A friend who I have not seen in many years, Ken Henderson, died yesterday in Philadelphia. I met Ken many years ago at Mintwood Zendo, a zendo with primarily Gay and Lesbian students in Washington, DC. Ken and I were on several retreats together at Mintwood Zendo and at Clare Sangha in Baltimore and at retreats led by Soeng Hyang Bobby Rhodes. I have palpable memories of walking kinhin with Ken, of bowing with him, lighting incense and chanting with Ken, of eating with him after sits, hugging him (at Mintwood Zendo everyone hugged or bowed as a greeting before the sits) and of clearing the zendo with him. Many things that Ken said over the years have stayed with me. As I have been cleaning my condo out today I have come across many retreat end pictures with Ken in them.
May Ken be reborn in the Pure Lands!
OM AMI DEWA HRIH
THADYATA GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
Kanzeon Namu Butsu Yo Butsu U In Yo Butsu U En Buppo Soin Jo Raku Ga Jo Cho Nen
Kanzeon Bo Nen Kanzeon Nen Nen Ju Shin Ki Nen Nen Fu Ri Shin
- Mintwood Zendo after a sit one evening. Ken is in the blue box.
- ken1.jpg (105.47 KiB) Viewed 147 times
"Set your heart on virtue: Virtue's outcome is delight".
Dharmapada 9:3
“All beings are Buddhas, but obscured by incidental stains. When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.”
Hevajra Tantra
