Contents:
Letter from Sensei
Upcoming Dates to Note
Winter Sesshin Deadline 8 June
Deadlines, Cancellations, Sesshin Preparation
It’s Your Zen Centre – Volunteer Opportunities
Compassion in Action
Wishlist
New Baby Buddha
Trailwalker
For Sale: T-Shirts and T-rees
Trade Me Fundraising
Dalai Lama Public Talk Tickets
Thanks
Tax Rebate Letters
Mindful Consumption – Energy-Saving Tips


Letter from Sensei

Dear Sangha,

To give up because it looks as though you will never succeed in achieving the goal is folly, because it is impossible for you to know how close you are until you have actually completed the work. It might be the very next instant when all the work you have put in will suddenly come into focus and the goal will be won! Or, with a new point of view gained in your understanding of the work, you will suddenly find all toil much easier.

Once I climbed a mountain whose side was terraced by nature in gigantic plateaus. Upon reaching a plateau after each gruelling climb, it appeared that the next one would be the top. This continued on and on. I could have given up at any stage, not knowing how close I was to the peak. Persevering, I finally reached the summit and was rewarded by a grand view of lakes and plains. The reward was well worth the persistence in rejecting all temptations to give up. —Fred Eager

This is a reminder that we often need when faced with a difficult task. Essential to persevering in the face of difficulty is staying with the process rather than getting too caught up in our expectations about fulfillment. This is especially the case in regard to Awakening. However, we should not imagine that having a goal is in itself wrong. A goal is useful in setting our orientation. Our goal shapes our relationship to this present moment, which is actually all there is. Master Dogen said: “Great Enlightenment is not just the function of ourselves or others. It fills everywhere, it is the centre of existence in both the form of enlightenment and illusion. Illusion can only seek Great Enlightenment, and we can never find Great Enlightenment outside of illusion.” Let us seek diligently until all notions of both illusion and enlightenment are entirely extinguished.

The trustees and I plus some of my formal students met recently for a day of reflection about the direction of the Zen Centre. We reaffirmed our desire to establish a zendo in Auckland where Richard and I and one or two other residents or overseas students could live and train, and are exploring multiple fund-raising options so that we can have the means to purchase a property in a reasonably central location. This can only happen with a concerted effort from the whole community – so watch this space for more on how we’ll go about achieving this.

A number of factors are making our Vesak celebration that was scheduled for this weekend difficult, so we are moving it into June, a week before our Matariki Jukai – see the list of upcoming events below. There’ll be more about Vesak and Jukai in the next newsletter.

Note also a couple of times listed below when I won’t be giving dokusan. Two things will be taking me out of Auckland at the end of May. First I’ll go to Wellington to support Richard in a retrospective of his films at the National Film Archive, where we will also revive an old Humanimals piece for the occasion. Then I’ll head to Waitangi for the Third Regional Interfaith Dialogue Meeting, where I’ve been invited to participate as the Buddhist representative in the New Zealand Delegation. The meeting is sponsored by government as a way of promoting understanding and respect among faiths and community groups in our region. Fifteen countries from South East Asia and the South Pacific will participate, and there will be 26 other Buddhist delegates from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, PNG, Australia, Brunei, and Vietnam.

If the Centre is to flourish, it is essential that more people step forward who are willing to take responsibility for its smooth functioning. I find that I am more and more stretched as the administrative work of the Centre grows, so please check out the volunteer opportunities below to see how you can help out.

This month’s Mindful Consumption section takes a look at some ways to conserve energy as the cooler months approach. The Buddha encouraged his followers to be frugal, not just as a way of wisely and gratefully using the Sangha’s resources (though that was certainly part of it), but also as an act of devotion to THIS – to all that is our precious life.

Sensei

Upcoming Dates to Note

• No Sitting AUT Monday 28 May
• No dokusan Thursday 24 May and Tuesday 29 May (sittings otherwise as usual)
• Vesak Sunday 10 June at 10:30 a.m. (i.e. after teisho). Not this weekend as
• advertised earlier. Bring family members (especially children). There will be cake, stories and “bathing the baby Buddha” – no prior experience required! More details later.
• Matariki Jukai 16 June at 6 p.m. Mid-Winter Precepts Ceremony
• Winter Sesshin 22-29 June (deadline 8 June)

Winter Sesshin Deadline 8 June

The Winter 7-day sesshin will be held at the Aio Wira Retreat Centre in Swanson, from 22 to 29 June. Note that the deadline for this sesshin is 8 June, two weeks prior to the start of the sesshin (see below under Deadlines, Cancellations, Sesshin Preparation.) Please send the sesshin fee in full with the application (or make an online transfer) unless you have made other arrangements.

For details and a downloadable application form, see the sesshin page of the AZC website, www.aucklandzen.org.nz, and if you have questions take them up with Sensei in dokusan or via e-mail (aucklandzen@yahoo.com.au NOTE: if you hit the “reply” key now you will get the newsletter administrator).

Deadlines, Cancellations, Sesshin Preparation

At the Easter sesshin a dearth of experienced people and several last-minute cancellations put an extra burden on Sensei and Richard. In order to try to avoid this in the future, the application process will be tightened up as follows:

1. Seven-day sesshins will now have a two-week deadline, others will have a one week deadline. This will help with the planning of zendo and kitchen duties, allowing time for training of people if necessary.
2. There will be a meeting soon after the deadline to work out help with sesshin setup and to assign zendo and other key duties.
3. In future, if you cancel less than three days prior to the start of the sesshin for any other reason than incapacitating illness or family emergency, only half the sesshin fee will be refunded.

It’s Your Zen Centre – Volunteer Opportunities

We are again in need of a treasurer, so please get in touch if you’d be willing to take on this important role. Some bookkeeping knowledge and attendance at trustee meetings every couple of months are the main requirements for the job.

How to set up for sesshins and workshops is a skill that needs to be spread among more people. The best way to learn is by doing, so if you are available on the Friday before the next workshop (15 June) or before the next sesshin (22 June), please come along as an apprentice.

Compassion in Action

Amitabha Hospice is also desperate for volunteers. Visit their website, www.amitabhahospice.org, for information about their excellent volunteer training courses.

Wishlist

We are looking for the following items:

• Sideboard, credenza or cabinets for ZC office.
• Bookshelves for the growing members’ library
• External hard drive for archiving recorded talks

Please get in touch with Ann Duncan annduncan@xtra.co.nz if you can help.

New Baby Buddha

On Sunday Laura Bradburn gave birth at home to a daughter, Micah Helena Bradburn-Hay, 3.4 Kg (7 lbs 8 oz). Mother, father and baby are all doing well, and resting at home. Congratulations to Laura and Bryce, and welcome to Micah!

Trailwalker

Zenwalk and Zenwalk 2, the AZC’s two Trailwalker teams, both completed the 100k course. It was a challenge, but also a great experience – all participants returned with a greater appreciation for each other as well as a sense of achievement (and most of us with sore feet!)

Thanks to everyone who supported the teams financially and especially to our two support crews – John Schmidt, Richard von Sturmer, Zoe Carafice and Brandon Stephens – you were wonderful!!!

Note: Oxfam has been experiencing problems with the Trailwalker website so totals there do not reflect our actual fundraising – the two teams have reached their combined target of $4500 thanks to the generosity of many people.

For Sale: T-Shirts and T-rees

A cool Auckland Zen Centre T-Shirt was printed up for use by the Trailwalker teams and is now available for sale. It has an enso by Japanese Zen Master Bankei on the front and a Chinese image of Bodhidharma on the back. Click here to see the shirts! The T-shirt comes in black, with a few in beige as well, at $40 for members and $45 for non-members. There is a range of sizes for men and women, but especially the women’s shirts are quite small, so best to try on at the zendo before you buy. Inquiries to Teresa Behrens chalice@infogen.net.nz.

Beautiful pukas can also be had, much more cheaply than at a garden centre ($6-$12 depending on size) – but for a limited time only – in spring they’ll need repotting and the price will go up. Pukas make lovely indoor plants or will grow into substantial trees if planted outside. Contact Peter McQuarrie petermq@clear.net.nz to order. Proceeds to the Building Fund.

One shapely totara (about 1m high) is also available. E-mail Sam Hardwick smhrdwck@ihug.co.nz if you are interested.

Trade Me Fundraising

We are in the process of setting up a Zen Centre Trade Me account for the purposes of fundraising. If you have an item to donate please contact Ann Duncan annduncan@xtra.co.nz.

Dalai Lama Public Talk Tickets

The tickets have arrived and will be available at the zendo from this Thursday.

Thanks

Thanks to Murray Russell for helping Ann Duncan and Sam Hardwick with setting up a database for the Centre’s library. We hope to get all the data entered in this winter.

Thanks also to Lou Anne Jaeger for her continuing work as our www.aucklandzen.org webmaster.

Tax Rebate Letters

Thanks also to everyone who has contributed dana to the centre in the past year. Everyone should have now received a letter summarizing their recorded contributions since we became a trust. If you need a letter and have not received one, please let us know. All donations of $5 and over are eligible for a rebate up to the limit set by the IRD. Membership subscriptions and sesshin fees do not qualify as donations.

Mindful Consumption – Winter Energy-Saving Tips

During the last century global demand for energy has risen by a factor of 13. High consumption means more power stations and their inevitable disruption to ecosystems. Even New Zealand’s relatively green hydro stations and wind turbines have negative effects on the habitats of fish, birds, humans and other sentient and insentient beings. Whatever we can do to reduce consumption will moderate the demand for more generation. Here are a few ways to do this:

• choose your heating carefully – Consumer magazine runs articles regularly on the pros and cons of different systems – and keep temperatures as low as you can while meeting your family’s health needs
• place a reflective panel (such as a sheet of aluminum foil) behind wall-mounted heaters to greatly increase their effectiveness
• insulate your house well
• draw the curtains at night (most blinds do not have the same insulating properties as curtains)
• when you replace a large appliance, choose one with a good energy efficiency rating
• boil only the amount of water you need for tea or coffee, or put surplus hot water into a thermos to use when you want a refill (a study in Britain estimated that if everyone did this for one day it would save enough energy to power all the streetlamps in the country the following night)
• don’t use the microwave to defrost – take food out of the freezer the night before it is needed and defrost in the fridge
• turn appliances off at the wall when you’re not using them (your television uses as much power in 20 hours on standby as it does in 4 hours of use; a single computer left on all night, even in sleep mode, uses as much energy as it takes to print 800 sheets of A4 paper)
• whenever possible hang washing up rather than using a dryer
• run dish and clothes washers only when full
• wash clothes in cold water
• shower rather than taking a bath; if you do take a bath, share the water if you can
• invest in solar panels – if every roof in New Zealand had them, huge savings could be made and excess energy could be fed back into the grid (this is already set up in some other countries)
• use long-life light bulbs (and recycle carefully when they do die – they have mercury in them)
• turn lights off when you leave a room