Hi, how’s it going? We’ve had an incredibly mild winter here in Japan and now the plum blossoms are out, so I guess it’s over. Changes! changes!

Right now in the temple we’re busy pickling radishes (huge Japanese ones called ‘daikons’) and, maybe it’s the slanting morning sunlight, or the buds appearing on the tress, or even the occasional lazy spiraling column of mosquitos but something….. something is turning our attention to the future. Do you get that – those times when you just naturally start to take stock and work out the next good move or two? Here in the temple we just got within two days of having the electricity turned-off and it’s becoming increasingly clear that things are not really sustainable here. We’re still living in a half-burned-out temple and the income just isn’t there to support what we have going on.

So Roshi, the zen master, has been scouting around for another place to operate from. The most likely candidate is a temple near the base of Mount Fuji. We could be moving there very soon. As for me, I’m probably not so far from finishing my training here so starting to look at what might be the best ways to share the joy. I’ll keep you posted. And, by the way, thank you for all your kind thoughts through 2006. This whole place survives on that more than you realize.

More later. In the meantime, wishing you a springtime of unfolding horizons and bright possibilites. What an amazing universe we live in!

Cheers Daizan

Hiya,

Thank you so much for all the help and good wishes coming our way. We still have a blackened ruin on our hands, but there’s a lot to do to get the main hall (which escaped complete destruction) back in use. I think everyone’s experiencing quite a mix of emotions – sometimes it seems just too much and too cold and too hard to keep on with it, sometimes it’s just so obvious that, with all the support behind us, we can get the temple functioning again and better than before. The plan is to have the place re-open for people coming to study zen in January. I think we can do it, but it’s going to be a stretch. Thank you again – it really makes a difference, I can’t tell you.

More later,

Cheers Daizan

Hiya,

Sometimes things come out of the blue. Bad news, I’m afraid. We’ve had a pretty devastating fire in the temple. It started just about bang on noon on Saturday and within forty-five minutes about half the temple was destroyed. We managed to save the main hall just), but the connecting four-hundred year old building containing the kitchen, office, and accommodation for the senior people in the temple, as well as the temple tearoom, are now reduced to ash and blackened timbers. We also lost one of the dogs, but all the humans made it through. Probably the most critical time, from the human life point of view was when, Roshi, the zen master, rushed into the building to try to save his things. I knew that most fire deaths are caused by smoke and fumes, and there was no way I was going to let him die on us, so I chased him in. His office was right near the source of the fire and already pretty thick. “Nani ga taisestsu?” I shouted at him, “What’s important?” He started grabbing things and putting them into my hands – his computer, robes, files, a small safe. I rushed each thing to the far end of the building, but my thought was more on sticking with him – a seventy year old man – and carrying him out if I had to. We got everything to the far end but the smoke was just overwhelming. “Ok Roshi,” I shouted, “Ikimasho – abonai sugiru!” – Let’s get out of here,

it’s too dangerous. I bundled him down the stairs and out the door, He was ok, but within minutes everything we’d tried to save was engulfed in flame. Later, when we were working to stop the flames engulfing the main Buddha Hall, he walked past me and said four words in English – “Everything gone… but ok.” Now, he iterally has the clothes he was wearing at the time and that’s it. All his papers, his robes, his computer, passport, absolutely everything burned up. So we’ve got a lot of re-building to do. Right now, we have electricity, but no water supply (and no toilets), no phone line. But already things have started. The first job is to get the damaged ceiling of the Buddha hall sorted and new tatami mats for the floor. Winter’s coming so there’s a lot to do to get the place weatherproof. Already people around the world have been getting in touch, asking how they can help. Thank you so much for all your good wishes and prayers. They really help. If you’re one of those people who appreciate what’s been coming out of our temple, and want to be a part of the rebirth, the best practical thing to do (with all the bank accounts destroyed, and the weird Japanese system) is send cash. I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but it seems to work just fine if you stick the money inside a card. You can send it c/o me,

Julian Skinner, Yokuryuji, 1603-1, Kamino, Seki-shi,

Gifu Ken, 501-3203, Japan. I’ll make sure you get regular updates so you can see where your money’s going. Right now it’s incredibly busy, of course. There’s so much to do. But surrounding us, the autumn leaves are turning fantastic reds and yellows – truly a blaze of glory reminding us that we have to go through this so that spring will surely follow.

Hope all’s well with you. More later.

Cheers Daizan