By Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz Sensei
In November 2024, we shared a vision for an Engaged Buddhism Eco Workshop at DBZ and invited the sangha to join us in bringing it to life. We were heartened by the enthusiastic response—twelve members expressed interest in helping shape this initiative, and the group has already met twice. We will continue meeting via Zoom throughout the spring on the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m., with the intention of gathering at DBZ this summer to begin implementing our ideas. If this project continues to thrive, we envision hosting a larger-scale event in the summer of 2026, inviting broader participation and engagement.
The Eco Workshop reflects our collective commitment to ecological responsibility as an integral part of our practice. The ZSS 2024 Annual Report describes it as follows:
“In 2024, ZSS launched a new initiative aimed at fostering ecological responsibility through community engagement…This event will explore DBZ’s natural and structural environment, showcase its innovative stewardship practices, and engage participants in collaborative sustainability projects.
While initial projects may focus most on benefiting DBZ, the workshop welcomes participants with expertise or interest in broader ecological fields, such as sustainable urban planning. Enthusiastically supported by the Abbot and retired Abbot, this initiative represents a meaningful integration of environmental care with spiritual practice. It offers a platform for collective action, learning, and impactful contributions to both the monastery and the global ecological effort.”
The group began forming a foundation for this work during our initial meeting in December. Soren Cathy Shrady generously offered to coordinate logistics, and others contributed inspiring ideas. Keirin Brian Smith proposed leading a tour of DBZ’s sustainable systems—including solar power, heat pumps, roof coverings, and water systems—to highlight current efforts and future opportunities. Drawing on the environmental science expertise of several group members, we envisioned a meaningful weekend of workshops and hands-on projects framed by zazen and other elements of our practice.
At our second meeting in January, Shinge Roshi spoke about the urgency of the climate crisis. We discussed the need to approach this work with clarity and hope rather than despair, and this led to a deeper exploration where Myorin Catherine Landis shared the idea that an impactful goal could be to make climate knowledge and action part of the Sangha as a whole. She highlighted how, among indigenous groups, ecological awareness is woven into every aspect of life—their cosmology, rituals, and politics—and shared writings by Potawatomi and Haudenosaunee scholars with us. Shinge Roshi encouraged us to consider how, as Buddhists, we might teach an approach rooted in shared responsibility for climate change, a principle central to indigenous perspectives. Our group is now deeply engaged with this question.
Our next meeting will be on Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. It is not too late to join the planning group—we welcome your ideas and energy. Please email engaged@zenstudies.org if you are interested.
