Running the Wake Up Bell

Each day I sleep as long as possible. Recently, I completed a sleep study at UCSF, and sleep had been going great just before the start of the practice period. I was a little worried what it would mean to disrupt this pattern, even a little.

It seems that the bell should be rung starting at 4:54AM if it is to be finished at the correct time. This means that I sleep until 4:42AM in my apartment at 340 Page Street.

I get up, put on robes and take a drink of water. Then, head out to the 300 Page St building via the Lily Alley doors. I typically get there at 4:52AM.

Walking around the quiet dark zendo with a bell is eerie. I am waking up the energy stored here. I am not exactly sure what I am doing but it is ancient and loosely tied to some Shinto house cleansing exercise. It seem like something Marie Kondo would do each morning.

Upon waking up the zendo, I hit the han and start my run up the back stairs and through the kitchen. Usually, this is before the breakfast cook has arrived so this is a quiet space as well that I feel that I am invading/waking with a loud bell.

All along my path, I come across sangha members in various states of awakeness. I am pained to run by some who look as though they just barely pried themselves out of bed and are now overly sensitive to any light or noise. Some cover their ears and turn away. Some newer folks just walk right on by and wave; most stop and hold a gassho bow. I am not certain which is most skillful.

I stop at the top floor to with our Abbot, Ed Sattizahn good morning, to which he replies with a hearty “Gooood Morning!”.

The descent is nice as I am winded by this time. However, not being able to get to the gym every day due to all the shuso duties, this might be the only good cardio I get on any given day, so I try to push it a little and enjoy being out of breath.

When I am done with the last hit on the han, I go back to my place to stretch and do push-ups – why not? my heart is already racing.

Each day as I walk away from the han on the last hit, I think of all the former shusos who ran through these halls over the last 50 years. I have a feeling that this is not the last mile I will run with them.