Soto Mission of Hawaii Conference I’d attended in October 2025. I am seated in the front row third from the left. I had known the photo was taken but just found a copy to post yesterday.
Looking back at the Soto Conference from the Fall 2025
Our ABZS pilgrimage to greet the Peace Monks. Over the past months the Peace Monks traveled from Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D.C. We were happy to be amongst the thousands of Washingtonians who greeted them at the Lincoln Memorial on 2/11/26.
December 10th, 2025 Ordaination for Jodo Jesse Peters
Happy to have been one of the Preceptors for this auspicious ceremony near the turn of the year 2025
Ordinand: Kodo Jesse Peters
Dassanaya Buddhist Community
December 10, 2025
Preceptors: Jakuen Konin (Dhammadipa) Melissa Cardenas, Shosan Gigen Victoria Austin, Shinchi Inryu Bobbi Ponce Barger
A favorite teaching from Japanese Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun
Last year I submitted a photo for the All Beings Zen Sangha Annual Art Calendar that ended up being used along with an Ikkyu saying which I love. I snapped the photograph while participating in a Forest Bathing class that Zen’etsu Clay Crowell was leading in the Tregaron Conservancy.
“Everyday priests minutely examine the Dharma
and endlessly chant complicated sutras.
Before doing that, though, they should learn
how to read the love letters
sent by the wind and rain, the snow and moon. -Ikkyu-
Remember Sly and the Family Stone this morning.
So Sly Stone died mid year in 2025. I’m a big fan of his discography. So yesterday morning was spent spinning these vinyl records while organizing my atilier space. Sly and the Family Stone made such great music!
Photo from visit to Eiheiji Temple back in April 2024 – Wow was it that long ago?
Saw this photo today on my friend Ted’s facebook page. Seeing it made me smile so I thought I’d share my memory of it here.
So I had this amazing trip to Japan in April 2024. Everything was a whirlwind from the arrival at Haneda Airport, to the 13th floor outdoor hot baths at my arrival hotel. There were fun days in Kyoto with Sangha members trying to figure out where to find vegetarian food, missing buses, taking buses the wrong direction to where we wanted to go, almost missing our train to meet up with the 100 person Soto Zen Clergy Tour Group for our first stop – to see Dogen Zenji’s Temple in the Mountains Eiheiji. Imagine my surprise when the group photo was being set up to have my name called to sit in the front row (5th from left). I am in the dark brown Okesa. This group had some serious Soto Zen weight and they added little ole me to the front row. How amazing is that?
Returning to the source
It has been a long while since I’ve used this web site. I’ve been so wrapped up in looking after the All Beings Zen Sangha website over the past 7 or 8 years that I really haven’t updated or changed this personal site. In this year of the Fire Horse I am moving toward new energy, independence and adventurous endeavors.
