Blog

Because of another approaching typhoon, it has been raining a lot the last couple of days.
Fortunately, most of the rain this year fell on sesshin or free days. In the past, we had years when the sun shone in the blue sky during sesshin, and when we went to work in the fields it would rain. This year’s pattern makes work much easier.
Today, on the 25th, was also sesshin.
 

 
After the last period of zazen ends, everyone prostrates together. Afterwards, people leave the hall to go to the kitchen and thank the cook. As the last one, the jikido puts out the candles, closes the doors and then hurries after the others.

Twice each year, in May after the rice planting and in October after the rice harvest, their is a holiday at Antaiji called “Obosan”, literally a “big free day”. On these days there is no zazen, no cleaning, and of course no work either. Even the cook is off duty, which means that everyone is free to cook in the kitchen as they like.

Here you see Tsukan, Steffi, Adrian and Daniel discussing Enneagram personality types in the morning sun. The Enneagram seems to be the latest Antaiji fad.

Tobi, who embodies the “No. 7” stereotype, sits close by and enjoys a late breakfast. he does not mind being labeled “The Enthusiast”.

Tobi is seen crossing the slackline in Antaiji’s garden.

Me trying unsuccessfully to do it like Tobi. More practice!

Florian Wiltschko, an　Austrian Shinto priest living in Shibuya, Tokyo, performs a thanksgiving ceremony in Antaiji’s main hall. After the ceremony, we ate the first new rice this year with ground yams. It was delicious!

Today was another one day sesshin. Apart from the 5 day sesshin at the start of each month, we hold these “mini sesshins” four times a month, on the 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th. On these days we sit from 4am to 3pm, with breakfast at 9am and curry rice at 3:15pm. The evening is free.
Today’s sesshin was interrupted for one hour before noon, during which seven of us transported the rice from the bamboo construction into the barn, so that it will not be blown away by the typhoon that is scheduled to pass through tonight.

On the evening before these sesshin, the practioners take turn giving dharma talks on Shobogenzo Zuimonki. Yesterday was Yoshin’s turn. She spoke about chapters 3-10, 3-11 and 3-12.

The English text can be found online here:
http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/common_html/zuimonki/03-10.html
http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/common_html/zuimonki/03-11.html
http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/common_html/zuimonki/03-12.html

Today was the sports fest in Kutoyama, which takes place once a year in autumn. All the villagers come together at the old school to compete in a variety of disciplines. The event starts with a warm up exercise:

Next, rolling a wheel with a stick. the start had to be delayed because of Izumi:

The veterans from the village were quite fast, but then came the monastics from Antaiji.

Steffi was good at the golf competition, she did not even need to take a second shot (but shot twice anyway).

Tsukan almost learned to fly during the tug of war with a team of elderly villagers.

Counting the number of balls in the “Tamaire” competiton. Again Antaiji lost.

A last try by the monastecis to impress at the “Kutoyama dance”: