here is a poem presented to master ryotan tokuda on the day of my monk ordination some twenty-six years ago in a crumbling stone house clinging to the mountainside he named: ei-tai ji temple / temple of eternal peace, in the lower alps in france. after a few of years of studying and practicing zen buddhism, meeting my teacher one day in 1997 in paris was a pivotal experience. after following his teachings and doing sesshins with him for some time, asking to be ordained monk s