Dear zen friend

1)     April Sesshin:       from  04/12  to   04/16.

        May Sesshin:      from   05/10   to   05/14. 

2)     The latest winter was easy to survive. It was relatively warm, snow was little. Our driveway was plowed 2 times only, 10 inches and six inches deep respectively. Snow is plowed 6 or 7 times during normal winter. 

It rained all year long last year. Often times it poured. From that trend, I expected heavy snow in winter.  Where did all water go during winter?

3)    March 23rd  was a day of sleet, rain, and snow. It was not too cold, not too windy,  just quiet. Around 10 pm all lights went out. Computer screen fazed away. Blackout began. I brought a flash light and a kerosine lamp. I expected 8 hours of darkness.  

Lights were on at 10:30 pm. It was a quick fix.  But internet was not connected. Electric devices were blinking and signals were irregular. I rebooted switches all over in the basement and on the first floor. Internet  was not re-connected in an hour. Then the microwave oven had noise with blinking light. TV monitor and video player were not on but noisy. The refrigerator had strange sound. A light bulb outside at the front door was blacked.  At midnight blackout struck again. 

At 4 am,  the power was back. Internet was connected. Everything was normal including the light bulb outside the house.  I felt we are vulnerable to cyber attack or miscalculation of electricity mixture at the grid. 

4)    An old man used to live in the woods near zendo. When I wanted to see him I walked on a path to his cabin. The path was overhung with tiny twigs and leaves. I automatically broke those twigs and branches for the path. The path should be wider and clearer. 

When he saw my clearing activities, he was upset. He said tiny twigs and leaves are gentle. When they are broken, hard branches are left. It is dangerous for face and eyes to be hit hard by them. 

He died a few years ago. I remember his wisdom whenever I walk into the woods. Nature is gentle, a human makes it dangerous. 

Regards. 

Eishin Ikeda

Valley Zendo