Zen Studies Society

2025 Letter from the Abbot

by

By Chigan Roland Jaeckel Roshi

Another year has ended, and we are happy to present our 2024 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of our activities and accomplishments in 2024. It recounts our aspirations and illustrates the impact of your kindness, generosity, time, and material contributions. While it is impressive to enumerate and quantify, I am writing these words to remind us that developing wisdom and compassion is not a quantitative undertaking. This practice is not about accumulating merit or good deeds but cultivating the qualities of presence, clarity, openness, and loving-kindness.

Over two and a half millennia ago, an Indian prince was born into a station of material and spiritual privilege: Siddhartha Gautama. Growing up motherless, reared by a loving and compassionate aunt, he grew into a father and husband. Unfulfilled and determined to fathom what lies behind this human existence, he set out to practice as a homeless yogi and an ascetic. He ended up meditating under a tree and — solely through his own efforts — awakening. Like Siddhartha, the heart of our Rinzai Zen practice is driven by this innate longing for completion, the wish for liberation from a fragmented and self-centered existence. We long to overcome what causes us to suffer, inflict suffering, and devastate the world with acts of unspeakable violence.

In today’s twenty-first-century society and culture, we find ourselves inundated with constant competition for our attention. Our economy rewards those who are best at capturing the consumer’s attention. A second, equally powerful force in our highly unequal and deeply divided societal landscape is the deliberate sowing of fear and discontent. When selling products, services, news, and ideology, the end often justifies means that are driven by greed, anger, and delusion. All too often, even when genuinely seeking solutions, human beings are blinded by skillfully offered affirmations or lofty promises that fall short of what they advertise.

In this attention-driven world, we are deeply grateful for your attention to this practice and the Zen Studies Society. Beyond the numbers and achievements, I am even happier to say that 2024 was exciting and successful, thanks to your effort, contributions, and presence. This world needs you, your compassion, and your wisdom. Let us continue cultivating these treasures together.

2025 The Birth of Fourteen Bodhisattvas: Walking the Path of Unlimited Humanity

by

By Jishin Liz Kuney Sensei

November 7th, 2024 was a mild late autumn Sunday at the mountain monastery. The annual Harvest Sesshin had just concluded that morning. After many months and often years of preparation, fourteen aspirants would receive the Zen Buddhist precepts on this day, vowing to do their best to live according to these principles and receiving a Dharma name and rakusu (a small garment that symbolizes their vows). 

By late morning, thirty family members, friends, and Sangha members arrived and joined the thirty-two sesshin participants to celebrate the first Jukai Ceremony at Dai Bosatsu Zendo conducted by the new Abbot of the Zen Studies Society. While the event is typically referred to as jukai, a Japanese term meaning to receive the precepts, Chigan Roshi called the ceremony a “Bodhisattva Initiation,” highlighting the commitment a person makes to living the bodhisattva path.  

A good portion of the guests had never been to Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and many were unfamiliar with the elaborate and unusual customs of traditional Buddhist practice. But Chigan Roshi made everyone feel welcome and at ease with his warm-hearted and generous manner. Explaining in simple, relatable terms what a bodhisattva might be, he compared it to the term mensch, describing “somebody who is a true human being, who goes out into the world to help whoever requires help, to love whoever requires love.”  

Putting the religious backdrop into context for the newcomers and drawing everyone’s focus to the essential point, he said, “It’s not about the robes. It’s not about the chanting and the trimmings. It’s about developing a heart that goes into the world and freely helps without any thought of or desire for gain, doing the right thing because it is the right thing, becoming a pure human being who has the maturity to look at one’s own shortcomings consistently and at the same time is able to forgive oneself as well as those who have transgressed. And with that, one fulfills the function of what is called a bodhisattva.” 

Chigan Roshi illuminated the portrait of a bodhisattva even more vividly, detailing the level of dedication required to enter into benevolent relationship with this world, particularly when conflicts arise. A bodhisattva would be willing to speak up and address issues if necessary, but “not from a place that is offensive—rather from a place that is open and spacious.” He continued, “by dissolving difficulties in this way, we can contribute to making this world a more peaceful place, a more mindful place, a more respectful place, no matter what the circumstances.” Demonstrating our vows in our daily lives, he affirmed the bodhisattva within us is awakened, “manifesting unconditional love for humanity, for life itself, and for the planet” and thereby “walking the path of unlimited humanity.” 

The fourteen bodhisattvas initiated on November 7th (twelve present in the hall and two online), along with four others who will receive the precepts at New York Zendo in the coming weeks, met online with Chigan Roshi once a month for five months ahead of the ceremony. The workshops featured all the elements that activate a jukai ceremony: Purification, the Three Fundamental Precepts, the Three Refuges, the Ten Names of the Buddhas, and each of the Ten Important Precepts. Several of the newly ordained junior Dharma teachers assisted in leading the meetings as well. 

Chigan Roshi also invited the Dharma teachers who attended the November ceremony to formally present the jukai students with their rakusu as he announced and explained their Dharma names: 

Emmyō Avesha P. 円妙 Mysterious Circle Rōshin Ashni S. 老心 Old Heart
Gessha Todd F. 月舎  Moon Hut Ryōgetsu Lisette K. 涼月 Clear Moon
Kōen Massimiliano D. 洪淵 Vast Depth Senzan Mike S. 仙山 Hermit Mountain
Koki Maria Layla B. 狐気 Spirit Fox Shōjū Artemisa A. 照常 Eternal Illumination
Ōraku Karuna H. 和楽 Peace & Harmony Shutei Siarzuk S. 守貞 Guardian of Righteousness
Eikyū Nadia M. 永久 Eternity Shūten Marc D. 秋天  Autumn Sky
Eisai Alec D.  英才 Great Talent  Taigen Stewart H. 大源  Great Source

After the ceremony, the initiates met in the Abbot’s meeting room, where Chigan Roshi presented them with their jukai certificates and interpreted the Japanese characters brushed on the backs of their rakusu.

Finally, all gathered for a celebration in the dining room, where the delicious offerings were nearly as abundant as the happy smiles that danced through the air. 

2025 New Year Message from Chigan Roshi

by

By Chigan Roland Jaeckel Roshi

The end of one calendar year and the beginning of another invite us to contemplate and recognize the activity of time. We look at where we are, where we came from, and where our intentions may lead us in our journey through the three periods of time. The Year of the Dragon will end shortly and give way to the Year of the Snake, another scaly sign of the zodiac.

The snake has many connotations and interpretations as an animal and an archetype. In East Asian culture, the snake signifies wisdom and transformation. As we move into 2025, we anticipate significant changes and challenges in our country, our society, and our civic life. Wisdom is of great importance during these times of transformation, and we are invited to dig deeply into the function of our own heart-mind. As times change, we change — impermanence is at work.

When the time is ripe, the snake sheds its skin. This shedding may occur as the snake outgrows its tight skin, sustains an injury, matures to another stage of its life cycle, or reacts to environmental changes. The snake’s old skin turns opaque, even over its eyes, rendering it practically blind at times. To pierce the old skin, the snake rubs its head against a rough surface. Once the head is exposed, the snake moves through tight spaces to catch the dead skin and peel it off its body.

When we experience change and challenging times, let us employ the wisdom of the snake. Events that feel excoriating may serve as opportunities to break through and free ourselves. When we feel that we cannot see a way out, the old, opaque skin of habit, fear, and avoidance may be what obstructs our sight. We must develop the wisdom that recognizes that events which appear to be constraining us may be opportunities to shed the old and emerge into a new and dynamic now.

2024 was truly remarkable. ZSS welcomed nine new Junior Dharma teachers who have become integral contributors to the sangha. Shinge Roshi and Hokuto Osho’s presence and leadership during the Dai Bosatsu Zendo Anniversary and Rohatsu Sesshin added to the bounty of Dharma treasures we reaped last year. Our new Dharma teachers helped facilitate the 2024 Bodhisattva Initiation, which included fourteen Jukai recipients.

The Zen Studies Society remains healthy and strong, thanks to your practice and generous support. Nevertheless, our programs do not defray the cost of our two temples, and your support is crucial. We deeply appreciate your generosity; every contribution, regardless of size, makes a lasting impact.

Farewell 2024, and welcome to the New Year! Let us meet 2025 with unwavering curiosity and care. Happy New Year of the Snake!

Engaged at ZSS – Bridging Gaps

by

By Rev. Mudo Seiho Morris

“Love is an act of will—namely, both an intention and an action.” This insight from bell hooks’ All About Love invites us to see love as a conscious commitment to transform how we live and connect. In a world often divided by systems of out-grouping and cultural stratification, “love as action” becomes a powerful antidote to separation and indifference. It asks us to cultivate resilience and take steps to bridge the divides that harm our shared humanity.

The Twelve Steps to Bridging Divides offers a pathway to transform these divisions into opportunities for growth and connection. As hooks teaches, “Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect, and trust.” This framework encourages intentional and consistent self-reflection, courageous action, and an unwavering commitment to supporting belonging for all.

The first step is acknowledging the harm caused by systems that out-group. Often, we unknowingly inherit biases and perspectives that perpetuate separation. By bringing gentle awareness to these patterns, we create space to explore their roots without judgment. This process is not about blame but about engaging with honesty and humility.

As hooks reminds us, love requires intentionality—and with intention comes responsibility. The Twelve Steps guide us in this responsibility:

  1. Recognize the impact of out-grouping and cultural stratification
  2. Align actions with values of compassion and equity
  3. Commit to transforming exclusion into connection
  4. Reflect on how conditioning shapes personal and collective beliefs
  5. Share reflections to uncover and address harmful patterns
  6. Embrace the willingness to change and dismantle divides
  7. Practice inclusion with courage and care
  8. Seek to understand and address the wounds of out-grouping
  9. Make amends where possible, with humility and wisdom
  10. Continue self-reflection to meet emerging biases
  11. Deepen alignment with mutual respect and connection
  12. Share the practice of fostering inclusion in all aspects of life

This work requires resilience—not as indifference, but as a dynamic practice of care for ourselves and others. Resilience is cultivated through self-care, community engagement, and practices that center us in the present moment. Meditation, journaling, and dialogues across differences allow us to navigate discomfort with grace, transforming it into insight.

At its heart, this journey is one of love in action. By intentionally addressing divides, we free ourselves and others from the weight of separation. We invite curiosity, compassion, and connection to replace fear and indifference. As we do, we begin to see that the act of bridging divides is not just for others—it is for ourselves, too.

Together, we can create communities where every person feels seen, valued, and included. This is the love bell hooks speaks of—a commitment to care, connection, and the courageous act of transformation.

2024 Entanglement – The Invisible Threads of Sangha

by

By Jifu Devyani Sadh

Reading the year-end messages from our teachers, I found myself reflecting on the concept of entanglement. In quantum physics, “entanglement” refers to a phenomenon where particles become linked and inextricably connected even when separated by large distances.

Similarly, within our Sangha, we are bound by invisible threads of interdependence and shared intention. Students meet Dharma teachers when the time is right. Often from vastly different paths, Sangha members find each other through practice. Places of practice emerge to cement these connections.

Entanglement is not merely being caught in the web of life; it is the realization that this web is the very fabric of existence. Every action, thought, and breath reverberates outward, touching lives in ways we may never know. This is the heart of pratītyasamutpāda, or dependent origination, and it invites us to embrace the entirety of our being, knowing that our practice resonates through the whole.

In the first year-end message, Chigan Roshi affirms, “An essential step in our spiritual journey is to examine the workings of the two-dimensional mind and look deeply into the nature of duality.” Through zazen and the cultivation of stillness, we transcend the delusion of separation and awaken to the indivisibility of all existence.

In the next message on “interesting times,” Hokuto Osho invites us to find refuge in the example of the Buddha and the living Bodhisattvas among us, the teachings, and the community of like-minded practitioners, practicing for no other purpose than to find the wisdom, compassion, and joy that is everybody’s birthright.

Finally, Shinge Roshi reminds us that our intensive training and dedicated zazen can help us develop the open, attentive mind—the mind of radical acceptance that excludes no one and no situation. It’s an embrace in which we feel our utter unity.

At Dai Bosatsu Zendo, New York Zendo, and online, the Sangha thrives in this spirit of shared entanglement, offering a refuge for deepening practice and realizing our oneness with all beings.

As we step into the new year, let us honor these bonds. Your continued support—through practice, presence, and financial contributions—ensures that this shared refuge will flourish for generations to come.

Please give as generously as you can to sustain this precious community and the transformative teachings that arise from our shared entanglement.

NYZ: Seiza Quiet-sitting & Dharma Talk on Shin Buddhism

by

Join us for seiza meditation at New York Zendo Shobo-ji, led by Miki Nakura. Seiza (quiet sitting) was established in Japan more than 110 years ago by Okada Torajiro Sensei. The sitting form is the traditional Japanese kneeling position, but seiza can also be practiced sitting in a chair.

In seiza, we learn how to find the most physically balanced posture, in accordance with gravity, following correct breathing and allowing the full flow of energy into the lower belly (also known as the hara or tan t’ien region). Through this practice we can naturally experience total serenity of the body-mind. D.T. Suzuki encouraged American Zen students, including Ruth Fuller Sasaki, to practice seiza before and during their zazen training.

A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.

About the instructor: Miki Nakura, a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist minister based in New York, started practicing seiza 30 years ago under the guidance of his teachers in Japan. He has been devoting himself to sharing seiza with students since 2004.

Everyone is welcome! Note that this event is offered in-person only. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Locations

Dai Bosatsu Zendo
223 Beecher Lake Road
Livingston Manor, NY 12758

New York Zendo
223 East 67th Street
New York, NY 10065


DONATE

Contact Us

Dai Bosatsu Zendo
office@daibosatsu.org
(845) 439-4566

New York Zendo
office@newyorkzendo.org
(212) 861-3333