Summer Fun

Taking care of Great Vow Zen Monastery is no small task.  The schedule is relentless.  Yet within that, sometimes joy and lightness bubble up and spill over. In all that silence, clarity can emerge, and we get the cosmic joke.  While the schedule is primarily Zazen and work practice (and during retreats it’s mostly Zazen), occasionally we get to bring our mind of practice to recreation and fun! Our practice can, of course, be anywhere– in stillness or activity– in addition to work practice or Zazen. Here is an account of some recent, perhaps unexpected events and creative offerings from this generous community.  

GENERATION X BUDDHIST TEACHERS GATHERING – JUNE 2024

We hosted the Gen X Buddhist Teachers Gathering in June.  About 40 teachers from a variety of lineages came to meet and reconnect.  The residents of Great Vow provided support, and were able to share meals and conversation with these teachers from varied traditions and lineages.  

The mission of The GenX Buddhist Teachers Sangha is to provide professional and collegial support for “Generation X” (b. 1960 to 1982) Buddhist teachers . “Through discussion and practice together, we develop cross-lineage relationships and learning, which in turn furthers the teaching of the Dharma in the communities we serve.”

As if the conversation and exchange were not enough, a raucous no-talent show concluded the conference One highlight featured the highly competitive Zabuton Races:  A tournament resulting in the final showdown: Gen X vs Great Vow.

 The contest was heated, and close, very close, but in the final round, Dojun carried the day by a hairsbreadth.  

The Gen X Buddhist teachers were also treated to a magnificent performance from the award-winning Great Vow Marimba Band.  All were overjoyed, danced, and eventually joined in the fun on the marimbas.  

Everyone got into the festive spirit, including a spritely Roshi in lavender suede roller skates with LED light-up wheels joyfully rolling around (while pushing a wheelchair for extra support).

And the following month the Marimba Band brought joy to the Clatskanie community too!

CLATSKANIE HERITAGE DAYS JULY 2024

Clatskanie Heritage Days is a slice of small town Americana.  In this town of less than 2,000 people, it’s an opportunity for the community to get together on and around July 4th with a fair, a car show, a softball game, a fireworks display, and of course, a parade.  

Every year, the Marimba float is a hit during the parade. This may be some people’s only direct experience of Great Vow Zen Monastery’s presence in this community.  Not just mere entertainers, we also show up to pick up trash, as well as to set up and take down the illustrious Kiwanis Bingo tent.  The legendary Hogen Roshi is the most equanimous precept-bearing  bingo caller ever heard –yet always ready to encourage you to add another card – your inclusive mind is big enough!

GREAT VOW HALF MARATHON (or 10K or 5K or 2.5K)

We sure do a lot of sitting in Zen.  So it’s important for us to get our bodies moving in some way.  And if a little exercise can be done with an encouraging spirit of teamwork and community, all the better.     

Right at the beginning of the summer program, in early July, our Head of Grounds, Ramsay, organized a half-marathon on the trails and grounds that surround the monastery.  Each lap was a little over 2.5 kilometers.  It began with a beautiful chanting service and dedication, a reminder to attend to every step, appreciate the earth, the forest & fields, and for our experience to be another form of practice.  

2 laps = 5k.  4 laps = 10k, and those who did 8 laps did a half-marathon!  After each lap, we rang the bell at the Shrine of Vows – once to keep going, twice when finished.  

Will held down the altar area, witnessing all of our efforts and cheering us on. He was sometimes the only one there when someone completed their laps– helpful and encouraging!  

KITE FESTIVAL AUGUST 2024

On one overcast Friday, to remind us that this life is as real as a dream, Chozen Roshi oversaw as we packed bag lunches, piled into a fleet of monastery vehicles, and headed off to nearby Long Beach for the Washington State International Kite Festival! Some went begrudgingly (so devoted to the work of the monastery!), but upon arrival, suddenly we were all at the bottom of an enormous cloud-filled aquarium.  

With hundreds of people gathered  on the coast that day, all in attendance were united as one cheerful group of “kite-lovers,” smiling faces upturned to the glorious sky spectacle

Chozen Roshi brought a secret kite stash, making sure everyone was a participant, not just an observer.  Feeling the wind directly, the joy of generously sharing a kite with any and all kiteless kite-lovers, appreciating and cheering the trick kite performance teams, it was simple and wondrous skyward refreshment.  

In all of our activities, our practice encourages us to see things new.  To see with Beginner’s Mind, characterized by a joyful childlike curiosity, wonder and friendliness towards life.  It’s important to take our practice seriously, but we can sometimes take our practice just a little too seriously. Thankfully there are not just occasions to wake up at Great Vow, but also to lighten up. May our practice be of benefit, and may our clarity of mind and heart bring ease and joy.