English.pd

Cleaning Action at the New Zendo Site
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by ICHINO Toshiyuki
Recently, Mr. HONDA Ikuji, Ms. TSUBAKI Tomoko and I – all middle-aged
people – have been carrying out the cleaning and managing activities on the new
zendo site. Up to the fall of 2011 there was a care-taker in charge of the site. Now we,
the group mentioned above, are acting as the group looking after the site. Especially
Mr. Honda visits and cleans the place quite often since his house is rather near the
hill.
The façade of the hill is in fact a forest, producing lots of dead leaves on the
adjacent street in the fall. Our primary assignment now is to collect these fallen
leaves so that they don’t disturb the inhabitants nearby. Sometimes we have to cut
the bamboo branches covering the electricity lines or trim the twigs of the growing
trees.
Quite near the site live the leader of the “green preservation club” as well as the
head of the local community. When we had the first joint cleaning action, they came
to us and asked, “What’s going to be up there? What will happen to this forest? We
would like to ask you not to cut down the trees.” They were quite worried.
We told them that there would be a zendo. “Oh, a zendo! That is a relief. We
were worried that something strange would be constructed up there.” It is nice to
know that “Zen” has a fine reputation here! This will certainly guarantee that we will
get along fine with the neighbors, and there will be people wanting to join us in the
sitting too.
There are many kinds of trees at the site. Plum, cherry, persimmon, biwa
(loquat), summer orange and so on. There is already a vegetable garden too.
In the cherry blossom season or the plum blossom time, we will be able to enjoy
the beautiful sights here. Also we will be able to produce seasoned plums, persimmon
tea or loquat tea by ourselves. A very healthy future indeed.
Moreover, there are various crickets and birds chirping and singing, thus
comforting our burdened heart. The higurashi cicadas in the summer will truly be a