Roots that Sustain
Last summer we planted six bur oaks in the oak savanna at Spring Green Dojo. All are leafing out beautifully. If you ask what sustains them, it is easy to answer that the health of each of those saplings is sustained by its roots. If the roots aren’t healthy, the tree isn’t healthy.
“What sustains us?” is the theme of this year’s Chosei Zen fundraising campaign. It’s a great question to ask of any living being, but it is a useful question for any organization as well.
I have two ways to describe the roots of Chosei Zen: “a relentless pursuit of excellence,” and “our community of support.” These both are powerful forces, the roots that sustain both our current Zen training as well as the push to create all the more opportunities for Zen training.
For the pursuit of excellence, I’m thinking of the force that drives a person or an organization to pursue a wild and ambitious goal, far out of reach. Listen to Kiel Roshi describe the level of craftsmanship he wants embodied in the tearoom being built at Daikozen-ji. You’ll hear an obsessive level of attention to detail that will escape most everyone’s attention but it just feels right.
Why do we strive like this? Perhaps because we’ve seen how much closer this intense training brings us to understanding the fundamental nature of a human being. You learn what is important.
And then the second way: our community of support.
The ideas and opportunities that arise from wide-spread discussions. When we hear about the immigration activism of Dave and Sara Rose in Chicago, we all become stronger and more connected.
The work of volunteers who don’t just show up to assist with a task, but who show up and take on leadership for that task. I’m thinking of Audrey Williams, training in ceramics with Kiel Roshi and now responsible for our kiln firings.
And, the financial support that comes in all sizes and shapes. The $5 dollar bill that arrives occasionally by mail – no name or return address shown. The heart-felt donations following a sesshin when people can feel all that was needed to create such an event. And a donation of shares of stock, fuel for the vision unfolding for new training facilities being designed for a future Spring Green Dojo.
This letter is to you, our community of support. I would ask that you please support our training in the ways that feel most meaningful to you. Your ideas, your labor, your donations are as necessary as good soil for our oaks. Bur oaks can live for 300 years or more. I’d like to imagine Chosei Zen can too.
From the woods – Gordon
May 16, 2025
Each June we fundraise for the coming year. As we share stories and reflections, we ask for your support in reaching our 2025 goal of $30,000. Your donation, whatever size, allows us to sustain and expand training at all our dojos.
