morning moon

Last night I went to a Christmas party. Then, this morning, I went to the Zen Temple to mediate. It was so cold, my bike was sliding on the icy road, my hands were cold, my nose frozen, and the sky was a beautiful clear green with a morning moon. When I got close to the temple I saw an old monk helping cars out of an intersection.

The sit was great. It was cold, my feet and hands were uncovered and cold, my mind was alert and less drowsy, and I kept having all these old little bits of stories come up, all sorts of thoughts (each one made of mind, and thus made of transparent light, directed by subtle winds))
And prostrating felt great. Got my blood moving.

Afterward as we left the meditation hall I was surprised to find a dozen or so photographers at the entrance of the temple. We hung around to see what was going on, and soon we were all awed by the trickling arrival of young women, must have been teenagers, all wearing beautiful kimonos, they looked like butterflies, each slowly and gently ascending the temple stares, quietly saying good morning as they moved passed us, standing dumb and mouth opened, and then disappeared into the temple. The older women wore black kimonos and some of them carried in large kotos (Japanese instrument). I, personally, was so cold, shivering, I could not believe that the women were not wearing gloves or hats, and the monks were walking around barefoot! Finally after standing around in the cold cold courtyard for about 30 min the ceremony began (and I immediately forgot that I was cold). I think it was some sort of rights of passage. The girls danced around in a circle with these beautiful, big bright fans, dancing like goddesses inside the temple (doors open so we could see), and then, a fire was lit outside the doorway and each goddess walked out and danced in front of the fire, like some old tribal ritual, and then, to my surprised, one by one the girls approached the fire and elegantly tossed in their fans.