I am including once again an invitation to register for this year’s Branching Streams Gathering. The dates are September 15-18. This Gathering, co-hosted by Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago and Milwaukee Zen Center, takes place at LUREC, Loyola University’s Recreation and Ecology Center in Woodstock, IL The theme of the Gathering is Bridging and Belonging – Living a Zen Life in the Midst of Conflict.
Here is the link to the registration form. The deadline for registrations is July 1.
Branching Streams Gatherings, held every two years, bring together teachers, sangha leaders, and members of Zen Centers in the Suzuki Roshi lineage to share struggles and successes, learn from one another’s experience, and build connections.
At our 2023 Gathering in Santa Cruz we used the “Open Space” method of generating breakout groups based on the questions, concerns, and expertise of participants. The atmosphere was lively and engaged, and we will use the same method at this year’s Gathering. We will also have time for sharing what’s most alive in your sangha/center, morning and afternoon zazen and morning service, walking on the LUREC campus trails, a skit night and an evening focused on a new collection of Suzuki Roshi’s teachings edited by Green Gulch Farm Abbot Jiryu, who will participate in the Gathering.
We welcome those coming to a Gathering for the first time, as well as those who have attended before. In order to include as many sanghas as possible, we limit the number of participants from any Center or sangha to three, though exceptions can be made. Please check with your guiding teacher/sangha leader before registering.
The registration fee is $650 U.S. dollars, which covers room and board, all conference fees, and shuttle transportation to and from O’Hare International Airport. We are offering partial scholarships and travel support for those who cannot pay the full amount, which can be requested within the registration form.
This Newsette includes some encouraging words from Pope Leo XIV, news of a priest ordination in Berkeley, an opportunity for residential practice in Colorado, a Pride parade in Santa Cruz, a new article in Tricycle by a member of Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancourver, more about the new book of Suzuki Roshi’s teaching mentioned above, and an invitation to join a three week online program based on a weekend offering in May, Engaging the Heart of Practice.

Berkeley Zen Center held a priest ordination on Sunday, June 8 at. Genzan Kakuho Clay Taylor was ordained by Kakudo Peter Overton and Genkai Shinyu Joe Buckner was ordained by Nyokai Laurie Senauke. Laurie wrote, “Both Clay and Joe had been working with Abbot Hozan before he passed away. There hasn’t been an ordination at BZC in a few years; it was meaningful and bittersweet for the BZC sangha to be moving forward without either of our two longtime shepherds – Sojun Roshi and Hozan Roshi.”

Crestone Zen Mountain Center in Colorado is accepting applications for residency. “Residency can be an opportunity to dive into the craft of Zen teaches through contemplative work and zendo practice.” Here is the link for more information.
This June marked the 50th annual Pride Parade in Santa Cruz. Memberso of Santa Cruz Zen Center marched in the parade and attended an interfaith prayer service prior to the parade, as they have done for many years.

River Shannon, a priest at Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver, BC, Canada had an article published in Tricyle this month, “Queer-Seeking Mind.” She writes about “the common spark” between her way-seeking mind and her queer seeking mind, “which is maybe just one mind. I think my experience with each has helped to illuminate the other, so that my Way-Seeking Mind is inevitably Queer, and my Queer-Seeking Mind is inevitably Buddhist.”
Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life by Shunryu Suzuki was published by Tarcher/Penguin Random House this week. Green Gulch Farm Abbot.Jiryu Rutschmannj-Byler worked with the late Sojun Weitsman to translate and edit some of Suzuki Roshi’s talks that had not been published. In addition to speaking about the book at the Branching Streams Gathering, Jiryu will be sharing these teachings with many Branching Streams sanghas in the coming months. Becoming Yourself has its own website.
Tatsudo Nicole Baden and the staff of Dharma Academy invite you to participate in a 3-week online class, Engaging the Heart of Wisdom: Recordings and Reflect provides full access to all seven video sessions from the “Engaging the Heart of Wisdom” weekend event, along with a new lecture recorded in June. “Each recorded talk is accompanied by a written summary to help you navigate its key themes and core messages. Over the course of three weeks, you will receive a series of emails—one per session—guiding you through the material. This structure allows space to reflect, pause, and integrate the teachings at your own pace.”
A Dharma friend recently reminded me of something I said in a Dharma talk, which seems relevant at this time: “I think mentoring students, offering Dharma talks, writing Dharma books that illuminate and encourage practice, are all expressions of bodhisattva activity – as are signing petitions, writing letters, joining protests, and other responses to “the cries of the world.”
Thank you for all the ways you listen and respond to the cries of the world.