December 2021

In this issue:

The Altar of My Heart

The Altar of My Heart
Rev. Master Mokushin Hart

When I was a novice, my master explained to us that when a monk is the celebrant for a ceremony, every action should express the teaching.

I found this a little intimidating. How in the world would I ever do that?

As I sat with this (grateful that I had not yet reached the point of needing to apply it), I realized that even if I did not understand how to do it, I could start by just focusing on being very still in the situation and trusting that the Eternal would somehow put that to use.

Later on, after I had become the priest of a small temple, I continued to meditate on the meaning of this. I had ample opportunity to do this while being the celebrant for morning and evening services and Festival ceremonies.

During our services, the celebrant stands on a “bowing seat” which is like a larger version of the monks’ bowing mat. The celebrant spreads their own mat over the bowing seat for the bows. Then the celebrant goes to the altar and offers incense, walks around the mat and comes back to the bowing seat. This happens a number of times during the service at various points in the scriptures and during the offertory. There are more bows. There are plenty of opportunities to express gratitude and reverence.

One day it dawned on me that I was walking through my daily training during every ceremony. I would bow, return to the altar, offer up the incense, return to my place, doing what needed to be done for the ceremony, being reminded of the teachings with each scripture, doing what needed to be done, bowing, returning to the altar, always bringing my mind back to meditation if it wandered.

At the same time as seeing the reflection of daily life training in the context of the ceremony, a particular phrase came into my head, and it has stayed with me ever since:

ALWAYS I RETURN TO THE ALTAR OF MY HEART.

Over and over again, all of the forms of our training lead us back to this returning and bowing, this expression of reverence and gratitude.