Wesley and Pat showing off the first harvest of Georgia Candy Roaster Squash!

Before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, Japan used a lunisolar calendar. You can see the importance of the sun and the moon in the Japanese language—when writing the date, the day is marked by 日, sun; a month is marked by 月, moon. We’re all familiar with the four seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer. The lunisolar calendar of ancient Japan was traditionally further divided into 72 microseasons, known as kō. These microseasons last just a few days, and each kō has a poetic name or phrase attached: “The heat finally relents”; “White dew shimmers on the grass.”

As the weather changes and the leaves turn colors and drop, I’m reminded of these 72 kō. What’s the use of 72 seasons? It’s a reminder to look at the natural world, to observe the phenomena around us. Nothing is permanent, yet the cycles of the earth recur. From September 28-October 2, the kō reads: 蟄虫坏戸. “Insects close up their burrows.” From October 8-12, 鴻雁来: “Wild geese begin to fly back.” And indeed, I’ve noticed less insects crawling around—they’ve gone underground. And when I lift my head to the sky, I see the vees of geese flying south. Sometimes, needing a rest, they land dramatically on the water, circling and circling until they find the right path to approach.

Up at the temple, our kō might read: Mid September, too much eggplant. Late September, first of the chicken-of-the-woods arrives. Early October, leaves begin to turn. Mid October, first harvest of candy roasters. Late October, fiery mountain. 

What will you notice in these next few days? How has the world around you already shifted from moment to moment?

—Larissa P

At the beginning of the month, the field below the temple was full of goldenrod.

A giant harvest of chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms can only mean one thing: “chicken” nuggets and “chicken” katsu for everyone. Chefs Weishin, Kaishin, and Pat cooked a delicious spread.

Every day in October, it seemed like I was saying to someone or another—is it peak fall colors? Is it peak fall colors? But every day felt like the peak!

Constanza and Pat take a break after gathering leaves.

Kaishin turned two! (In priest years. And baked us a pumpkin cake to celebrate!)

We welcomed Dr. Paula Arai for a retreat on healing and Zen women ancestors, hosted at the Watershed Center.

Our wonderful retreat group gathered in the famous Watershed yurt, which we turned into a zendo, complete with an altar.

Sakura-shaped carrots for a special dinner.

Please take a moment to appreciate this cute potato (from the Ancestral Heart garden). Doesn’t it look like a little buddha?

At the end of the month, the field looks different: mowed, it’s ready for the winter ahead, for frosts and snows. What would you write down and notice for your end-of-October kō?