Response:
“How old is God?” A Zen teacher in his
90’s recently assigned meditation on this question to a 20-year-old
college student attending his first retreat. It is not uncommon for Zen
teachers to practice at Zen Centers well into their 80’s and 90’s. At
our Center, practitioners currently range in age from 19 to 67.
Despite the image created by the Beat Poets of the 50’s and 60’s, Zen has
tended to attract people in midlife and later years. Priorities
naturally shift toward more concern about the ultimate purpose of life
and how to cope with suffering, sickness and death. A spiritual
tradition must respond meaningfully to these challenges if it is to be
of real help to an aging population. Resources for the journey within,
and support for the journey together, seem to me more important than
creed, dogma or someone else’s “answers.” Meditation does not appeal to
everyone, but it can be an amazingly effective tool in living each age
of life with authenticity, compassion and wisdom.
Meditation--being aware, waking up and appreciating
each moment-- is usually
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possible even if someone has
serious health or physical limitations. At our Center, we encourage each
person to use the posture for meditation which is best for him or her,
depending upon age, health, flexibility and individual needs. People may
use chairs or even lie down, if sitting or kneeling with a cushion is
not appropriate. Meditation is also done at home on one’s own. As we
grow in number of participants, we prefer to increase our schedule to
offer more times and days when a small group can come together to
meditate, rather than expanding space or facilities so one very large
group can meditate together on one particular day. Besides meeting at a
Center, groups can also meet in homes, retirement communities, health
care facilities and so on.
One of the most important Zen teachings is that there is no old age,
suffering or death, but this realization usually comes as a fruit of
steady Zen practice. - Rev. Dr. Deborah
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