Ajari Tanaka likes to practice Oshakyo (sutra copying) in the morning so one of the final things to do before his arrival was to set up our dojo for that practice.
He will often produce three or four elegantly brushed copies of the Heart Sutra during these morning practices. We also got him some Shikishi of various sizes in case he was inspired to do some other pieces.
But once this last detail was set we were off to the airport. It was pouring rain one minute and dry the next as a small group of us gathered at the airport. Despite the weather Ajari's plane arrive a few minutes early and we got a chance to welcome him back to Vermont after a two year absence. Some of you may remember that last year, just before his planned trip to Vermont, Ajari had a health scare and had to suddenly cancel as he was hospitalized for a short time. So we were very glad to see him again. We were especially happy he looked very healthy and very much his normal self - smiling and warmly greeting us all.
But Ajari was tired after his long trip, so we quickly took him to the lovely home of two long-time students where he will be staying while he is in Vermont. It didn't take long to get his settled into a comfy chair.
So he's here and the visit is finally underway. Soon we will be conducting special teaching events for senior students, finishing a multi-year translation project, visiting Middlebury College for Ajari's annual calligraphy demonstration, practice meditation with local sangha groups and finally gathering for our retreat.
We wish you all could join us for Ajari's visit....
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