Zen practitioners seek perfect awareness

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Faith Editor

Michael Kieran, a teacher of Zen Buddhism, sits in silence in the Zendo Meditation Room at the Palolo Zen Center. Deborah Booker The Honolulu Advertiser

Our denomination: The Harada-Yasutani lineage of Zen Buddhism.

Where we are: 2747 Wai'oma'o Road, Wai'oma'o Valley, above Palolo Valley.

Our numbers: There are 15-20 regular practitioners, plus another 30-40 members of the community who attend, though less frequently.

Our teacher: Nelson Foster of the Ring of Bone Zendo, who lives in Northern California and makes three-week visits every quarter to O'ahu, is the main teacher. Michael Kieran also teaches.

What is Zen: Zen Buddhism, dating back to India by way of fifth-century China, is more a practice than system of beliefs, Kieran said.

The term Zen comes from the Chinese word ch'an, an abbreviation of chan-na. That word, in turn, comes from dhyana, the Sanskrit word for meditation.

The goal of Zen is to seek direct experience of enlightenment, or perfect awareness, through zazen, a kind of sitting meditation.

Kieran takes issue with the dictionary description of "meditation," which defines it as emptying one's mind of thought.

"Zazen is a matter of learning how to use our minds to focus on a single matter," he said. "In our practice, we appreciate the incomparable beauty and the transformative power of a single thing, a single activity. It is a matter of complete absorption and engagement."

How is it practiced here: When one arrives at the center, he or she hears the densho, a large bell, being sounded. When the bell stops, that signals silence for the group. Everyone takes a seat, a short service begins, and the group sings sutras, or chants.

After the chanting comes four 20-minute periods of zazen, in which each person sits down on a zafu (a round pillow) facing the wall. This is interspersed with kinhin, a five-minute period of walking meditation.

During the zazen, the zendo leader walks quietly around the room offering a kyosaku, or stick. People signal if they would like to receive a invigorating slap twice on each shoulder.

"One of the common misperceptions is that the use of the stick is kind of punishment for people who may be sleepy or slacking in some way," said Kieran. "In our tradition, it's really a matter of encouragement and only used when requested."

When the two hours are done, there's another short service and tea is served.

Our history: In 1959, Robert Aitken started the Diamond Sangha ("sangha" means community).

Aitken discovered Zen as a prisoner after he was captured on Guam in 1941 during World War II. Interned in a Kobe camp, he met R.H. Blythe, an early student of Zen. After the war, Aitken went to California, enrolled in college, then returned to Hawai'i to get a master's degree in Japanese literature.

His flourishing community started more than 20 Zen centers in Australia, Europe, and South and North America. The author of nine books on Zen, Aitken retired to the Big Island in 1996 and turned over the role of teacher to Foster.

Coming up: About five times a year, the center sponsors intensive meditation Zen retreats, which last from three to eight days. Retreats start at 4 a.m. and finish at 9 p.m., accommodating up to 40 people each, though the group generally is about half that, Kieran said.

What's special about us: The Diamond Sangha's lineage is unique, said Kieran.

"Traditionally there are two streams of Zen in Japan and in the United States," he said. "Ours is a younger one, incorporating both streams, Rinzai and Soto."

Rinzai tradition uses koans (themes of meditation, such as "What is your original face before your grandparents were born?"). This form is usually associated with a sudden realization, or achievement of the enlightened state of mind, he said, while Soto tradition is the way of gradual realization.

"The Rinzai way is often likened to getting caught in a thunderstorm, getting drenched all at once," he said. "The Soto way is like walking a long time through a mist. After a while, you are drenched to the bone, but can't identify any particular time when that happened."

You could call the Diamond Sangha the Montessori school of Zen, blending both traditions by using koan study for some followers and letting others learn at their own pace.

Contact: diamondsangha.org or 735-1347.

If you would like to recommend a faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 525-8035 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.