The Green Project: Acknowledgments and How to Help

A generous grant from the Nonprofit Facilities Center of the United Way is making it possible for the Zen Center to make headway in its vision to become a sustainable, ecologically responsible center. The Buddhist principle of changing the world by changing ourselves is the idea, and the foundation for this vision.

In addition to daily practices of recycling, composting, eating locally and organically, the Center can now implement green renovations to its site, including a new green-roofed corridor, a solar powered courtyard, and efficient (hopefully one-day solar) radiant heating systems. From Northern Michigan sustainable woods, to recycled bricks and clay tiles, we are making all efforts to implement green practices. We thank our many friends for helping us figure out how to make improvements and changes beautifully and responsibly.

The United Way is asking us to partially match their grant with our labor, and donations from our patrons.

Our sincere appreciation to all of you who may choose to contribute to our vision of a public center of sustainable community, in Hamtramck-Detroit, a former center of urban glory, that has been left behind by many to decay, yet refuses to give up.

Thank you to those who are getting their hands dirty, from members to friends to our fellow labor workers and skilled tradespeople.

Specifically, thank you to our grant source for your generosity, to Thomas, San Muuk, Doban, Kigen and Peter for donating your Architectural/Engineering/Consulting services, and Sunstructure Architects for your initial design help. Thank you to all of the many well-wishers, and neighbors who haven't once complained,

and lastly,

Thank you Sahnbul Sunim, our head monk and teacher, and Zen Master Joshu Sasaki-Roshi, for things that are beyond gratitude.

-Your Detroit Zen Center

H O W T O H E L P :

(First, a story)

T h e M o o n C a n n o t B e S t o l e n . . .

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived a simple life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him.

“You have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift.”

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”

-Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

In Korea,

Clay tiles for roofs of temple buildings, gates and fences, are first inscribed underneath by monks. These calligraphies are composed of names, hopes, and offerings for loved ones, given by passing visitors. A donation to the temple is offered in honor of what will be inscribed on the bottom of the tile. Each tile becomes a single piece in a beautiful, intricate structure secretly carrying countless hopes and blessings.

Ten-thousand miles away at our Zen Center, we salvaged hand-cut clay tiles, made in 1917, from a historical Detroit home, and hand-to-hand loaded each tile into our trucks, and then carefully stacked them in our peace garden, where they have sat waiting for years to become part of something beautiful again.

They will be used atop our new gate and fence, surrounding the whole Zen Center in a style reminiscent of Korea’s temples. And just like our home temple there, we would like to fill these tiles with personal inscriptions, in the form of a blessing, your family name, the name of someone you would like to honor, or someone who needs relief. The inscriptions will be done by one of our monks (the resident teacher or the Center director).

Please fill out the form below, and mail it back to us as soon as possible, to ensure the tiles are finished before the gate and tile-roofed fence is completed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This form can be printed, cut and mailed, or you can email us at info@detroitzencenter.org with your intention. You can also copy and paste it into the " YOUR COMMENTS" link below.

I would like a tile inscribed. Please inscribe it with the following: (up to 30 letters):

I would like to offer a donation of $______________ for this inscription.

YOUR NAME:

YOUR CONTACT INFO: