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On Saturday, May 30, we held a watercolor workshop with artist Tai Kojro-Badziak from Chicago, who led ten of us in meditative exercises with different kinds of papers, various brushes and many colors, to evoke our natural creative impulses. The attendees were on a spectrum from complete beginners to accomplished artists, but all enjoyed the experience.
With great joy, I am announcing that on May 24, 2026, two of our members received the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts in a ZAIKE TOKUDO – Staying Home and Attaining Liberation Ceremony,
in the presence of their families and friends.
For several months, Cornelia Beilke and Peter July had been studying the precepts with me, as their the guiding teacher. They also sewed the rakusu, a mini version of the Buddha's robe that is worn around the neck, with sewing teacher Anne Johnson. During the ceremony this was presented to them with a dharma name written on the back that they can wear during Buddhist practice in the zendo and elsewhere. Cornelia and Peter are now part of the Shunryu Suzuki lineage of Soto Zen, which is confirmed on a lineage document, the kechimyaku.
Cornelia received the new name Myoki Honsho - Luminous Spirit, True Nature
Peter received the new name Yusan Sushin – Courageous Mountain, Noble Heart
Wishing them both a lifelong bodhisattva career in the service of all beings!
With love and respect,
Reirin at Kokyo-an, Lake Mirror Hermitage
On May 3rd, the sangha members met to catch up on news and elect the officers to the Board of 2026/27. All felt great relief to hear the news from the City of Milwaukee that MZC is allowed to keep going with our programs in the way we have for the last 40 years, without making major changes to the building.
The minutes from last year’s annual meeting were approved. We heard the yearly reports from the Treasurer, Resident Priest and Membership Coordinator, as well as reports from outreach committee and residency.
Jonathan Elmergreen led a conversation about our values, and the circle agreed that sangha practice is at the forefront, ideally in-person.
New members to the board were nominated and we said good-bye to those who ended their service. Elected members for the 2026/27 Board are Kellett Koch, Vice President; Julia Pagenkopf, Treasurer; Mattias Hoehnen, Secretary; Frank Fischer, Membership Coordinator; TJ Schmidt, Building and Maintenance; Thomas Tolan and Jonathan Elmergreen, Members at Large.
Everybody enjoyed refreshments and conversations, and the meeting ended in good spirits and trust in the future of a vibrant Kokyo-An, Lake Mirror Hermitage.
EARTH DAY April 22, 2026
Riverside Park Milwaukee
In the dharma world there is no increase, no decrease, no coming, no going, no beginning, no ending,
No earth, sun, moon, or stars. No buddhas or sentient beings.
Out of infinite compassion Buddhas and Ancestors appear, and fully realize that they are the same as the vast sky and the Great Earth.
Mountains rise up and waters receive the light of the sun.
Algae and fish appear in the seas, lichens grow on rocks, myriad plant and animal forms express the co-dependent arising of beings dynamically inter-weaving the fabric of life.
Today we recall that our individual lives combine to create balance, and confess that human activity contributes to Earth going Out-of-balance. . . So we vow to wake up and remind ourselves to take good care of the Earth.
Now, on this day dedicated to healing the planet, we have gathered together and recited an Earth Prayer, poems, and joined in a silent walk along the Milwaukee River.
We offer all benefit to the complete well-being, balance and sustainability of the Great Earth
and the bio-sphere. To wild mountains, clear waters, clean air, nourishing topsoil, green fields, forests, and the health of all forms of life. To all those working to protect and preserve the natural beauty of Earth.
To the endangered species of the world.
To our original Teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha and all teachers of wisdom and compassion, who offer dharma blessings of respect and consideration for all the myriad inter-related lives of this Earthly realm.
Going forth from this day of Earth gratitude, may the seeds of balance and harmony flower and bear fruit throughout the universe. May our practice rise with the mountains and deepen with the waters and mature into millions of beneficial actions of restraint and generosity.
May all beings of the Earth realize the Great Awakened Way.
Last Sunday, March 29th, we hosted a concert at the Friends Meetinghouse in Riverwest. Some of us had met the group at Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa on their 25th Anniversary last October. I was so impressed with their performance that I asked the leader, Pine Wilson, if they would consider bringing their music to Milwaukee. That finally happened, and a good crowd enjoyed two hours of wonderful entertainment.
Some even got up to dance to the entrancing rhythms. Here are some photos.
It is April 1st, and I apologize for not having been in contact for three months since the last entry.
The US war with Iran has occupied my attention, and my main activity has been creating a counter balance to the stress, sadness and despair felt by myself and sangha members.
We conducted a study of Eihei Dogen’s Genjokoan, the recordings of which are available on the website: https://mkzen.org/classes
Two students, Cornelia Beilke and Peter July, have been preparing for Jukai (Receiving the Precepts), sewing their rakusu and discussing the 16 Bodhisattva precepts. They each also demonstrate their practice in a Way-Seeking-Mind talk. (https://mkzen.org/sangha-members-talks)
We held the annual observation of Shakyamuni Buddha’s Entry into Parinirvana, a Tree Blessing, weekly River Walks, Sandokai and Half-Day Sittings, a Solstice Celebration, and hosted a concert of Maritza, Eastern European folk music.
The Dharma talks of the last weeks were designed to complement our Zen practice and support a larger perspective on the world situation. https://mkzen.org/reirins-dharma-talks-2026
In addition, I had many one-on-one talks with individuals, experienced students and beginning practitioners.
Silent Walk along Milwaukee River
A deep shock for many Zen students who have practiced at Tassajara Mountain Zen Center has been the recent fire that destroyed the zendo. Though it happened during the last sesshin at the end of the Winter Practice Period, nobody got hurt. Everyone helped to contain the blaze, so it would not spread to other structures.
Tassajara Zendo Before and After
The next two months will bring renewed energy for sangha activity, and all members and friends are invited to join in the events that are offered. Please check the website for information and fill out the survey for zazen times, so we can serve all your scheduling needs.
The long Wisconsin winter is slowly coming to an end and Nature will soon erupt in an outburst of green foliage and multi-colored flowers. May all beings find solace and peace in the comfort of community.
With a deep gassho,
Reirin
A large crowd assembled in the rotunda of the Milwaukee City Hall on Monday, January 26, 2026. At short notice, clergy and lay leaders from various churches, synagogues and temples had come out in extremely cold temperatures to show support for immigrants who have been brutally snatched up by ICE and Border Patrol agents to be detained and eventually deported. Also observers and bystanders have been targeted, and two people were fatally shot. The Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee in conjunction with Forward Latino called for a prayer vigil, which became at the same time a nonviolent protest. It was a moving event, and many people were in tears.
We held again our traditional New Year’s Sitting with alternate periods of zazen and walking meditation from 8:00 pm until midnight. In this last night of the year, we reflect on the past 12 months, and consider our intentions for the future.
At 9:30 pm we took a break for a snack of Japanese noodles.
At 11:45 pm the bell was struck 108 times by the attendees.
Afterwards we put in the fire things that had been used up during the year: bits of burned incense and pages of sutra text. Then everybody was invited to write on a piece of paper what they would like to let go of, and these items were offered in a fire ceremony at the end.
Jonathan and AJ transferrin the bell striker.
This year's Rohatsu Sesshin at Hokyoji was led by Rev. Onryu Kennedy from December 1st through 7th. Unfortunately only a small gathering, because many who had wanted to participate had emergencies and other situations that prevented them from attending. However, it was pure white winter magic! There was great energy for practice, and everybody pitched in with various jobs; we listened to four talks from different teachers.
On the evening of December 8, Bodhi Day, we celebrated Buddha’s and our own awakening with a ceremony and potluck at MZC.
October 12, 2025, was the 25th Anniversary of Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa, where some of our sangha have occasionally practiced. It was a big affair with about 150 visitors from as far as Japan.
On Sunday, September 28, we celebrated our 40th Anniversary at the Society of Friends’ Meetinghouse in Riverwest. It was the ideal place: Nestled in the woods close to Milwaukee River, in a cul-de-sac, the building has a large meeting room with floor-to-ceiling windows and parquet floor.
Religious Society of Friends Meeting House
About 40 members and friends from other Buddhist centers and interfaith organizations had lively conversations while enjoying catering from Thai-namite Restaurant and an espresso bar from Roast Coffee, both small local businesses.
Board President Bill Davidson opened with news about the current situation with the City of Milwaukee, hopeful that we may stay in our old home, but in need of financial support.
Tom Tolan had stories from 45 years ago, before the center was incorporated.
Tonen O’Connor told us about the time with Tozen Akiyama, the first Resident Priest, who she replaced in ?, reading from 30Years of Reflections
Reirin ended with a report from the last ten years.
CONGRATULATIONS, KOKYO-AN!
This year’s Gathering of Branching Streams was held at LUREC, Loyola University Recreation and Ecology Center in Woodstock, Illinois. MZC co-hosted it together with Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago. From our sangha, Erin Garber-Pearson was part of the Program Committee and Reirin was on the Advisory Committee. Bill Davidson also came along and made a statement about Milwaukee Zen Center.
Sangha Member Daijin Angyo Frank Fischer received Dharma Entrustment on August 24
Many friends joined in the joyful ceremony. Frank now bears the honorary Dharma name DOSHIN - Heart of the Way.
Tom served as Doan and Jonathan in the dual capacity of Jisha and Ino.
Thank you, Noah, for taking pictures!
Jewel Mirror Sesshin at Hokyoji, August 9 - 16, 2025
Fourteen Zen practitioners enjoyed a peaceful, mostly silent retreat in the lush wilderness environment of the Hokyoji Zen Practice Place in Minnesota. For several of the younger generation this was their first longer sesshin, and they showed great determination to participate in the full schedule. We all felt great appreciation for the deep practice.
One of my favorite Buddhist teachers is Chan Master Guo Gu at Tallahassee Chan Center. He visited the Chicago Chapter of the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association https://www.ddmbachicago.org/, and I spent a weekend with that sangha. The deep connection between Zen and Chan was obvious, and I was very happy to meet the teacher in person. Gratitude to Iris Wang and Michael Schnabel for organizing this event!
Attendance during the summer months is usually slow, but we kept the zendo open. Reirin spent a couple of weeks in Japan, and Shoho Michael Newhall and his partner Nensen Pamela Brown were residing at MZC.
Regular observations during the liturgical year like the Bodhisattva Ceremony and Hiroshima Memorial took place, a class on The Ten Oxherding Pictures was held during June and July, we had our usual Half-Day Sittings, and we visited the Hokyoji Zen Practice Community for the annual Jewel Mirror Sesshin (more on that later).
One of the members of our larger sangha, Lynn Kershner, who Reirin had been visiting at hospice, died, and three of us held her funeral at a place her family had selected.
We started a Book Club on a new book on Shunryu Suzuki’s teachings Becoming Yourself that is meeting bi-weekly on an ongoing basis.
In the meantime Frank Fischer kept sewing a new, green, rakusu for his Lay Dharma Entrustment, which took place on August 24.
Summer is ending and new events are on the agenda for Fall and Winter.
May all beings realize their true nature and be free from suffering.
Today, June 20, is celebrated as World Refugee Day. Two days ago, the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee set up a webinar with representatives rom ten different religions on “Welcoming the Stranger”.
We all agreed in that it is our responsibility to take care of each other, and especially stand by those who are in danger of persecution and displacement.
Here is the link to the recording: https://youtu.be/HxWSreUFX_8
VESAK, the most celebrated Buddhist holiday, falls on the full moon in May, and we used the occasion to commemorate Siddharta Gautama’s birthday on Sunday, May 11. After the ceremony of reading the story and bathing the Baby Buddha, the sangha enjoyed birthday cake, live music and engaged conversation.
Ian and Kelly performed songs and Noah played piano amidst a field of flowers.
On Friday, 2/14, local religious leaders were invited to participate in a vigil for Yessenia Ruano, a refugee from El Salvador, who was about to be deported after having been in Milwaukee for 14 years and a teacher's aide for 8 years in the public school system.
She had an appointment for 8 am, initially to get an extension but had been told that she would be detained and deported.
A large crowd met at 7:30 am the USCIS building in ice-cold temperatures, some marching in a circle with signs and loud chanting, others quietly around the woman and her daughters, offering prayers. There was a lot of media, and I was interviewed together with Myoyu Roshi from Great Plains Zen Center.
After a couple of hours Ms Ruano emerged from the building with an extension!
Milwaukee teacher's aide at risk of deportation wins more time in U.S.
On December 8, Bodhi Day, we commemorated the Enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha in a joyful celebration. We are reminded that we all have the potential to awaken, and that this human body-mind gives us the opportunity and responsibility to be aware in service for all beings.
We circumambulated the altar to the beat of the big drum with the chant Om Namu Shakyamuni Buddha, while flowers were raining from the sky. Afterwards, the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra was recited, followed by a special dedication.
Before the ceremony, Reirin’s dharma talk set the tone after the regular Sunday morning zazen period. (Recorded here: https://mkzen.org/reirins-dharma-talks-2024)
