The Making of Zoom Zazen
By Pierre Dutheil
As a close disciple of Guy Mokuho Mercier (less than 150 km), I was moved to offer myself thinking that for this connection, there would be sounds to resonate or possibly other help to provide.
Actually no, everything was perfectly organized and simplified on site in Lanau. Many thanks to the shadow actor(s) who made this possible. I was therefore the only “in person” listener.
The temperature wasn’t very high either at 8:30 a.m. From around 10am the time of Guy Mokuho’s start, a low late autumn sun, perhaps sensing the event, had been pouring into the dojo for a while. The temperature had doubled and was now very accommodating. The wood of the wall in front of me had taken on the color of honey, resplendent, the straw of the tatami a soft, warm color. Since summer has ended, these moments will become rare and precious in Lanau. Then the voice was raised…
Guy Mokuho was concerned neither by the emptiness of the dojo nor by the fullness of the telephone. Concentrated, he talked about Keisan, patiently, intimately, about the great liberation that “Seeing deepoing into everyday events” provides. It’s so simple, so true, so powerful.
It is very difficult for me to express how happy I was to practice with all of you, all alone on my zafu. I think many of you felt it too. I still wanted to share the image of the deep gassho that Master Guy Mokuho Mercier sent to all of you, the practitioners of the virtual dojo that morning.
P.S. This is the first time I saw a Zen master doing gassho in front of a mobile phone…
