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Sangha News for June

6/16/2026

June 2026 - In this issue:

Commentaries & resources: Two verses seeing the death statement of Kakunen; Receiving a teacher's guidance
From our directors: New directors; Spring fund appeal continues through June

Practice recap: June sesshin; Work practice
Coming up: Shuso ceremonies this weekend; Precepts retreat (register by June 23)

Other news: Passing of Tomoe Katagiri & Donin Minamisawa Zenji

== Commentaries & resources ==

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (100)
Two Verses Seeing the Death Statement of [Kaku]nen
Commentary by Shōhaku Okumura

Vast emptiness, nothing holy is as hard as iron.
But placing [him] into the red furnace, he melts like snow.
And now I ask, to where have you returned?
With the green waves deep, what moon do you see?

Two verses about the death statement of the person whose name was Nenshi (然子) appear in volume 10 of Dōgen’s Extensive Record (永平広録 Eiheikōroku), among the poems composed while Dōgen was staying in China. Nen (然) is the final Chinese character of a person’s name and shi (子) expresses respect to a person, as in the word 孔子 (kongzi), or friendliness. Some Dōgen scholars suppose this person’s name might have been Kakunen (廓然).

This name appears only once, in one of the documents which used to be stored at Eiheiji. The original documents were lost when Eiheji burned in 1714. The document was issued by the Japanese government when Myōzen (明全) and Dōgen went to China. The document lists three monks (including Dōgen) who were disciples of Myōzen. The other two monks went to China together with Myōzen and Dōgen. The document requests support for their travel from the government officers of various places they intended to visit. The two monks’ names were Kakunen (廓然) and Ryōshō (亮照). We find these names only in this document. Nothing is said about them in Dōgen’s biographies or in any other texts. However, based on the names in the document, some scholars suppose this Nenshi (然子) might be Kakunen (廓然), one of the attendants of Myōzen. Because we could not find any other information about a person with this name, in our translation of Dōgen’s Extensive Record, we followed those scholars’ supposition and assumed this person’s name was Kakunen.[2] If this is correct, among the four people who traveled to China together—Myōzen, Dōgen, Kakunen, and Ryōshō—two of them (Kakunen and Myōzen) died in China. Nothing is known about Ryōshō.

Anyone who travelled overseas in the 13th century could be exposed to such a possibility. Dōgen might have been exceptionally fortunate that he could meet with an authentic Zen master, Tiantong Rujing (天童如浄, Tendō Nyojō), and could intimately study, practice, and finally receive dharma transmission from him, safely returning to Japan. That means we are also fortunate that we can study Dōgen’s teachings eight hundred years later. Read more

I Vow With All Beings:
Receiving a Teacher's Guidance
Commentary and artwork by Hoko Karnegis

RECEIVING A TEACHER’S GUIDANCE,
I VOW WITH ALL BEINGS
TO ENTER THE KNOWLEDGE OF BIRTHLESSNESS
AND REACH THE STATE OF INDEPENDENCE.

The gāthās in the section of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra we’re exploring outline the path of the practitioner who encounters the dharma, reflects on its validity and meaningfulness, and decides to make a commitment to practice. At this point, our practitioner has joined a sangha, learned how to function within the community, taken refuge in the three treasures, learned some things about forms and general behavior, and is studying the precepts in preparation for the next stage of commitment. The word used for “teacher” in the gāthā above is oshō 和尚, which can mean preceptor, and “guidance” here is kyō 教, which usually means teaching, faith or doctrine. It’s kyō that forms the -ism in Buddhism (仏教 bukkyō), Hinduism (インド教 indokyō), etc.

Thus our practitioner is now beginning to receive the tenets of the religion from a dharma teacher qualified to give the precepts. Read more

More new resources on the web:

dharma talk Recordings

Three more shuso talks from Myogen:

May 17th: Where do you end?
May 24th: No good or bad karma - and what we do matters
May 31st: Becoming peaceful, outside the box (a recap of shuso talks so far)

Clips of Hoko's talks on each of the precepts, from the 2024 precepts retreat.

June 7th: Returning to the robe - Okumura Roshi on the early history of Soto Zen & nyoho-e

Sanshin source

We've posted Yuko's memorial tribute to Tomoe Katagiri.
Here's a page on the key points of sewing practice at Sanshin.
There's a new entry on Tonen's blog, Thinking About Dharma.
There are monthly essays on the I Vow page.

New modules from Okumura Roshi's interview

The next two short modules from Interior Mythos Journeys' interview with Okumura Roshi have been released:

Soto Zen Buddhist north america office: Baikaryu Lecture later this month

The Soto Zen Buddhist North America Office invites practitioners to a special online Baikaryu lecture on Friday, June 26th, with Rev. Monen Ishikawa of Chosen-in Temple, Yamagata, Japan. Information about joining the Zoom meeting is available in the flyer below. The lecture will be conducted in Japanese with English interpretation.

Rev. Ishikawa is a Baiakryu Teacher Specially Dispatched for the Dissemination of Soto Zen Buddhism and has devoted many years to the study, practice, and teaching of Baika-ryū Eisanka. This is a valuable opportunity to learn directly from an experienced teacher from Japan.

For background on the history of baika practice within the Soto Zen tradition, see our baika page on Sanshin Source.

Sanshin's monthly board meetings are open to the public.

Those who wish are welcome to listen in on this month's meeting on Sunday, June 28th, from 7 - 8:30 pm ET, using the regular Zoom link on our virtual practice page.

== From our directors ==

Two new directors, and a departure: Last month, Doshin Johnson stepped down from our board of directors, in the midst of other responsibilities. We thank her for her work, care and attention on the board over the past year and a half, wish her well in her ongoing dharma endeavors, and look forward to continuing to practice together.

During their May meeting, the board appointed two new directors: Seth Zimmerman and Kanzan Slattery. Beginning in July, Seth will take over the role of Treasurer (following a second fruitful term from Gene Elias), and Kanzan will serve in our out-of-lineage clergy seat. Seth is a stay-at-home dad in Bluffton, IN whose professional background is in banking and economics. He'll be taking precepts with Hoko in July. Professionally, Kanzan is an architectural designer and consultant specializing in Building Information Modeling (BIM). Based in Alameda, CA, he is actively involved with the Oakland Zen Center - Kojin An Zendo and the Tenpyozan Monastery project.

Kanzan Slattery

Seth Zimmerman

Spring fund appeal 2026

donate

Raised so far (as of June 6th): $7672
Our goal: $10,000

Giving what we can: In The Roots of Goodness, Kosho Uchiyama connects the act of giving to the quality of having few desires: "Reducing your own desires and giving to something else can't help but make the world more open."

By giving what we can, we are not merely being charitable. We are living in accordance with our needs and enabling the flourishing of all beings. This is why giving constitutes the first of Dōgen's four embracing actions.

Giving what you can does not mean the same thing for all of us. We may give our time, our attention, or our wholehearted understanding to an unmet challenge. For those in a position to give financially, we ask that you do. Your gift allows us to give our time, attention, and understanding to those aspiring to save all beings.

You can give today by visiting this page. In doing so, you help make the world more open.

If you would like to read The Roots of Goodness with Sanshin Zen Community, please join us in person or virtually for our Dharma book discussion on Wednesday nights from 7 - 8 pm ET, preceded by zazen at 6:30 for those who wish.

With a deep bow of appreciation for your practice,
Mark Fraley, Reverend Tonen O’Connor, Norma Fogelberg, Gene Elias
Sanshin Zen Community’s Development Team

== Practice recap ==

June sesshin: Six practitioners participated throughout our most recent 5-day sesshin, June 2 - 7, with a day or more of participation from five others in zazen and/or meals, and drop-in's for periods of zazen online and in-person. Our next (3-day) sesshin is scheduled for September 3 - 6, for which registration will open by mid-July.

Jinryu offers incense to begin a garden work period.

Garden work periods and June work day: Every-other-Friday evening sangha vegetable garden work periods (6:30 - 8pm) have resumed for this year's growing season, growing food for sesshin, retreats, and sangha/food pantry giveaways. If you are not already on the list to receive garden work period communications and wish to be included, let us know here. Learn more about our overall approach to local food practice here.

During our June work day, this past Sunday the 14th, practitioners gathered to weed the moss garden, mow the lawn, clean the siding of the temple building, and connect an electrical line from the house to the tool shed area for lighting and e-bike charging. Our next work day is scheduled for Sunday, July 12th.

== Coming up ==

Shuso ceremonies this weekend
Honsoku gyocha: Saturday, June 20th, 7 pm
Hossenshiki: Sunday, June 21st, 10 am, followed by potluck lunch

As part of the culmination of Myogen Ahlstrom's term as shuso during the ango, we will carry out two ceremonies this weekend. During the honsoku gyocha (June 20, 7 pm), Hoko will give a lecture on Myogen's koan ("Changsha takes a step") followed by a formal tea, and Myogen will answer formal questions about the koan from the sangha during the hossenshiki (June 21, 10 am). It will be possible for both in-person and virtual participants to ask a formal question about the case during the hossenshiki.

Myogen giving a recent Sunday dharma talk.

5-day precepts retreat -- register by June 23rd
June 30 - July 5
Public Jukai-e ceremony on Sunday, July 5, 10 am, followed by potluck lunch

Registration remains open for one more week for our annual precepts retreat, focusing on the study of the sixteen bodhisattva precepts that we receive as guidelines for living a life of practice in the Soto Zen tradition. The daily schedule includes zazen, presentations from the preceptor and ensuing group discussions, work periods, and silent formal meals. A precepts ceremony (jukai-e) is held during the last day of the retreat, during which those receiving the precepts will make their vows and receive a dharma name and a rakusu, or small robe, which they will have sewn beforehand.

This year, the discussion periods with Hoko will delve into the sources and nature of morality and ethics more broadly, exploring new context for the precepts in the Soto Zen tradition as practitioners in our current times and cultures.

Practitioners who are not taking precepts this year are also very welcome and encouraged to register to participate in-person for all or a selection of days - or to drop in for scheduled periods of discussion, work, and/or zazen. Virtual participation in scheduled zazen and discussion periods is also available. Learn more & register by June 23rd.

== Other news ==

Yuko and Okumura Roshi with Tomoe Katagiri

Yuko offers incense at the altar during Tomoe Katagiri's memorial service

Memorial services for Tomoe Katagiri: On June 14th, we carried out a memorial service for Tomoe Katagiri, a greatly respected teacher of nyoho-e sewing in North America for over fifty years and one of Yuko Okumura's own primary teachers. You can read Yuko's memorial tribute to her here.

Mrs. Katagiri passed away on May 30th at the age of 94. To honor her legacy and many connections to Sanshin, we will carry out a memorial service for her to mark each 7th day until the customary 49 days have passed. This will be incorporated into Friday morning liturgy until July 17th.

Minnesota Zen Center, where Tomoe Katagiri taught nyoho-e sewing practice since its founding, will host an inter-sangha memorial service on Sunday, June 28th, from 2 - 3 pm CDT. Info can be found here.

Passing of Donin Minamisawa Zenji, former abbot of Eiheiji:
Rev. Gengo Akiba, director of the Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office, writes,

"It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Former Abbot of Eihei-ji Head Temple, Donin Minamisawa Zenji, who entered parinirvana at 3:23 p.m. Japan time on May 29, 2026. We extend our heartfelt condolences and respectfully share this sad news.

The funeral services have been scheduled as follows:
Taiya (Vigil Service)
Monday, June 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. (Japan Time)
Misso (Private Funeral Service)
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (Japan Time)
Honso (Main Funeral Ceremony)
September 10–11, 2026

We would also like to inform you that Rev. Sodo Hani Zenji has already assumed the position of the new Abbot of Eihei-ji Head Temple, and that the Shinsan-shiki Ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 10 and 11, 2026.

Please join us in offering prayers of gratitude and remembrance for Minamisawa Zenji’s lifelong dedication to the Buddha Dharma."

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A "dharma-fish" drawn by Jinryu, Hoko's student from Germany in town to practice at Sanshin for the past several weeks

Our spring fund appeal continues through the end of June: We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide. Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you for your participation!