did not and moved the cones and the ladder. She then thought that there had to be a different road down and when it was time to leave, she drove off in her Mercedes down an old logging road that has only been used by a local farmer to mine big rocks for a wall on his property. As I was loading my car she came up to me: "Do you know which road is the way out?" I said "There is only one road in and out and that is it right here in front of us." I gestured to the main road. She says "I thought since the gate house is in repair there had to be another way out. So I went down that road (She gestured to a completely different road) and now I am stuck." We then proceeded down the road to where she got stuck and let me say...how she got to where she was stuck, in a Mercedes was in and of itself a feat! There were 3' ruts all the way down and we walked for 5 minutes to get to her car.
I suggested we go get David, the Zomu, for help. He took her in a big red Dump Truck that has 4x4 and I said I would meet him down there. I then cleaned the rest of my room...ran the last of my luggage to my car and proceeded down the hill and to my astonishment...the truck was now stuck as well! So, now we have a stuck car and truck with tired people trying to figure everything out... but all of us still,with a heart of Samu worked together to try to get her car and now the truck, unstuck. So there were, about 5 of us trying figure this out and I stuck (no pun intended) around til 5 p.m. digging in the mud, pulling at rocks and eventually I had to hit the road and I bid them farewell. My drive home I was scrapping mud of my arms and legs wondering how they were doing. I did find out that both vehicles did make it out eventually and all is well.
Gate house under construction at DBZ.
The lesson was that sometimes we all head down the wrong road and get stuck in the mud. Then we ask for help and sometimes get that person stuck in the mud with us. Eventually we will find help and get dragged out of the mud but if we first asked someone who knows which road to head down...we may have never gotten stuck in the first place. There are many roads for us to follow in this life...some of them I know will lead me to a happier and more fruitful life and others... not so much. I need to always be mindful and not think I have all the answers and never be afraid to ask..."Hey, which road do you think I should take?" My friends and trusted confidants will never steer me wrong...nor will the Dharma which today I give all my trust to. So this day I ask you...which road are you going to take?
