Thank you for all of the work that you did for the Tangen Roshi issue of Zen Bow. I have just two comments on Bodhin’s very well written section. One is that a few readers could erroneously get the impression that there is often only one samu (work) period at Bukkokuji, when in reality there are usually three, interspersed with break periods during which one can either continue with one’s job(s) or go to the zendo. His article also suggested that there seemed to be a more laissez-faire approach at Bukkokuji than at the RZC, and superficially that is true. To flesh that out, new practitioners inevitably receive quite a bit of instruction soon after arrival while ordained people with experience, such as Bodhin, are assumed to know the essentials about practice, including temple decorum, and are therefore usually not given a lot of 1:1 guidance outside of dokusan. And they will be watched by the teacher in order to see how they behave under such circumstances. It’s a common approach at Japanese temples.
Dharman Stortz
Obama, Japan
Ever since the latest issue of Zen Bow arrived [Summer 2018], I have been meaning to write to congratulate you on it. If I were to comment on its content, I would have to be modest and write that, with the exception of the article by the person who was rejected for membership in the RZC 49 years ago, it was a wonderful issue. But what really impressed me about the issue were the visual aesthetics. To me, the issue looks very lovely and very professional.
Congratulations,
Wes Borden
Vashon, WA