Several months ago, I sent a Survey regarding Branching Streams Teacher Support to teachers and/or board members of about 75 sanghas. The Report is now ready (attached). We will also make it available on the Branching Streams website. Great appreciation to Jon Voss of Mid City Zen in New Orleans and Douglas Floyd of Ancient Dragon Zen Gate for the many hours they spent crafting the survey and summarizing the results. We hope you will find it useful and welcome your comments. Does the report raise any questions for you? Are there other resources you feel you need?
I began writing this Newsette last week, but was unable to finish it until today. Last Tuesday on August 6 at City Center we held a service to remember those who died in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 59 years ago. I remembered going to those cities in 2005 with the Jizos for Peace Pilgrimage led by Chozen and Hogen Bays from Great Vow Monastery in Oregon. We brought 270,00 images of Jizo in the form of prayer flags, origami, and clay Jizos, one for each person who died in the first year after the bombs were dropped. As wars are being waged and tension is high in our country and around the world, may we all find ways to work for peace.
During Dharma Heart Zen’s (Cotati, CA) Sangha Week at Tassajara, their guiding teacher, Chris Fortin, led a Jizo Bodhisattva Ceremony for Those Who have Died and for the Well Being of the Earth and her many Beings. Participants adorned the Jizo statue with hand-sewn garments and messages for our planet as well as loved ones who have died. (photo by Chris Fortin)
Dharma Heart Zen also held a Jukai Ceremony during their Sangha Week at Tassajara. Chris wrote, “Because it was too hot (104 degrees) to do it at the Suzuki Roshi Memorial, as they had planned, they were given permission to hold the ceremony on the central lawn.” Yael Raff Peskin received the dharma name KanJin DoI, Compassion Stream Awakened.
Photo by Richard Owens
Chris noted that a member of the sangha, Priest Joni Ejo Goldsmith, ordained by Toni Patchell, guiding teacher of Russian River Zendo, died peacefully on Friday July 26 .
Houston Zen Center will hold a traditional Buddhist Funeral Ceremony for Louise Dreyfus, a Lay Entrusted Dharma Teacher and co-founder of Houston Zen Center, on Saturday August 32 from 11 to 1 p.m. CDT. This ceremony marks the culmination of the traditional ceremonies to protect and guide Louise after her passing on January 6, 2024.
Welcome to a new affiliate! Dharma Coast Sangha in Cocoa Beach FL (near Orlando), is led by founding and guiding teacher Danny Parker, who received dharma transmission from Edward Brown in 2023. In addition to his sangha.in Cocoa Beach, Danny leads sitting groups in Milan, Italy and Linz,Austria.
And an invitation from Val Szymanski, guiding teacher of Bamboo in the Wind, in Sunnyvale, CA to attend a Nonviolent Communication session on August 20 at 8:15 p.m. in person at 690 W. Fremont Avenue #4 in Sunnyvale. For online participation, email val@bamboointhewind.org.
I recently changed the quote below my email signature to Dogen’s words: “Kind speech can turn the destiny of a nation.”