There will be no 6:30am morning in person practice today.
If you are in the DC Metro area please join members of All Beings Zen Sangha on JANUARY 1, 2024 at the U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM for the installation of a Japanese temple bell cast in 1798 . ALL ARE WELCOME.
Location – Outdoor Dedication of a Japanese Zen Temple Bell at the U.S. National Arboretum Bonsai and Penjing Museum, 3501 New York Ave, NE, Washington DC 2002.
Remarks from the Director of the National Arboretum, Dr Richard Olsen, and the Director of the National Bell Festival Organization, Paul Ashe followed by a blessing, sacred chants and dedication by All Beings Zen Sangha.
The Arboretum grounds are open from 8a-5p, however the Bonsai Museum gates are unlocked from 1-4p. Ask for detailed directions from Inryu or Seiryu paula.
About the hanshō
The hanshō, or Buddhist temple bell, was cast in the ninth month of Kansei 10 (1798) by Katō Jinemon from Yokokawa, who came from a family of bell makers in the area of present-day Hachiōji, west of the Tokyo metropolitan area. The bell was cast for the Zen monastery and temple, Daisenji. A monk named Myōdō led the fundraising campaign for the bell’s casting. It stands 27 inches tall and weighs 80 lbs.
Daisenji monastery no longer exists. It was located in the Amema village in the Tama district of the province of Musashi. As is true of many Edo-period villages, the names of locations have changed, but the location corresponds to Amema, Akiruno City, Tokyo 197-0825. In 1868, the monastery was incorporated with another temple, Jōfukuji, which also no longer exists.
The bell is inscribed in classical Japanese across three ikenomachi, or panels, which detail the particulars of its casting. It includes the phrase: One strike permeates all things. How could it be said the strike is slight, when it is heard without fail? from National Bell Festival website
Please also join the sangha for an online Dharma Tea on Tuesday (Jan 2) to learn about the history of the bell.