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.