Dear zen friend

1)   Summer Fest:   08/16 (Fri),    7 am  Chanting,   9 am   Wood splitting.  

   08/17 (Sat.),    7 am   Chanting,    8 am  Zazen,    2 pm   Dharma talk   by Rev. Tenku Ruff.   The guest speaker has been teaching mainly at  Beacon Zen Temple,  Beacon.  NY.  She belongs to younger generation of Soto Zen Priests. Buddha dharma and vision for future Soto Zen are expected to be spoken.   Discussion follows. 

   08/18 (Sun.).   7 am  Chanting,  8 am   Sunday Zazenkai,    2 pm Walking in the woods.

Note: This schedule is official.  Please ignore the schedule announced in the previous monthly mail. 

2) September Sesshin:   09/06,  09/07,  /09/08 

3) One day in July,  I was bitten by a bee when I stepped on a porch floor outside the back door. There were bees flying around but no nest was seen. 

It took a while to find a nest. It was a big hornet nest, hidden under the porch. Hundred hornets have worked for building the nest. Having imagined counter attack, I was hesitant to do anything and waited for a good idea to handle the nest.  

Soon, a friend was bitten at the same place in the same situation.  The incident was his first experience in his life. He was grown in the city and has worked in an office building. He looked painful and afraid to near the nest.  I said  “Do nothing and wait for two days. Nature will cure the bite.” 

I am bitten by a bee every year. I never looked for a pain killer or any medicine against a bee bite. There was an accident that seven bees invaded under my shirt. They became violent looking for escape.  It was a hell.  Yet, the pain went away in three days naturally. 

There was no choice but to remove the nest ASAP.  I shot water to the nest. It was not effective enough since I was thinking about running away while shooting water. 

A few days later,  a zen practitioner proposed to use chemical spray.  It looked to work well. Two days later bees were flying around and the nest was being rebuilt. Finally I shot plenty of water to destroy the whole nest. 

A few days later again, different kind of bees were seen. There was a different kind of nest in the make at the same spot of hornet’s.  Bees made their own nest at the same place for the hornet!  I have never seen such development. They did not give up. I tried to remove new nest for four times.   

It was chill when the last attempt of shooting water was done. I could not compete with energy of bees. Low temperature may have been the best solution.   

Regards.

Eishin Ikeda

Valley Zendo