May 27, 2015
Special Delivery: Temple Instruments from Japan

Last month when Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi visited the United States, he attended the Mountain Seat Ceremony at Austin Zen Center to install a new abbot. But he also made a visit to San Francisco Zen Center, bringing with him two beautiful instrument boxes.Each of them contained a small drum, a portable inkin bell, and a pair of cymbals—instruments that would be used for the Sejiki or Obon ceremonies, among other events. These had been given to Hoitsu by Shoko Ozawa Roshi of Shosen-in in Japan, who wanted them to go to a good home. Here is Hoitsu demonstrating how to play the cymbals.

Photos by Shundo David Haye

Photos by Shundo David Haye

 

 

Arts & Culture, Features, News, Zen Practice

On Forgiveness

In this letter to the sangha, Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman writes about forgiveness and repair in his own life, and how SFZC is working with former Abbot Richard Baker to reconcile a difficult past and move forward together.