Brandon's Dharma Name means Inkstone Ocean, Turning Toward the Light. He is a senior member of HZC, a former member of the Board of Directors, an adjunct professor of creative writing at UH, a poet, a yoga teacher, and a leader of Houston Dharma Collective.
Choro Antonaccio: True Person of no Rank
Dharma Talk by Zen priest Choro Antonaccio.
Choro began formal Zen practice in 1999 at Chapel Hill Zen Center, where she was lay and priest ordained by Josho Pat Phelan Roshi. Choro also trained at Tassajara, Green Gulch Farm, and City Center. She moved from North Carolina to Texas last year, and currently serves as Tanto / Head of Practice at Austin Zen Center.
Gyōzan Royce Johnson - One Day Saturday Sesshin: The Teaching of Rebirth
Zen Priests Seirin Tim Schorre and Gyōzan Royce Johnson lead a day of intensive practice. Practicing together in a day of sesshin allows us to continue to develop and deepen practice. The cut off date for signing up is Friday morning March 19 at 11 am. Otherwise, it is not possible to guarantee sending the zoom link to late sign ups.
The day will be focused on zazen and the practice of opening the mind and heart. Zazen can ground and support us, everyone around us, and the whole world, allowing us to open to the teachings of wisdom and compassion. The day includes zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), a dharma talk with discussion, and breaks for meals.
Kōshin Paley Ellison: The Gnarled Plum Tree has Fresh Blooms
Kōshin Paley Ellison
Dharma Talk by Kōshin Paley Ellison, Co-Founder and Guiding Teacher of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care
Intimacy is based on the willingness to open ourselves to many others, to family, friends, and even strangers, forming genuine and deep bonds based on common humanity. Kōshin Paley Ellison’s teachings share the way forward into a path of connection, compassion and intimacy.
Sensei Kōshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMin, is an author/editor and Soto Zen teacher and psychotherapist. Appreciated for his guidance in helping people integrate and apply time-tested Buddhist teachings as simple strategies for living in today’s chaotic world, He is a Co-Founder and Guiding Teacher of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, the author of Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up and an editor of the best-selling book Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care.
Abbot Gaelyn Godwin: Nature is the Face of Truth
Dharma Talk by Abbot Gaelyn Godwin, Abiding Teacher of HZC.
Laura O'Loughlin: The Heart Wakes up to Impermanence
Laura O'Loughlin
Dharma Talk by Laura O’Loughlin, Zen teacher.
Laura O’Loughlin is a co-founder of Brooklyn Zen Center (BZC). She is a dharma teacher and Director for Ancestral Heart Zen Monastery. Laura received lay dharma entrustment from Teah Strozer in 2017 and had also formally studied with Darlene Cohen. She is a psychotherapist using mindfulness and trauma modalities to support healing and transformation. Before co-founding Brooklyn Zen Center, Laura trained residentially at Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, San Francisco Zen Center's City Center as well as Austin Zen Center, where she served as Director. Laura is interested in how Soto Zen, alongside other somatic and wisdom practices, can support practitioners and communities to transform racial, patriarchal and other social harms. Laura has co-facilitated the undoing whiteness group at BZC for several years and has led sacred feminine retreats.
Jitsudo Tom Biddle: Buddha Nature and Social Unrest
Dharma Talk on Dōgen Zenji by Jitsudo Tom Biddle, former member of the Board of Directors of HZC. Retired attorney and Naval officer.
Gayle Jika Klaybor: Love Death and Your Light
Dharma Talk by Gayle Jika Klaybor, co-Head of Practice of HZC.
Abbot Gaelyn Godwin: Movement and Stillness and Buddhas Parinirvana
Dharma Talk by Abbot Gaelyn Godwin, Abiding Teacher of HZC.
Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts Roshi: Compassionate Gaze, Gaze of Wisdom
Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts Roshi, Senior Dharma Teacher
Eijun Linda Cutts came to San Francisco Zen Center in 1971 and was ordained as a priest in 1975. She has lived at Tassajara and San Francisco City Center, and has resided at Green Gulch Farm since 1993. In 1996 Linda received dharma transmission from Tenshin Reb Anderson. Having served as Abbess of San Francisco Zen Center from 2000 to 2007, she was appointed Abiding Abbess of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in 2010, and Central Abbess of SFZC in 2014. She continues to teach and lead practice periods and retreats at Tassajara, Green Gulch, Mexico, Italy and elsewhere, and has been leading Yoga-Zen retreats and workshops for many years. Linda sits on the National Board of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), an interfaith group dedicated to addressing climate change through faith-based education and skillful action. She is also on the Board of the Consciousness, Mindfulness and Compassion (CMandC) International Association.