Dear Zen friend

A Happy New Year!

1)    January Sesshin            from  01/18  to  01/22

       February Sesshin           from  02/08  to  02/12

2)   On last day of the sesshin 31st, we found a big owl perching on a white birch and watching us. Each sesshin gives us something more than we expected.

Last year was windy. Strong wind broke tree tops. Many branches fell. On each windy day numerous leaves and twigs were blown off . Too many twigs were on the land, so cleaning driveway became a daily job. Power outage occurred frequently.

First snow was on 10/18. I expected a long winter. So far we have had little snow and mild temperatures. This weather pattern was new to our community. When I take a long walk, I bring an umbrella with me on days of cloud. We seem to have moved to London in England from New England.

Looking at broken tree tops and fallen countless twigs, a theory came across. In windy areas trees cannot continue growing because wind blows tops. Leaves and flowers come out of twigs. Fewer twigs mean fewer leaves. Fewer leaves mean less nutrients for a tree. Little nutrients result in smaller trees and leaves. An existing big tree dies due to few leaves.

A maple leave would change under a severe condition. If a windy season continued, the size of a maple leave would become closer to the size of Japanese maple, which is one tenths of American maple. We might be witnessing the change of woods. A mammoth on a small island was the size of a donkey. .

New year is the year of Boar. By astrologists violent things happen this year. We do not need to believe in such thousand year old knowledge. Have we, however, truer knowledge?

Wish to be a good year for all.

Eishin Ikeda

Valley Zendo