Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Golden Highways Revisited: 1998go their own ways and this was exactly the situation here. Furthermore, whilstSan Francisco Zen Center and its satellites had been a centerpiece of Buddhism inthe Bay Area since the late ‘60s – forming into a large and dynamic set of interrelatedcommunities and displaying a mixture of traditional and innovative practicesthat opened the door for thousands of the curious and spiritually hungry – thislittle group had been quietly doing its own thing, in the bucolic embrace of ruralSonoma, largely unbeknownst to the Bay Area Buddhist community. It was goodto get to know them at last.May 16 thIn the evening and early morning it is cold up on the mountain – cold and veryclear. To the east the land falls away and, through the screen of sturdy oaks, onecan see the hazy valleys below us, tinged blue and gold in the early light. Soft hillsand green curves, a fertile aura fills the air. This too looks like the paradise of Oz –a fairyland held in a precious balance.The zendo is an old barn exquisitely converted to be the main shrine of thecenter. A vast Kuan Yin image, of a single piece of wood, holds the space and isthe spiritual pillar of the hall, two other foot-thick wooden ones support the roof.Roosters call during the morning sitting – decorating the backcloth of deep silencewith their russet and gold embroideries. We flow through an oriyoki breakfast (myfirst) with Kwong Roshi, on my right, kindly showing each move to me. The placeis alive with sincerity and the light of Dharma practice. The sun glows through theleaves, all is well.The hall was full for the talk, including one or two familiar faces. I had nospecial plan for the subject matter and, with some surprise, found myself doinga kind of apologia for Theravāda Buddhism – talking of the Four Noble Truths,the Bodhisattva Vows and the Heart Sutra, along with the Mañjushri/male,Avalokiteshvāra/female aspects of the practice, and the Tath-āgata/Tathā-gata, ThusCome/Thus Gone, immanent/transcendent double entendre. As if all this were notenough I also combined it with the symbolism of the earth-touching mudra andthe role of Maer Toranee, the Earth Mother, in the story of the Buddha’s enlightenment– phew.It was very well-received nonetheless and, after the communal meal, whichwas in informal mode, we packed up the car and headed out. Kwong Roshi, hiswife Shinko, Dave Hazelwood and about a dozen of their students crowded intothe parking lot to see us off. The day was bright and clear again as we rolled northwardsto Redwood Valley.No sooner had we got back and I had sorted through the mail than it was timefor tea and then the evening session. It was a small turnout for a Saturday, when aDhamma talk is always given after the 7:30 evening pūjā, but I was quite relieved– after all the grand goings on of the weekend before, it was good to be with justthe home team. The Dhamma talk was on forest life, being with Nature and changeand the reasons why: we contemplate death to know the Deathless; we contemplatesuffering to recognize there is actually no suffering; we contemplate change73