November-December 2015 Rinzai Maui Zen Mission Newsletter

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Change Around the Mission and Paia

People who haven’t been through Paia for a while will be surprised to see how much has changed in our little town.

I took a couple of photos to show you some things you may have never imagined. There are no more old businesses in the town; it’s not a hippie town, nor a surfer town any longer. Paia is a very attractive and world-known “tourist” town now.

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Not only is the town changing, the ocean is rapidly changing too. A month ago, the edge of the sea was only 80 feet away from us, although the beach is returning very rapidly now. The casualties of this summer include 5 ironwood trees and 2 palm trees; they are now under the sand. On that sandy beach, the turtles lie every night. This has never happened before.

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The lawn in our sanctuary has been so green since just around Obon time. We skipped the annual dry season and the lawnmower is working very hard, five days a week. Our mission looks like a floating temple on the green now.

Depending on which season people visit us, some guests express worry about our future, and some are envious of the new lush beauty. We do not know exactly what will happen one or two decades from now, but surely we can feel the impact of climate change on the shores of Paia.

High Tide + Big Waves October 27th 2015

Modern Paia Town and Beach Erosion

Temple Schedule

  • October 30 (Fri)–Nov.04 (Wed)…Sesshin (intensive Zazen retreat)
  • November 08 (Sun.)…Cleaning Day
  • 16 (Sun.) 10:00 a.m. Service
  • December. 05 (Sat.) …Zazenkai (All-day Zazen)
  • 13 (Sun.) 10:00 a.m. Jodo-e Service — Buddha’s Enlightenment Day
  • 20 (Sun.) End of Year Cleaning
  • 31 (Thu.) 11:45 p.m. Joya no Kane — New Year Bell!!

ずいぶん変わったお寺の周辺とパイア
最近パイアを訪れていない皆さんに街の変わり様
をお見せしようと写真を撮ってきました。 昔から
のビジネスは一つも残ってはいません。 サー
ファーやヒッピーの街でもなく、完全にツーリス
トタウンになりました。
街だけではなく海の変化もドンドンはやくなって
きています。 一月前にはお寺のほんの近く80

フィートまで浸食、ちょっとした崖になっていま
した。ところが今月初めには砂がもどり始め急速
に砂浜が広がりつつあります。豪州松五本、ヤシ
の木2本が今年も消えました。もどってきた砂の

上、しかもお寺のすぐ横には年々増え続ける大海
ガメが毎夜上陸して寝ていますがこんなことは以
前には無かったことです。
境内の芝生は真夏以降真冬の状態、みごとに緑が
続いており、芝刈り機は毎日のように走り廻って
悲鳴をあげています。 深い緑の海の中にお寺が浮
いている様な景色です。
どの季節に訪ねてくださるかで、ご心配くださる
方、うらやましがられる方々と様々です。
さてさて十年後、二十年後にはどんなことになっ
ていることでしょう。 グローバルウオーミングを
体感できるパイアの浜辺に住んでもうすぐ三十年
です。

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