Kaishin Victory Matsui, the director of Ancestral Heart Monastery in Millerton NY, connected to Brooklyn Zen Center, sent this photo of the view from their garden.
Two Streams Zen in Western MA posted a quote from the late historian Howard Zinn that speaks to this time in our country and the world:
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – when people behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in another direction.
“The future is an infinite succession of presents and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
Reirin Gumbel, guiding teacher of Milwaukee Zen Center in the battleground state of Wisconsin, has been hosting an Election Retreat. She writes, “The Election Retreat is a vibrant group of Zen people, mostly from Berkeley, CA, but also from Chicago and locally…People meditate, eat, work, and go out together to canvas for the election. Almost every day, there is a dharma talk given by Taigen Dan Leighton, Zenshin Florence Caplow, Hozan Alan Senauke, Greg Fain or myself.” Reirin is also preparing to be a poll chaplain for the November 5election.
On September 22, Reirin gave the precepts to three students: Eli Lu, Fragrant Breeze,Field of Virtue; Fay Akindes, Clear Lake, Supreme Peace; and Meg Lucks, Brilliant Moon, Circle of the Way.
News from Tassajara Zen Mountain Center: The application for the 2025 Winter Practice Period, led by Eijun Linda Cutts, from January 7 to April 2, is online, with a deadline of Nov 20th.
Summer 2025 Applications are also now open! Director Ashley Ng writes, “We are looking for volunteers to help with the summer guest season, especially volunteers with kitchen experience or trade skills. We will have visiting teachers in residence throughout the summer, and as usual, there will be weekly dharma talks, offered by visiting and resident teachers.” Please email zmcdirector@sfzc.org if you have any questions.
The Soto Zen Buddhist Associate is offering two more events in this year’s series Celebrating the Voices of Women in Buddhism. The first isThroughout the Body, Hands and Eyes: Compassion and Bodhisattva Activism on November 9, and the Finale event is on December 15, Full Moon Bodhisattva Ceremony (Ryaku Fusatsu). Both events are online via Zoom, with a sliding scale of $10 -$15 (no one turned away for lack of funds) and open to all.
May you have ease of well being in this uncertain time.