Rutenkai, a zazen meeting in Osaka castle park
+(*v*)+
On September 13th, 2001, when the world was still excited about some plane crashes in some faraway place, a young monk started to do zazen outside a tent in a park in Osaka.
Sitting on top of a moat of the old castle, he is looking down on the world.
Rohatsu sesshin on the moat. Even without kyosaku, sleeping can be dangerous...
Don't these two realize what they represent for the working world? Parasites!
Zazen took place each morning from 6 to 8 and on Saturday nights from 7 to 9.
First there were only two tents, and we were sitting outside, on thin rice straw mats.
When zazen was over at 8am, there would be tea and cookies, or sometimes udon noodles with kimchi.
The scenery changed after New year's: With a roof and tatamis it looked almost civilized.
Out of a sudden a shag stood on the moat.
No wonder there were problems with the park officials, urging us to remove this "obstacle" out of the park.
The materials came out of a near by home center, which also lent us a pick up truck for the transport.
18 tatami mats fitted into the shag, and also the number of members slowly began to grow.
On the side of the castle was a venile sheet, serving as a "panorama window" and keeping the cold wind out.
Seemingly proud of his life as a "homeless", Muho is preaching over noodles.
"Homeless... preaching..."?! Stop kidding, fxcking baldhead!!!
(After the death of Miyaura Roshi on February 14th 2002, Muho went back to Antaiji and the shag of "Rutenkai" was vacated until May, when Tomomi and Muho tore it down and transported it to Antaiji, where it is now used as part of the verenda, shelves and walls of the temple buildings. The old Rutenkai in Osaka castle park is a legend today, the Antaiji Rutenkai a reality now.)