On Sunday, August 15, a group of sangha members came to the temple on a splendid Vermont morning to participate in the first in-person Zazenkai since the temple closed in March, 2020 due to concerns over COVID-19. The half-day retreat included opening & closing ceremonies, zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and a Dharma Talk. In order to allow for social distancing, participants sat in the zendo, the Sangha Hall, on the temple porches, and outside next to the gardens and under the trees. The outside temple bell was used to mark the beginning and end of the 30-minute zazen and 10-minute kinhin sessions to coordinate participants in the different locations. Rev. Kenzan gave an encouraging Dharma Talk entitled "Being a Voluntary Participant in your Present Moment Life". The talk was based on notes from a 2007 Dharma Talk by Rev. Taihaku combined with experiences, stories and thoughts from Kenzan. After the program, participants burst into a spontaneous round of applause at the delight of being back at the Temple for practice.
