(See Termite’s original post on Facebook. Most of the photos of Sensei are by Stephen Ziegler – Cockroach.)
This is Subhuti Shibuya Sensei. Sensei was a Japanese Buddhist monk who lead meditation in Los Angeles. I sat with him from 2008 until he retired in 2015.
After a bit, Stephen invited Sensei to come lead meditation at his loft in Downtown LA. The group would become known as the Insect Sangha. Sensei’s insect name was Scorpion.
My neighbor across the alley from the loft was Stephen Zeigler. Stephen practiced meditation and after exploring teachers through out Los Angeles, found Sensei at a Sri Lankan temple, Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara, leading meditation on Tuesday nights.
The Insect Sangha met on Monday nights at 118 Winston on the second floor. Sensei gave each of the students an insect name. Stephen’s name was Cockroach. Eric C. Berg – a long time student and disciple of Sensei – was Bacteria. Brie Wakeland and Kymm Swank were also in the sangha. For me…
“You are Termite. [clacks his teeth 3 times] They are very social you know.”
T-mite for short.
Sensei would come to DTLA each week and lead meditation. When it was chilly, he’d wear a bright orange knit cap like hunters wear, and an oversized sweatshirt over his saffron robes – also sometimes orange. I should mention, Sensei was small, and reminded me of Yoda, mostly because of his round head and sticky outie ears.
The evening would start with a long sitting meditation – then walking meditation – then short sitting meditation. Occasionally he’d speak or give a specific instruction or lesson.
“Be an insect.”
“Follow your breath, and you will disappear. You will never die.”
“Sit up straight. Tuck your chin. Tip your forehead back.”
“Breathe.”
Students sat in a circle facing Sensei. One evening, he decided to shake things up and had us scatter ourselves around the room and face the wall. At the end of the session, he pointed at me, “Termite. You sit facing the wall.” From that point on, whenever I sat with him, I faced the wall while the rest of the sangha faced Sensei.
Another night at the Sri Lankan temple, there was a visiting monk, assuming this based on his grey robes. I’m settling in, getting my cushion arranged, and about to turn to face the wall. And the monk looks confused and asks Sensei which way he should face.
“SHE sits facing the wall. YOU just sit.”
Another evening, at the Sri Lankan temple, there were two Thai women. Sensei looks at them, “You know what your problem is? You are old and you are fat. I say this as your friend. And as your friend, I say, you are old and you are fat.” They both laughed.
Neither was old. And neither was fat. Quite the opposite actually. They thought it was hilarious. I passed what Sensei said on to my mom who, whenever stumped for an answer, would repeat what Sensei said.
One particular evening, Sensei took the bus. Which turned out to be a mind-blowing experience for him. He couldn’t stop talking about all that he had seen and experienced in that short ride. Cockroach was a little worried Sensei might have gotten over stimulated from the bus ride. After all, Sensei spent most of his time in meditation. So from that point on, if he needed a ride, I’d pick him up or take him back to the monastery in my little truck. Which – actually took a little bit of convincing – because a monk is not allowed to be alone with a woman in a confined space.
The few times I was allowed to sit with him in his room at the monastery, I was always with another person, usually Cockroach, sometimes Khema, another woman who was also a student of Sensei.
In 2011, there was an exhibition of paintings and calligraphy by the Zen Master Hakuin Ekakau at the Japanese Pavillion at LACMA. Hakuin is famous for the zen koan, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” So Cockroach and I took Sensei to see the exhibition. Sensei walks thoughtfully through the gallery, but overall, is fairly quiet.
Meanwhile, in the main building at LACMA, there was a retrospective of Tim Burton’s work. We wandered in – Sensei takes one look, “Yes! This is IT! He gets IT!”
From about 2008 until Sensei retired in 2015, I sat with Sensei on Monday nights with the Insect Sangha and/or Tuesday nights at the monastery in the meditation hall.
Sensei left this incarnation in 2022.
