Today, March 31, we held the Annual Meeting for Milwaukee Zen Center.
After the usual Sunday morning practice, the Dharma talk concerning Sangha, we set up tables, enjoyed donated refreshments - thank you, Chiyoko, for home baked coffee cake and Japanese milk buns! … also Demitra for Vietnamese sweets!
Susan Winecki, President, and myself recalled the highlights of last year and put forth plans for the coming year, which include setting up the new library upstairs, a new altar, new practice opportunities and teacher visits.
We had a lively discussion about making slight changes to the schedule in order to be more accommodating to guests and at the same time allowing seasoned practitioners access to advanced teachings and practices. Nothing is going to change for now, but please keep checking the website.
As you may have already noticed, Shoho Michael Newhall will be the Resident Priest for a month in my place, while I am at my home temple for Dharma Transmission. This should be a wonderful opportunity for everyone to enjoy the presence of an experienced teacher in the Kobun Chino lineage. I met Chino Roshi at Tassajara and in Santa Cruz, when my daughter was babysitting his children. I think that Shoho has inherited his enigmatic teaching style, and I am just disappointed about not being here to witness it, while he is at MZC.
A small group of us is part of a Planning Committee for the Branching Streams Conference, which MZC is hosting in September. Since our temple cannot house the Gathering, we have reserved space at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine. I am going to keep you posted on how our plans are unfolding. It may in the long run be necessary to ask for more help from sangha members.
On a personal note I would like to share with you my happiness about a new grandson in California, who I will visit in a couple of weeks! He is a beautiful addition to my daughters family, and I just have to add a photo here…
