Rohatsu at IngenJi Temple County Clare Ireland
Rohatsu the Sesshin that takes place between 1st and 8th of December in the Soto Zen tradition has been a time of intense practice for many hundreds of years. Occurring as it does at the winter solstice it offers an ideal time to sink inwards along with the whole of nature. Trees are bare, the sap has dried up and the fields are bare, with even the grass losing its green glow. IngenJi far away from any city or large town is isolated, embraced by deep silence and tranquility. It is even a mile and half away from any main road and main roads in this part of Ireland are not exactly crowded!
Ingen and I arrived at IngenJi after a four hour drive from Dublin. It was an icy cold day and IngenJi was not much warmer than the temperature outside. But with the heating on and the ancient boiler groaning the old farmhouse gradually warmed up. By the time Ingen had picked up Clare from Shannon airport and Ross, Paddy and Brian from Meenagh we preferred to sit and eat soup and chat rather than follow the appointed schedule for the evening. Ingen had set an intensive schedule based on retreats that he had sat with Shohaku Okamura several years ago. This schedule removes the forms of services and talks and concentrates entirely on ‘just sitting,’ (shikantaza) apart from the Refuges in Pali at the end of the day. I found that this helped my concentration and focus especially as many sessions of sitting were 'front loaded' into the morning and early afternoon when I am at my best physically and mentally. Despite the intensity there were times to rest and relax or to walk the fields surrounding the temple which has impressive views towards distant hills and even glimpses of the lovely Lough Derg. We ate all three meals in the zendo using a simplified Oriyoki form devised by Ingen. This worked very well and after a couple of days flowed easily with little or no interruption to the intensity of our sitting practice. As the days went by that wonderful sense of deep practice and intimacy evolved in the silence. I was reminded of why I am particularly drawn to Rohatsu, this ancient midwinter sesshin. It seems to me that IngenJi because of its remote location and setting is particularly suited to enhance this beautiful practice. I'd like to offer deep thanks to Brian, Paddy, Ross, Clare and of course Ingen for making this rich experience possible. If at all possible I’ll be back next year!
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