radhardened (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
radhardened) wrote2011-05-10 07:22 pm
radhardened) wrote2011-05-10 07:22 pm
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May 10
This morning was our (monthly, I think) lecture on Zen followed by a session of zazen. Matsunami-sensei talked about Daitoku-ji and the seaport city of Sakai in the Muromachi period. He also talked about monastic life and gave us a handout comparing a typical daily schedule in a Zen monastery in Japan, a Trappist abbey in the U.S.A., and a Benedictine monastery in Australia. Common features are an early start to the day (between 3 and 6 a.m.), meditation, prayer, and work. The Zen monks are unique among the three in their practice of takahatsu and in their five tea times throughout the day. The tea might be necessary to function: while the Trappists and Benedictines (seem to) have an opportunity for at least seven hours of sleep per night, the Zen monks don't appear to have the opportunity for even four. That is certainly not the life for me.
Jitsugi was our final hakobi usucha practice for a while. (Tomorrow we start using tana.) The unlacquered kiri-makie hiranatsume from Friday's welcome chakai appeared in our mizuya. Today's omogashi was kashiwamochi (pictured), but we didn't eat them in our class since Hamana-sensei thought we could use some practice handling a higashi-bon (tray for dry sweets), so we took them home. Kashiwamochi is anko-filled mochi wrapped in an (inedible) oak leaf.
Today was rainy with a high of 77°F/25°C. It's not even the rainy season yet, and already our faces are dripping with sweat when its our turn in front of the brazier (furo). We'll be wearing lined kimono (awase) for the rest of the month, and I expect it's only going to get worse.
Jitsugi was our final hakobi usucha practice for a while. (Tomorrow we start using tana.) The unlacquered kiri-makie hiranatsume from Friday's welcome chakai appeared in our mizuya. Today's omogashi was kashiwamochi (pictured), but we didn't eat them in our class since Hamana-sensei thought we could use some practice handling a higashi-bon (tray for dry sweets), so we took them home. Kashiwamochi is anko-filled mochi wrapped in an (inedible) oak leaf.Today was rainy with a high of 77°F/25°C. It's not even the rainy season yet, and already our faces are dripping with sweat when its our turn in front of the brazier (furo). We'll be wearing lined kimono (awase) for the rest of the month, and I expect it's only going to get worse.