Dear friends and members,

Abbot Gaelyn Godwin and President Carter White are happy to report that this year has been another steady, clear, and peaceful year at your Zen Center. As we ask for your generosity, we first express our deep gratitude to everyone who makes our Zen Center such a vibrant place of peace and practice.

Houston Zen Center is a refuge of peace and clarity, and we exist to maintain and extend that to all persons. With the end of 2020 approaching and all that this entails, you can be confident that clarity and peace will prevail at your Zen center.

Your welcoming spirit is reflected in the Zen center itself. With the support of your spirit, we quickly responded and established an open and welcoming virtual program offering during the covid-19 pandemic. Our budget for 2020 was sound and we maintained our fiscal strength throughout the many months of the pandemic because of your steady generosity, and our mindful fiscal restraint and careful guardianship of those resources.  With your on-going support, our 2021 budget is expected to continue along this same path and be a steady foundation upon which the Dharma can be brought forth in Houston and beyond. We are deeply grateful for all you do to support and maintain the vibrancy and warmth of the Zen Center.

Now in the closing months of 2020, we are pivoting once again to maintain and extend our virtual programming to reach our geographically diverse Sangha and making preparations for a time when visiting Zen center in person will again be possible.

During the upcoming end of year holiday season of thankfulness and giving, we ask for your support to enhance the offerings of the coming year by developing greater access to our on-line virtual programming and completing the new fence along Heights Boulevard which will present a more inviting entry to those who choose an in-person visit to Houston Zen Center.

First: Over the past year we have incrementally upgraded the equipment used to provide consistent virtual on-line access to all programs and classes.  However to reach the next level of service,  we will need additional equipment including a dedicated audio/visual computer, external microphones, and a high quality webcam as we prepare to provide a combination of limited in-person and expanded virtual access. The cost for this additional equipment will be approximately $6,000.

Second: the new fence and entry planned for the front of the main temple building will provide a feeling of welcoming invitation to newcomers and embrace our returning long established members and friends. The new front entry fence has been designed as an enduring part of Houston Zen Center and the cost of quality materials and labor is higher than our earlier estimate. The additional funds needed for the new front entry fence, a new information kiosk, and necessary plantings will be about $11,000.

Reaching out, warm hand to warm hand, is the nature of the Bodhisattva Vow and the heart of Zen practice. With the above two projects, we seek to demonstrate that feeling of welcoming and warmth in all our activities (virtual and in person), and in the design and construction of all aspects of the Zen center campus.

Please help us with these projects.
With palms together,

Abbot Gaelyn & President Carter

Read More Below About 2020 Activities

We would like to share just some of the highlights of the past year with you. In addition to our many well-attended classes, we have again brought outstanding Visiting Teachers to Houston whose teachings benefit us all, though it has been entirely virtual. To name a few:

1. We began the year with in person zazen and great programs. Classes for children (pictured) included.
2. Kokyo Henkel Roshi led 5 days of practice in January.
3. We pivoted to virtual programming in March when most of Houston also shut down.
4. Tova Green, a Zen teacher from Branching Streams, San Francisco Zen Center, was our last in-person teacher. We bundled her in full protective gear into a plane to return her to San Francisco Zen Center as we turned to entirely virtual programming.
5. Jiko Sallie Tisdale, a teacher based in Portland, Oregon, gave the first visiting Zoom talk in March.
6. Sue Moon, the important author and Zen teacher led a wonderful workshop on writing, this time virtually, in April.
7. Zen Priest Colin Gipson, the Abiding Teacher of San Antonio Zen Center, gave a virtual dharma talk in April.
8. Dojin Sarah Emerson from Stone Creek Zen Center, and Koun Franz from Halifax Zen Group also gave virtual dharma talks in May.
9. Shuso Ceremony closes the Practice Period. Vicki Glenn answered the sanghas questions whole-heartedly, in a beautiful ceremony (pictured).
10. Dharma Transmission for two senior HZC members, Zen priests Tim Schorre and Yazan Dave Johnson is completed in June.
11. Buddhist Global Relief, annual Action to Feed the Hungry took place entirely virtually. HZC led the event, which included Bhikkhu Bodhi and several other Houston temples. We will soon find out how successful it was. It felt wonderfully encouraging.
12. Still to come: Ceremony of Lay Dharma Entrustment at the end of October, and Rohatsu Sesshin in December.

Tenshin Reb Anderson led the annual February Sesshin (pictured).

Practice Period began in May-June. Shuso/Head Monk Vicki Glenn co-led the Practice Period with Abbot Gaelyn. The Practice Period became a refuge, and a remarkably vital, important part of practice life for the month of June. The classes and talks were grounded and enriching.

HZC Precepts: Jukai/Precept Receiving Ceremony took place in September for four Zen Center members (pictured). This mix of in-person and virtual attendance was the first of its kind for the Center and a template for future ceremonies. Safe protocol had been developed by the Safety Committee. Everyone followed it meticulously.

The Abbot, Board of Directors, Practice Committee and Senior Practitioners, and Finance Committee members guide our Center with wisdom and creativity.

Let’s Continue Our Stable, Steady Growth – and take care of our Center.

With warm bows,
Abbot Gaelyn Godwin & President Carter White

As you plan your year-end gift giving, please consider helping Zen Center continue its offerings.