The New (Old) Zen Hall at Treeleaf in Japan ... PHOTOS!

Hi All,

I am very content to share with the entire Sangha photographs of ....

... our new (although in a redone old building) ZAZEN HALL! Thanks to our wonderful carpenters, Aita san and Ushioda san, the new/old Zen Hall at Treeleaf in Japan is now about ready ... the tatami mats are in, the Zafus, and Buddha is in his place ...

... all that we await are some lights and heat. I mean, I could do that the old fashioned way ... with oil lamps and hot coals. But that is why many an old Japanese building burned to the ground!. So, I think I will wait for the more modern way! 8)

I am also moving ahead to organize a sitting group here in our town to come sit in it! It could sit about 25 to 30 people, if there were ever that many to sit in it.

(Please see the pictures below of the east half the interior with our Buddha in the center of the room, and the exterior in scaffolding as they are still repairing the outside which has been heavily damaged over the years. )

As I have mentioned before our "Treeleaf Zen Center' in Tsukuba is not meant to be a ‘Buddhist temple’, but a western style ‘zen center’ as one might now find in so many towns and cities in North America and Europe. That means that it is meant to be just a place to drop in to sit Zazen and learn a bit about Zen practice and philosophy. I am trying to bring a bit of the vibrancy and creativity of Zen in the West back to the "home country" of Japan.

This new addition accompanies our daily "Sit-a-long with Jundo" Zazen netcast's moving home on January 1st to SHAMBHALA SUNSPACE, the webpage of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, where we will be a daily featured Buddhist blog ... sitting there just as we do now at Beliefnet. You should not notice much change in the content, however, and I will continue as my usually dull self.

Here is the Shambhala Sunspace. They have promised to let me know our new URL this week, which I shall pass on as soon as I hear ...

http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/

So, that's the news! Please join in the celebration, and I hope you will come sit in our new Zen Hall in Japan someday.

Gassho, Jundo

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafze...x225-10026.jpg

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafze...all1%20cut.jpg

Wonderful! Beautiful in its simplicity. I've always thought that Zen was the Trappists of Buddhists!! :D

After the heat gets put in, will this be the sight of future retreats and ceremonies?

Gassho,

Denis

Looks wonderful Jundo. I do not have the words to express my gratitude for all that you have done for all of us as your "usually dull self".

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Originally Posted by Jundo

So, that's the news! Please join in the celebration, and I hope you will come sit in our new Zen Hall in Japan someday.

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It's a date. Well, a promise to make a date...someday.

;)

Gassho,
Dosho

Jundo,
This look beautiful! I hope one day to visit!
BrianW

Wow, Jundo, this is awesome, congratulations! It looks great.

Looks wonderful! Congratulations.

Wonderful!! Next time im in your neighborhood (;)) I would be honored to have a sit there with you! (or anywhere)

Gassho
Shohei

Looks like a great place to ....well, sit.

-Brian

We will all sit there again and again and again...

gassho


Taigu

Very nice!

Ron

Um, is it wheelchair accessible?
Otherwise I will have to sit "there" from "here."
Assuming I ever get there, anyway.

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Originally Posted by AlanLa

Um, is it wheelchair accessible?
Otherwise I will have to sit "there" from "here."
Assuming I ever get there, anyway.

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It is! I made sure. Several of the sitting benches pull out for wheelchair access and or chairs to be substituted!

Gassho, J

Much appreciated, Jundo :!:

Looks great! :D I would love to visit some day!

Hello all,

It looks wonderful - I too would love to come see it in person. Until then, I will admire from afar... still sitting with you.

Gassho,
Kelly (Jinmei)

Looks great!

I hope to visit someday . . .


Gassho,
Eika

It is mostly so I can get a local sitting group organized here ... and have a place for folks to sit when they visit ... away from Tin Tin the cat's "Katz" teachings ... :)

.

Dear Jundo
Wonderful and beautiful 'extension' for our Sangha gathering on the four winds.
Hope to meet and sit with you and other leafers there one day.
Between times (and out of time) ... sitting with you anyway.
Thank you for the energy and efforts you give to creating these lovely connections.

Deep bow
Nadi

well Jundo, im sold...

all i need now is the money to come visit for a while. unfortunately a flight to japan from israel costs about 900-1000 USD. which is too much money for me right now. but the way it looks makes me want to just say to hell with it and go there to sit with you.

hope to do so some day and sit with you in person.

Gassho, Dojin.

congrats, you deserve it!!
gassho

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Originally Posted by Jundo

(Please see the pictures below of the east half the interior with our Buddha in the center of the room,

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Where is Buddha?
:mrgreen:

Beautiful zendo, Jundo. I look forward to sitting with you "here" and "there."

Gassho, Jean

simple

beautiful

I will be there in person if ever I can manage it.

Gassho

Very nice! Looks gorgeous.Would be awesome to be able to sit there one day.

Dave _/_

Hi,

Thank you guys, and I hope many of you will come to sit in it. Don't expect much when you come ... not a glorious temple or Shangri-la ... just a Japanese house, some farm buildings, one of which is now the Zen Hall. It is not fancy, not simple, not big, not small, not Japanese, not Western ... and all of those, just like this whole Sangha.

Of course, it is important to not be attached to any place, building or the things in it. The Buddha's Way is not limited by anything like that. Sitting where you are, sitting here, all the same ... different but the same. I built it mostly so I can get a local group sitting in our town, without the constant teachings of Master Tin Tin the Cat ("KATZ!"). :)

Gassho, Jundo

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Originally Posted by Jundo

It is mostly so I can get a local sitting group organized here ... and have a place for folks to sit when they visit ... away from Tin Tin the cat's "Katz" teachings ... :)

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Cute.

Nice Zendo, Jundo!

I especially like the zafus wrapped in plastic!

Chet

Beautiful Jundo!

Congratulations, very nice,

Hope to come in 2011 ( travel to Japan)

Gassho

Joris

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Originally Posted by disastermouse

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Originally Posted by Jundo

It is mostly so I can get a local sitting group organized here ... and have a place for folks to sit when they visit ... away from Tin Tin the cat's "Katz" teachings ... :)

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Cute.

Nice Zendo, Jundo!

I especially like the zafus wrapped in plastic!

Chet

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Agreed and im not sure why !

Gets me thinking -Soon. Leaning in - lol like some perfect snapshot of a point - where all exausted paths collapse in and where all possibilities launch from - or I just like it cuz they are still new and shiny in plastic. I like shiny things! :D

Gassho
Shohei

Wow, wonderful... Jundo...

Really peaceful place... hoping one day can sit there... :D

Gassho, mujo

so beautiful, elegant in its' simplicity, welcoming in its' openness. gassho, ann

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Originally Posted by Jundo

... all that we await are some lights and heat. I mean, I could do that the old fashioned way ... with oil lamps and hot coals.

Gassho, Jundo

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Jundo I am shocked! The true old fashioned way is to knock a hole in the ceiling and let the snow in! (actually jsut to find a really old building and not repair the roof - but one could cheat). But then Dogen, radical that he is, said "not too hot, not too cold"

But seriously, no zabutons?

gassho
rowan

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Originally Posted by Jinho

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Originally Posted by Jundo

... all that we await are some lights and heat. I mean, I could do that the old fashioned way ... with oil lamps and hot coals.

Gassho, Jundo

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Jundo I am shocked! The true old fashioned way is to knock a hole in the ceiling and let the snow in! (actually jsut to find a really old building and not repair the roof - but one could cheat). But then Dogen, radical that he is, said "not too hot, not too cold"

But seriously, no zabutons?

gassho
rowan

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BYOZ!! :)

Gassho and hi Jinho!! :)

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Originally Posted by Jinho

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Originally Posted by Jundo

Jundo I am shocked! The true old fashioned way is to knock a hole in the ceiling and let the snow in! (actually jsut to find a really old building and not repair the roof - but one could cheat). But then Dogen, radical that he is, said "not too hot, not too cold"

But seriously, no zabutons?

gassho
rowan

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Hey, Row ... I have already had pneumonia once this year!

I have sat Sesshin in the mountains, with snow landing on my shoulders through the open windows. Mostly, Soto Zendo are comfortably heated in Japan ... all things in moderation, including the thermostat.

As to Zabutons ... I find them not so necessary on Tatami, which is already a cushion. But I may get some more.

Gassho, Jundo

Wonderful, Jundo! Like others I hope to drop on by some day as well :)