Photograph by Paul Myers

Buddhist priest Enyu Ito of Los Gatos shares his knowledge of Zen every Sunday morning at Saratoga's Hakone Gardens.

Hakone Zen classes help students 'tune in'

By Shari Kaplan

On early Sunday mornings at Hakone Gardens, everything around the Moon Viewing Hill is fresh, quiet and peaceful. Overlooking the lush landscaping is the Upper House--referred to as Zen-Do on these occasions--a secluded building where incense burns, silent forms dot the floor and a warm voice helps them to sit straight, sit still and breath deeply.

The voice belongs to the Rev. Enyu Ito, a Los Gatos resident who leads "The Zen," a weekly study class held every Sunday from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Hakone Gardens, 21000 Big Basin Way in Saratoga.

According to Ito, who became a Buddhist priest at the Myofukuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, the literal translation of Zen means "to sit in concentration." He prefers avoiding precise definitions, however, because equating the term with "meditation" or "contemplation" sounds too passive to him.

On the contrary, zazen--a threefold kind of meditation unique to Zen--is an active and dynamic way in which people learn to be more in tune with themselves.

"Zen is a very deep and wide subject," says Ito, a native of Japan. "In order to understand Zen, you must understand who you are. That is the most basic thing for a student of Zen."

To reach that understanding, students must learn to balance their body, mind and breath, which in zazen come together as parts of a whole. Specific body postures and breathing exercises aid in this balancing act.

"Breath control is a key factor to leading a long and healthy life, but it can be hard to do, especially in today's life, with people rushing around and under a lot of stress," says Ito, who adds that certain thoughts--or a lack thereof--are also important for achieving the zazen balance: "Don't be preoccupied with things; don't clutter your mind."

Among the rushed, stressed people whom Ito meets with weekly are everyone from high-tech CEOs to homemakers. Other participants include doctors, teachers, college professors and high school and college students.

Ito can identify with many of his students' stressors, as he worked as a manufacturing engineer for IBM from 1964--the year he, his wife and son settled in the United States--until 1987, when he retired and went to Kyoto to pursue his ordination, a disciplined process that took some three years.

"The final goal in my mind is to find and identify the best possible truth in life. This is the road for me to reach deeper and find the answers," he says of his decision to become a priest.

Ito emphasizes that everyone is welcome to attend his classes, no matter what their cultural, religious or spiritual backgrounds are. "Christians, Muslims, Jews--no matter who you are--please come. I'm pleased to have you," he says, smiling.

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The Zen classes are held as a five-week series. Advance registration is required. For more information, contact Rev. Ito at 408.356.4019.

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