When it rains in Japan, it pours. But since we are out of the rainy season, for the most part anyway, it clears up and gets really nice between showers. The raindrops are huge! View out my window:
My super hectic workload this morning actually was rather manageable, I think I did well on both my quiz and test, and after a fun lunch at the dining hall, I went to a Zori Making Seminar!! From plastic rope, a few twisty-ties, and two dozen pieces of ripped fabric I’m making the most comfortable shoes! The entire process involves weaving the fabric in between the four strands of rope. I find monotony rather relaxing (think: knitting) but it was also really exciting. I have to go back for a little while tomorrow to finish up the back and attach the strap, but overall I am really happy with my 2½ hours of work.
Immediately after the Zori Making Seminar, I walked to the 99Shop (dollar store) and the base floor of Ito Yokado (department store) to go grocery shopping. Over this past week, I ate everything that I had stocked up on, so it was time for a refill. They were selling freshly caught (I mean shipped today!) eel for really cheap so I got a bento and ate it for dinner. I love eel. It just melts in your mouth. I might have a problem coming home and not eating fish/seafood products. We’ll see how attached I get in the next five months…
EDIT: It turns out that July 30 this year is Eel Day (hence all the cheap, amazingly fresh eel)! On 土用の丑の日, eel is eaten because it is the hottest day of the summer and eel is high in vitamins A and B as well as protein which is meant to restore stamina that's been drained from the summer heat. mmm... I sure feel good!
Straight from the department store I walked to the Zen Temple. Every Monday they offer meditation open to the public, so I think I am going to go every week. It’s the same temple I visited two weeks ago with other students from SCJ (Summer Courses in Japan—the program I am doing). We got there just in time, sat down on the cushions facing the wall in the lotus position (crossed legs with feet on your knees), and breathed deeply. It was amazing. After an hour of silent meditation followed by a ten-minute walking-breathing meditation, another half hour of silence and half hour of chanting, I feel at peace. That’s definitely the word for it: 平気. I was able to really clear my mind sometimes and work through things that had been bothering me other times. And although I had to change positions a few times, I never got extremely painful or stiff. This is exactly what I need. This is the Japan that I have been searching for in between wrappers from dollar store candy and Japanese maple trees. Of course it is sitting inside, waiting for me to open up and see.
The main thing I want to accomplish in Japan is learning how to just be.
座りだけ。Suwaridake. To only sit.
5 comments:
Insight means you have a vision, an insight into reality. Stopping is also to see, and seeing helps to stop. The two are one. We do so much, we run so quickly, the situation is difficult and many people say, "Don't just sit there, do something." But doing more things may make the situation worse. So you should say, "Don't just do something, sit there." Sit there, stop, be yourself first, and begin from there. That is the meaning of meditation. When you are in the meditation hall or at home or wherever you are, you can do that. But you have to really sit. Just sitting is not enough. Sit and be. Sitting without being is not sitting. Be stopping and seeing.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
What is 座りだけ?
In Chinese, 座 is used as a measure word when talking about mountains and other large objects.
we're so proud of you
you are eating meat now?!
....yummy...haha
i don't think you'll have a problem not eating fish when you get back. because it'll be dining hall fish. up and down, mixed reviews.
i miss you mucho and am working to clear off space on my computer to re-download skype and talk to you.
keep writing, because we are still reading.
i love love love moanica.
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