Spring Arrival of Senseis

Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede is very happy to announce that this spring and summer he will authorize two more of his senior students, Rick Smith and Richard von Sturmer, as full Zen teachers. Both of them have spent many years working through the koan collections with him and playing leading roles in their respective Sanghas.

The sanctioning ceremony for Rick Smith, longtime Group Leader of the Madison Zen Center, will take place in Madison on Saturday, April 27th.  And another big occasion for the MZC, the celebration of their 50th anniversary, will take place later this year.

The ceremony for Richard von Sturmer will take place on June 30th at the Auckland Zen Centre, where he has spent many years working for the New Zealand Sangha in a close teaching partnership with his wife, Roshi Amala Wrightson. (Before that, the two of them spent some 10 years in residential training at the RZC.) And to set the stage for the ceremony, on the previous day, June 29th, the AZC will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Cleaning of the Temple: Arnold Park, February 3; Chapin Mill, February 10

Early in the New Year, we turn our attention to all the corners and crevices of the buildings with our annual “Cleaning of the Temple.” We begin with a brief chanting service (9:45 at Arnold Park; 9:30 at Chapin Mill) and wind up with a pizza lunch (alternatives available) at 12:30. Contact Trueman to join us.

Sunday, February 4: Coming-to-the-Path Talk by Maimoona Ramaswamy and Sangha Meeting

In Coming-to-the-Path talks, senior students share their journey to the Dharma and to the Rochester Zen Center. You’re invited to join us for the Arnold Park sitting at 8:30 am, followed by the talk at 9:30 and the Sangha meeting at 10:30. As usual, all will be broadcast on Zoom. And, with recent upgrades made to our hybrid-meeting technology, Zoom participants may participate in any Q&A.