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Konichiwa,
Ever since arriving in New York at the tender age of nine, I have been totally in love with this city. I love the fast-paced energy, the spectrum of lives and lifestyles, the subways, art, grime, beauty, mayhem, all of it. But, like in most relationships, it's good to break out of the rut now and then.
Not having had a vacation this year and feeling very stressed, I raised my hand to go to a Buddhist zendo for a weekend, knowing little about Buddhism, and less about my fellow travelers. So off I went, with a carful of acquaintances, to the Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji , up in the Catskills. My Cuban heart thought, what could be wrong with something named "Kongo"?
People I love and respect in my life have recommended meditation. I have tried to do it, and when I do, it is wonderful. Can't say why I don't stick with it. I kept thinking, "I can't do this for more than ten minutes!" Ah! Much to learn, Grasshopper!
After a long two hours' drive or so, we were in the mountains. This is a wonderful thing about New York. We are just a short distance from beautiful beaches, mountains, caves, waterfalls, the most cosmopolitan and the most remote, in a nap's time. Yes, I like long naps.
The temple is located amid the 1,400-acre Catskills Preserve, so a good third of the way is gravelled country road, very beautiful and green and relaxing, even for the driver. I was very glad for the advice to travel in daytime and to bring a full tank.
The Zendo appears like a beautiful vision in an emerald sea. It was built in the 1970s, but is traditional to Japan in terms of design and structure. Welcome gestures, take off your shoes forever in here. I hate being shoeless, but it is remarkable that my Hanes whities (socks, okay!) barely got dirty. I have black-haired dogs at home; this was a revelation. Dormy dorms, with earth-friendly soaps and shampoos. Futons and cozy blankets and basic white linens.
I was relieved to see there was real bug spray on hand, not just aromatics, although I did not need to use it. Thankfully, the very spartan monks and nuns in residence were not into being bitten by critters they were sworn not to swat (however numerous lives there may be, I vow to save them all, says the Sutra).
Back in college, a friend had shared a New York apartment with a Famous Buddhism Professor -- who has a Famous Hollywood Daughter -- and who refused to exterminate commensal insects. I strive to remain open to receive all of life's mysteries.
This zendo was immaculate. The entire temple seemed to be in beautiful harmony with every living thing around. It sits right across the lovely Beecher Lake, once property of the renowned abolitionists.
There was a delicious buffet meal on arrival, which set my mind at ease about "zendo food." Everything was splendidly fresh and flavorful. This was nothing at all like late-20th century women's music festival food (you know, tofu blobs and gloppy brown rice), the only place I had been subjected to vegan food heretofore. We were offered outstanding regular meals, plus rather elaborate teas. I am an unrepentant carnivore, but this vegan fare was a sensory feast. Less so for breakfast, which was based on traditional rice gruel; I learned to be very, very grateful for fruit and coffee. But I learned that I can be happy without eating Bambi and Bunny, and that it is possible to function on just two cups of java in the morning. Who knew?
Perhaps you think that all this food talk is beside the point of a retreat. Not at all; it is our most fundamental consumption, with deep, deep consequences. Most of the time, I don't have to think too much about it. It wasn't always so in my life. Here, the space and stillness allowed me to think about why I eat what I eat again.
I must confess I never grew fond of the ritual robes we wore at meals and meditations, but now it seems like such a trivial gripe.
We practiced samu (mindful service) and zazen (silent meditation). This was a wonderful mind-opening experience. I wished I had come here when faced with deep difficulties in my life; I believe I would have gained a better perspective for coping. The constant focus on staying in the moment and devoting oneself to the task at hand was a revelation affirmed by praxis, even when the task at hand was simply to sit still.
A friend had given me Lawrence LeShan's How to Meditate, a treasury of guidance, but I had not been able to manage more than a shaky fifteen minutes. Being here eliminated all obstacles but those in our own minds. 
Many ritual elements felt familiar -- chanting, the use of incense, light and sound, reverence for ancestors, respect for nature. In Afro-Latino traditional practices, they are just as integral.
There is much more I could say regarding the beauty of our daily activities and surroundings, the benefits gained from sometimes strenuous service and breaking the bonds of our daily habits, and the willingness to go into this all-too-brief adventure with an open mind.
For now, I am grateful to continue to grow from the experience and share what I have learned. When the next samu weekend is announced, I hope I can say "Hai!"
******
There is a wealth of Buddhist resources in New York and most major cities. For more information on the Dai Bosatsu Zendo, visit their site here.
As a complete novice, I have enjoyed the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh on mindfulness in daily life, and Stephen Levine for very accessible and brief introductions to terminology and concepts. There are many other texts which are well regarded by those better informed. I hope readers will share suggestions. The sutras we read were aimed at chanting, not text analysis, but the brief English translations were lyrically beautiful and edifying; I want to read more.
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