Empty Hand Zen Center

All photos by Glynn Ensho Debrocky

By Sharon Latimer Mosley

Three minutes of Zazen-seated meditation can feel like a long time to children inside on a bright breezy Saturday afternoon.  Each gathering of “Zen Kids” begins with Zazen instruction, a brief sitting period and includes an art project tied to a Buddhist teaching.

 “We put our hands in the cosmic Mudra” instructed Teacher Susan Ji-on Postal to the attentive young eyes seated in front of her in a semi-circle.

 “I’m holding a pear,” a young boy seated to her right announced with an accomplished smile. Susan smiled back at him with a gentle nod. 

“At the sound of the bell, we will sit for three minutes” she continued.  

After a minute of sitting, the young boy began to fidget a bit.

 “Breathe through your pear” Susan reminded. The young boy settled back into Zazen, her instruction immediately clear.

Susan followed the 3 minute Zazen telling the story of the founding of New Rochelle based on the children’s historical fiction book, “Escape across the Wide Sea” by Katherine Kirkpatrick. The story follows a young disabled Huguenot boy, Daniel Bonnet and his family’s escape from religious persecution in France to New Rochelle.

 The group, dubbed “little detectives” by Susan, was challenged to find historical surnames mentioned in the book at Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery, the original site of the first Huguenot Church some 300 years ago -a short walk from the Empty Hand Zen Center.  

“Well, I like to learn about history,” Zoe of Zen Kids explained. “They lived here and they started New Rochelle.”

When the children arrived at Trinity Church Cemetery, they were each given a long piece of paper, tape and an oil pastel to do rubbings which capture the imprint of headstones of the historical surnames they recognized.

“That tombstone looks cool because of the picture carved at the top,” noted Shevaun. “Like there are angels out there and it tells me not to be afraid to die.”

Some of the stones were toppled, others too weathered to read. Undaunted, the children continued, carefully moving around the cemetery, then shouting their finds with requests for new sheets of paper for a rubbing.    

“He lived 27 years” reported Aiden after viewing the tombstone of “Ashe.” You need to know how old he was. It’s important for kids to learn about age.”

After proudly waving their historical discoveries in front of parents who stood nearby, it was time to return to Empty Hand Zen Center for a light snack.

“It’s nice,” observed Chloe under a berried shade tree in the middle of the cemetery. “because all the Allaires are buried together.”

This was an afternoon of infinite kindness expressed in careful rubbings of time past in blue, green, orange and pink.

With many thanks to Janice Haynes for her kind assistance during this field-trip.