With the recent rain and the beginning of spring the Sonoma Mandala is blossoming. The Zen Center’s Use Permit revision and new Meditation Hall’s planning drawings have been submitted to the Sonoma County Planning Department for review and we are awaiting their response. Meanwhile we are hiring structural and civil engineers to begin work on the Meditation Hall’s construction documents. We are also refining how the buildings will be used. After the Zen Center receives approval from the County’s Planning Department then the construction documents can be submitted to the County’s Building Department for review and approval and then we can get the building permit to build!
The design of the new Meditation Hall or Zendo is inspired by the Eiheiji’s Priest’s Hall or Sodo, which is where the monks sleep, eat and meditate and guided by Paul Discoe’s temple building knowledge. Naturally because the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center is in America the design is truly a combination of the Japanese and American traditions and construction techniques. More importantly the Zendo is not merely a building of traditions and techniques, but it is a reflection of our practice. The way we practice gives it life and it gives our practice life. Look for the revised Zendo drawings in the Sangha House.
The Zen Center is embarking on a path to hire a Development Manager/Fundraiser to bolster the general and Mandala funds. This Development Manager position comes at an exciting time for the Zen Center. All of you are aware of the many things that have been happening at the Zen Center over the past few years... the SMZC Bazaar, Sonoma Mandala, ordinations, Hoshi Ceremonies and the creation of Wisteria Wind. All of these events are signaling an important transition for the Zen Center and are also laying the important groundwork that allows the Zen Center to continue its mission of providing for the beneficial protection and awakening of all beings for many future generations. Fundraising is also a component of this big picture and the fundraiser will help shape strategies and outreach to assist the Zen Center’s mission. In April the part-time Development Manager’s job description will be emailed to SMZC members and posted on the Sangha bulletin board.
This September will be busy with both the SMZC Bazaar and the new Meditation Hall’s Ground Breaking Ceremony. The Zen Center is now looking for volunteers for both events. There are many different ways that you can help and participate. Parking attendant, food preparation, marketing, event set-up and land preparation are a few of the volunteer tasks that make the events successful. The Ground Breaking Ceremony will occur on September 16, 2012 and the Bazaar will occur a week or two before.
If you are interested in the Development Coordinator position or volunteering for the upcoming Bazaar and Ground Breaking please contact the Zen Center Office.
Because of your generous donations and pledges since the last issue of the Mountain Wind we have raised over $15,000. Now there is just $189,000 left to reach our fundraising goal for the new Mediation Hall. In closing I wanted to express my great appreciation to all of you for your donations and support towards the Sonoma Mandala. It is this very action and intention of everyone that is making the Sonoma Mandala bloom!
by Neil and Lorna Myers
For our second interview with Paul Discoe, the designer of the Sonoma Mandala, we visited him at his Live Edge Studio in Oakland. From the moment we drove through the gate of an abandoned oxygen plant, we found ourselves surrounded by huge logs. burls, tall piles of planks, and mountains of chips. We waited in a showroom filled with striking tables, chairs, bowls, bookcases, objects made from local distressed wood, Paul later explained. He showed us into his office, and we began to talk.
N. It’s been a couple of years since
our last interview. I’m wondering what
may have changed in your thinking about
the Sonoma Mandala.
P. Well, I’m waiting to see what happens.
I’m still happy to be involved, on whatever
level works.
L. One of the interesting things
in the beautiful book you recently published
is your comment on the importance of
blending the traditional and the contemporary.
Do you have further thoughts about this
in regard to the Sonoma Mandala project?
P. Well this is an age-old question,
that’s come up many times, about how
much of the Asian tradition to bring
into zen practice, and how much of new
American zen. I quote Suzuki-roshi in
my book about avoiding overpruning the
tree that you transplant. No matter how
traditional you try to be, just the fact
of moving the dharma to California is
going to affect it radically anyway.
So you don’t actually have to put extra
effort into making Zen contemporary or
site-specific or appropriate for the
new generation, since those things will
inevitably happen. Basically you’re best
off trying to capture as much of the
traditional ritual spirit as possible,
since it’s going to get rearranged at
its own pace. If you try to rearrange
it first, however, the result may not
even be recognizable.
L. Can you give us a few examples?
P. One is the decision over whether to
have a raised tan (meditation platform)
in the zendo. The tradition of the tan
is there for a number of reasons. Originally
Japanese zendos weren’t enclosed structures,
in contrast to what we expect in the
west. The first zendo floors, as at Eiheiji
[a large 13th century training temple
in the hills near Fukui, Japan], were
dirt, so what was required was a raised
sitting area, as if outdoors, with the
building itself an umbrella overhead.
By eliminating the tan, the zendo becomes
a more flexible space, which can accommodate
chairs for lectures, or be used as a
yoga center, or a site for a modern dance
performance. On the other hand, once
other things creep into the way a zendo
is used, the feeling of traditional monastic
training, even if it’s only done for
the day, is much more difficult to conjure
up.
So it’s always a trade-off.
Eiheiji has three traditional buildings,
a Buddha Hall for chanting,, a Dharma Hall
for lectures, and a Zendo for meditation.
Sometimes, however, you simply can’t afford
to build all these. At Sonoma Mountain we
need to develop a single building to support
all these services. This will alter the experience
you’d have if the zendo was exclusively devoted
to meditation.
Of course those things
that can’t be done traditionally, because
of circumstances, have to be done in a new
way. Still, I think you should make every
effort to sustain the warm continuity evident
in phases that were developed over the centuries.
A lot of the way that Eiheiji was built came
from China. You can see examples of similar
construction and use of architectural space
in the arts of the Han dynasty, going back
to the second century BC. That tradition
has a certain power that’s useful to transmit
to the future. Buddhism is so much of a holistic
teaching, that in it body, mind, physical
environment, voice, breath and all the elements
of human activity are interrelated and play
off of each other in a way that can be at
once a distraction and a help. You need to
take in the visual, the audial, and the physical,
the tactile, so that they all aid each other
in forming the zazen mind.
N. In the sense of the presence of
the past?
P. My experience, both in Japan and at
Tassajara, was that listening to lectures
about people of the 7th or 9th centuries,
while sitting in meditation just as they
did -- and in a space like Tassajara,
so isolated that it’s not plugged in
to any particular period -- then time
becomes totally irrelevant, and you’re
no longer merely in the 21st century.
I found experiencing such timelessness
highly illuminating. Basically I think
that the physical environment makes a
difference, that people look at things
differently when they wake up in the
morning and can’t simply go to the refrigerator
for a glass of orange juice.
N. In the last interview you said
very eloquently that “the existence of
these buildings is a teaching in itself.” Can
you say anything further about how the
specific buildings proposed for the Sonoma
Mandala might demonstrate this?
P. Well, that’s what I’m saying. The
physical environment forms the mental
and emotional environment as well. Creating
a space that makes a harmonious visual
- audial-emotional environment is very
conducive to putting you in the mind
of the Buddha’s teaching, and is a teaching
in itself. In contrast, I think that
more grandiose structures like Odiyan,
near Salt Point, go too far. Odiyan strikes
me as so precious and yet so powerful,
as well as withdrawn from the rest of
the world, that somebody going there
might have a very strong experience,
which afterwards would simply be too
hot to carry, to bring back to the normal
world.
So it’s important not to
go too far. Not that I think this would ever
happen at Sonoma Mountain Center, because
that’s not the nature of the practice there.
But it’s important not to become so esoteric,
cultish and sectarian that you make it impossible
to relate to the world around you. On the
other hand, if you don’t make your temple
distinctive enough, then the effect is lost,
and you might as well rent a hall in downtown
Santa Rosa. It’s important to find a middle
ground, to developing a special space that’s
encouraging without overpowering.
N. Roshi talks about constructing
a set of buildings which will transmit
the dharma for 300 years.
P. Well, that’s a good start! Such buildings
need enough gravitas, enough weight,
enough intrigue to capture people’s imagination
for 300 years. They musn’t be too trendy
or specialized. They have to be as timeless
as possible, rather than express some
particular mode of the moment.
N. You talk in your book about the
elements of water, fire, air, stone and
wood.
P. Well, that of course is more of a
Taoist than strictly Buddhist, understanding,
but of course zen in many ways is the
marriage of Taoism and Buddhism in China.
There certainly has been a mixture of
those understandings over the years.
For me, incorporating earth elements
is simply part of the tradition that
I studied. I’ve never heard any zen person
say that you have to consult astrology,
but a lot of teachers have emphasized
how important it is to include water,
fire, wood and stone in Buddhist architecture.
N. When I visualize the temples we
saw in Japan, I think of the presence
of wood, seemingly unchanging but still
organic, and welcoming.
P. I think so too. These buildings could
have been done in masonry, more or less
as Chinese temples were, and still convey
powerful feelings, but in the lighter,
more open Sonoma County environment,
I think that wood is probably the best
material. I’m a big devotee of trees,
I think they’re great teachers, so that’s
the element I gravitate towards. But
here again, it’s good to have as much
balance as possible. It’s important not
to exclude any element, or let one become
too dominant.
L. I was going to ask you, if you
had your ideal choice, what wood would
choose for Sonoma Mountain?
P. Well, I think on Sonoma Mountain it’s
oak, fir and redwood. Those are good
materials for that site, and it’s not
too difficult to come by them.
L. You also write of the value of
re-used wood.
P. Yes. Unfortunately since re-used wood
has recently become fashionable, it’s
also rather expensive, but what I’m putting
my energy into now is taking on abandoned
trees, killed for whatever reason, old
age, disease, wind damage, relocation
of buildings or urban expansion. That’s
the wood that I’m using nowadays. It’s
not always totally available, but there’s
a great deal of it, along with forest
wood that’s grown sustainably. Despite
what people think, wood is definitely
a renewable resource, and in the process
of renewing itself it also cleanses the
environment. So the more wood we use
the better off mankind is. As long as
we’re careful to be al- ways planting
and nurturing more trees.
L. That idea is different from the
usual environmental perspective.
P. I think it’s a misunderstanding. If
you use steel or concrete or glass or
any of those more readily available modern
materials, you do more damage to the
environ- ment, and create more turmoil,
than by using wood.
L. You also write about “mismatched” wood.
There’s a photo in your book of a door
made that way, almost as if it’s patchwork.
P. You mean “contrasting”? Of course,
there again, you can get carried away.
Still, I think it’s important not to
have everything so homogenous that it’s
all the same, since different activities
have different weights. You don’t want
your shoes to resemble your eating bowls,
or clothes you sleep in to be like what
you wear to work. It’s important that
different facets of existence harmonize
together, so that some things are smooth
and polished, some rough, some plain,
some ornate. It’s good to incorporate
all of that together, & to see it not
as a jumble but as a diverse whole.
N. Finally, you write in your book
about the importance of working as a
team. Can you talk about this in relation
to the Sonoma Mandala?
P. Well, in order for a team to coalesce,
you have to have a shared vision, and
that can come from chanting a sutra that’s
been chanted for several millenniums,
or from following the rules to a game
that’s been played for years, or it can
be the result of vision that encourages
a practice. In every case you need a
framework for the group to coalesce within.
I think that’s why it’s important to
have a master plan, a focal point that
people can understand and come to terms
with. Just sitting together is a lot
different than sitting by yourself, just
as chanting in a group is different than
chanting by yourself. Of course there’s
value to doing it alone, but something
very different comes out of a group sharing
a larger activity.
N. Do you think a construction team
needs to be all dharma practitioners?
P. A team of all practitioners would
be a great teaching for people, but it’s
extremely difficult to pull off. I think
it would be nice if possible. That was
how most things were done at Tassajara
in the early years, but now people are
hired from the outside. Maybe it’s just
a matter of youth versus maturity, or
just a different way of dealing with
tasks. I find youthful vigor appealing,
but others find it uncomfortable, and
not conducive to mental health.
N. Here’s an off-the-wall question,
about “jumping off the hundred foot pole.” How
would you say this is manifested in traditional
zen influenced architecture?
P. In the architecture! That’s a good
question. That may be more a matter of
a personal state of mind than an architectural
concept. I’ve never thought of it that
way! I’m a big believer in hundred foot
poles, however. Certainly they’re a little
scary. At this moment, I’ve started a
new business, and at my age that’s pretty
much like jumping off such a pole. And
since somebody took the net of an over-rich
economy away, I’m now in free-fall, and
wonder what’s going to happen. Though
I wouldn’t have done it any other way!
But I really don’t know
how the hundred foot pole would relate to
architecture except in the sense of ‘build
it and they will come’ -- meaning that you
can’t worry too much about whether or not
it’ll be useful for anyone in the future,
you just do it and let whatever happens happen.
And again, there’s the issue of how cautious
to be. As far as the Sonoma Mandala is concerned,
I understand waiting to start until the money’s
all there, and I would probably do it that
way myself, but I also think that acting
immediately on a big vision through a master
plan would be jumping off a hundred foot
pole, in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the
sangha but would demonstrate a vision to
the world, and create positive energy.
N. Is there anything else you’d like
to share with the sangha now, regarding
the Mandala Project?
P. It’s just that I think there’s a resource
here that’s very special, and that it
would be good to proceed, and move ahead.
There’s no reason to force it, of course,
but on the other hand, it’s fine to stretch
and take a bigger step. One of the things
I found in Japan that enthralled me during
my temple building apprenticeship years
ago was their approach to teaching. They
would constantly give me tasks that were
just a little beyond my capability, so
that I had to keep reaching toward the
next step. They hung me out a few times,
but mostly this made it possible for
me to see and learn without pushing me
past the point of failure. They kept
encouraging me to do just a little bit
more. So I think it’s always good to
encourage the sangha to think about doing
a little bit more --to keep the growth
pressure on!
On the morning of July 31, Kwong-roshi,Shinko
Kwong and ten members and friends of
the SMZC sangha met with Christie Green
and Richard Jennings of Santa Fe, New
Mexico, here for a two-day visit to consider
landscaping and water management plans
for the Mandala project. Cam Kwong, who
chaired the event, comments that “what
was exciting was the presence of so many
people representing so many interlocking
specialties -- architecture, hydrology,
electricity, trees, ponds, landscape
design, resources conservation, grant
proposals, dharma practice and management
-- to discuss the actual nuts and bolts
of the project. Clearly everyone there
was clearly committed. The energy in
the room was palpable.”
Kwong-Roshi began the meeting by describing
the origins of Zen Center in the early
seventies, when, after a failed attempt
in Calistoga, he recognized the “sacred”nature
of the land on Sonoma Mountain, and despite
limited funds established a thriving
zen center through an intense effort
shared by the entire sangha, continuing
today in the Mandala Project. A vivid,
spirited discussion of the intimate connection
of land and dharma on this site followed.
Christie Green, founder of Down to Earth,
based in Santa Fe, spoke appreciatively
of the resonant spiritual beauty of Zen
Center grounds. Using an extensive slide
show, Green presented the innovative,
ecologically appropriate gardens and
environments she has fashioned, which
offer aesthetic richness and biodiverse
stewardship together. She has offered
to design landscaping honoring local
plants and conditions for the new zendo
and other structures as a personal contribution
to the Mandala.
The second speaker was Richard Jennings,
founder of Earthwrights Designs, a Santa
Fe company in the forefront of configuring
and building ecologically sensitive systems
to use water most efficiently by creatively
cooperating with nature. After hearing
an extensive discussion of water issues
at Zen Center, he offered a survey of
pioneering, low-maintenance ways of husbanding
usage, utilizing runoff and sewage in
harmony with local soils, nutrients and
the habitats of the plants, animals and
bacteria that compose a livable environment.
Mr. Jennings will consult on a proposal
for a relatively inexpensive, state-of-the-art
water system to serve Zen Center and
the new Mandala buildings alike.
There was also discussion of many other
Zen Center property features, including
the now disused vineyard, the vernal
pond, the wisteria used in the SMZC logo,
the Asian feeling of the landscape style,
the use of solar energy, tree health,
legal easements and the restoration of
the redwoods that had once been characteristic
of the area.
Later in the afternoon the team walked
SMZC property, and looked closely at
the layout of the new zendo, the proposed
kitchen, and other buildings. There was
some discussion about the zendo site,
the extensive grading and moving of wells
that would be necessary, and of the recent
history of the Lotus Pond filling with
sediment. After taking the road back
toward the Sangha House, they also examined
the most down-slope wells and pumps near
the creek (which was flowing). Finally,
at Suzuki Roshi’s memorial, the visitors
offered water. Afterwards, Cam Kwong
remarked that “this was the first time
we had discussed the Mandala project
as a concrete event, with its own set
of technical challenges and probabilities.
There was an invigorating sense of discovery
throughout. These two who came so far
to meet with us reminded us that something
innovative and exciting is going to happen
when, if fund-raising continues at its
current levels, we break ground for the
new Zendo next spring.”