This Newsette, the first of 2025, contains both celebrations and mournings.
First, SAVE THE DATE for the 2025 Branching Streams Gathering, September 15 – 18. The Gathering will be co-hosted by Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago and Milwaukee Zen Center, and will take place at LUREC, Loyola University’s Recreation and Environmental Center in Illinois.
As several wildfires are raging in Los Angeles, the annual Wildland Firefighters retreat at Tassajara seems more needed than ever.
Chris Fortin (guiding teacher of Dharma Heart Zen in Cotati CA), who co-facilitated this winter’s Wildland Firefighters Retreat at Tassajara with Marc Lesser (guiding teacher of Mill Valley Zen) and Lee Klinger Lesser, reports: “It was wonderful to feel the valley glowing with warm hand to warm hand relationships as firefighters, work volunteers, students, and staff came together in real and authentic meeting , blending like milk and water to support the activity of the way.
“The firefighter’s work assignment was to move Sojun Mel Weitsman’s Memorial Stone up the hill to the Suzuki Roshi Memorial site and set it in place The photo shows firefighters from all over the country joining hearts and minds in this great activity on New Years Day . Sojun’s stone is in place!”

We mourn the loss of Peter Schneider, Yozen Taishin, Embracing Zen/Surrender to the Truth, who died on January 4, 2025. Peter and Myokaku Jane Schneider, his wife, co-founded Beginner’s Mind Zen Center in Northridge, CA in 2003, after many years of living and practicing in Kyoto Japan. Peter was ordained by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in 1970 and was a dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman. His cremation ceremony will be January 10 between 9 a.m. and noon PST.

There was a cremation ceremony for Hozan Alan Senauke, Berkeley Zen Center’s second Abbot, on January 5, conducted by Gengo Akiba Roshi, the Japanese Sotoshu Bishop for North America. The Ceremony was attended by family members, Berkeley Zen Center members, and friends, as well as by 150 people from around the world who attended on Zoom.
Brattleboro Zen Center (VT) opened its new zendo on January 7 with a ceremony, described by founding teacher Hakusho Ostlund: “We will ritually open the eyes of two of the figures on our altar. Traditionally, Buddhist statues and images are not related to as inert objects or mere symbols, but as actual beings. It is customary to paint the eyes of the image, literally or symbolically. By the performance of this ritual animation, the statue is transformed into someone capable of relating to those who relate to them, who doesn’t just get looked at but who can also look back at us… We will place a statue of Quan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion, on our altar and open its eyes as well. She will be seated alongside Shakyamuni and Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, where she can face the Sangha directly.
It is a good month to remember the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who deeply understood our interconnectedness and the importance of Beloved Community.
Everyday Zen, based in Marin county CA, will hold its Annual Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King led by Jaune Evans on Monday, January 20, from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. PT. Here is the link to Join Online, Meeting ID: 818 1405 8944, Passcode: Zazen (note the upper case “Z”).
As we face many unknowns going into 2025, may our practice and our sanghas sustain us and all beings.