by Rev. Kenzan
Seidenberg
On May 19, Shao Shan Temple conducted a Three-Year
Memorial Service for Taihaku Roshi who passed away unexpectedly on May 24,
2021. Rev. Kenzan and Rev. Ejo McMullen,
Abbot of Buddha Eye Temple, Eugene, Oregon, officiated at the service. Over 40 sangha members and friends of Taihaku
Roshi attended the service either in person or online.
In Japan, it is customary that the third year after someone’s passing is an important memorial. It seems that there is an understanding that someone’s physical departure is not simply complete with an immediate funeral service. Traditionally there can be services after seven days, 49 days, one year, three years, seven years, then 13, 17, 25, 33, and 50 years. Like the inverse of a rundown on the inkin (handbell), the spacing between rings getting increasingly longer. I do not know the history of these numbers, but intuitively it feels like an honoring of the reverberations of a person’s life that continue to echo through time. And we witness the ongoing strength of Taihaku Roshi’s reverberations with the large gathering of temple community, neighbors, and friends that came together after three years to honor her influence
Rather than
providing a narrative describing the Memorial Service, we thought it would be
more meaningful to ask formal students to write about their experiences of
attending the service. Through their
words and memories, a beautiful image of the ceremony has been drawn.
When recollecting the memorial, my eyes take in the beauty of spring blossoms, lines of arrivals, incense offering, a climb to the cemetery. Bodies bow and place flowers at the gravesite, circles form above and back down to the temple, thanks given to Leafye and Eben, then a final circle around the gifted bell. The memorial ceremony brought me intimately to an honored piece of time and space so deep and wide that I felt the intimacy of a circle, where I felt one with Taihaku Roshi, Buddha, and those present, the Sutras, and Soto Zen, near and far in all directions.
--Chogetsu
Remembering our dearly beloved founding Abbot,
A hummingbird who flitted about,
An owl whose wisdom echoed throughout the forests.
Ravenous squawking,
Rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom,
A book of memories and teachings passed around,
Solemn chantings - gone not gone,
Belly laughs of gratitude...
And of course the snacks!
Always a spread of generosity and cream cheese.
"We love you, Taihaku!"
And a bell to ring for 700 years...
--Jikirin
On the day of the three-year memorial, the altar was alive with two vases of fresh flowers paying homage to a now familiar photograph of Taihaku smiling with her shaved head and holding her hossu. Members of the sangha filled the room with gentleness and, like the altar, offered collective warmth for our shared grief. The service, presided over by Ejo McMullan and Kenzan Seidenberg, was brought to life with incense and candles and inhabited with the presence of the sangha chanting in reverence for all Taihaku brought to the world, creating a loving container for our remembering.
--Kukyoku
The most poignant aspect of Taihaku Roshi’s memorial service was the slow, meandering procession up the path to the Temple cemetery to lay flowers at her memorial stone. We were silent, but we were surrounded by the music of songbirds, the cacophony of ravens, and the life-giving energy of spring. Winding back down to the fire, we ended the morning by forming a circle and bowing as a hawk circled lazily above.
-- Antei
Sitting in the side room at Taihaku’s three-year memorial, I had a window view of her white quartz stone marker nestled between the red pines. She was looking into the temple. After her passing, I thought “she left us too soon.” At the memorial, I felt the intensity of how her passing strengthens and transformed the sangha. It powerfully brought us closer increasing the commitment to actualize her 700-year vision of a strong continuing community.
--Junryu
The third year memorial for Taihaku was a time for reflection. After our visit to the cemetery we headed down the hill for a closing, As we began to form a circle around the fire, the ravens began an earnest ruckus reminding us of our interconnectedness and Taihaku's loving continued presence.
--Genkyoku
Although I participated in the ceremony online, the spirit of the day was beautifully conveyed over Zoom. The spirit of love and community that were generated during the various aspects of the ceremony were conveyed warmly to me, especially during the offering of incense and the procession to and from the cemetery. To see so many people show up to pay their respects to Taihaku Roshi was a testament to her ongoing legacy and connection to us all.
--Kinsho
Tiny moments stand
out.
Heather, Susan and I
arrived early to make deviled eggs and those fussy cream cheese sandwiches.
We slipped easily into
warmth and companionship.
I thought of Taihaku
blowing through the kitchen like a strong wind, always on her way to somewhere
else. She would stand tall, pause, and inspect the texture of the cream cheese
and trimming of the crusts. A woman of details, control, and caring.
After the ceremony and
uncrating of the bell, Kenzan’s face was radiant. He handed out the books. His
blue eyes brilliant. His devotion palpable.
--Doshin
I joined the service online. Even at a distance, I felt at one with its deep ceremonial gravitas, individual bows and incense offerings, drumbeats and chanting throughout the solemn procession up to the cemetery, and particularly Taihaku's boundless energy as the Temple Bell first saw the Light of Day in Shao Shan's sacred space. Thank you, Caleb for letting us be there too.
--Honchu
After participating in the memorial ceremony, the following
thoughts came to mind.
The body remembers the smell, taste, and feeling of loss. I sense your heart in the sangha.
--Zenkai
