Joe, The third one was Genpo! He was always smiling and I really liked him. I don't remember Daishin.
...Bill! --- In [email protected], "Joe" <desert_woodworker@...> wrote: > > Bill!, > > Oh, yes. Those words are kept in currency too in the Diamond Sangha, of > Aitken Roshi. Our group in Tucson is one of the affiliate sanghas. So when > I practiced here with them over a 22 year period, the words became second > nature, or native lingo. > > Each sesshin also had a Karmadana, who assigns samu tasks to each > participant, and sees that they carried them out not only well, but in a way > to help the person's practice. > > The Tenzo was usually a most experienced student, who could also enlist > several "choppers", or assistants, to help prepare meals. I've been a > chopper, but never Tenzo. I've done each and every other position many > times, but was never head-cook, Tenzo. I think they didn't trust "the SKINNY > GUY" to be Cook! ;-) > > Our training of new officers (as we called the service-position figures) > began with Jiki, the time-keeper pos'n. People got to practice Jiki at daily > evening sits, and of course on Zazenkai (all-day Saturday sit, with sesshin > intensity, and Roshi), and on 7-day sesshin and 3-day sesshin. I'd say it > takes several years to become a really, really, good, sensitive Jiki. > > We trained Inos, the chant-leaders, next, usually after a person had been > Jiki many times in many different circumstances, usually over years. We > trained Ino in use of the voice and breath, and in the various instruments: > the large floor bell, the blocks, and the hand-bell (used during vows, and > bows). Ino was also trained for service before mealtimes on sesshin, and > before and after Roshi's Teisho on sesshin, and for Sevices on sesshin. > > Jisha is selected by Roshi for sesshin, and trained by Roshi. Jisha > organizes and monitors the Dokusan line, and serves Roshi as attendant. > > Tanto is selected by Roshi for sesshin, and trained by Roshi. > > Karmadana is usually a volunteer position for each sesshin, and is often the > same person for years. Sometimes we refer to him or her as "Work > Coordinator". Karmadana usually is a long-time sangha member who knows just > about everybody very well. > > Tenzo, cook, is a volunteer position, but is always someone senior in the > practice... and who can cook... and keep the schedule. ;-) > > New Tenzos are trained out of the folks who serve as "choppers" with the > Tenzo. > > Practice changes a lot when you begin doing the service positions. You go > deep in your own practice, of course, but you must also be very aware of your > duties, and timing, and coordination with everyone else of the other > officers, and Roshi. This is yet another way of bringing and keeping our > practice in the world of everyday life. Serving in these "positions" is very > fine, fine Zen practice. Great opportunities, all of them. > > There are TWO temples at a Zen center, you know. One is the Ch'an Hall or > Zendo; the other is the Kitchen. These must be perfectly coordinated. This > coordination is another of the everyday miracles that our practice exercises > in us, and teaches. > > I say, don't miss it, if you have a chance to practice like this. > > At home, I am my own Tenzo, Cook. But I never took on the work of cooking > for 26, or 35, etc., on sesshin, three meals a day, for 7 days while > practicing deeply and closely with Roshi. Hats off to all Tenzos! Hail! > > --Joe > > PS It warms my heart to hear about Bernie (Tetsugen) and Daido. Maybe the > other Tanto may have been Buksbazen? John (Daishin), I think. Great Dharma > name! Or, maybe it could have been also have been Genpo Merzel? > > > > "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > Wow! I haven't heard all those terms in a while. > > > > I never had an official role in any sesshins beyond normal samu (word > > detail). On one sesshin at the Zen Mountain Center I was assigned to the > > kitchen and that was really nice. Otherwise it was just cleaning and > > sweeping. > > > > I did take on the duties of juki sometimes for the normal daily zazen > > periods. That duty was passed around among many of the established > > students. > > > > All roles during sesshin at ZCLA and the Mountain Center were assigned to > > those who had gone through jukai. I never did that. > > > > Tetsugan was usually the jisha during sesshin but other monks including > > Daido would take that on during the normal schedule. Both Tetsuan and > > Daido (and one other senior monk whose name I forget) seemed to take turns > > as tanto. > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! 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