Since last Fall, we've successfully raised $1.4 million to construct short-term and long-term housing on the empty lot across the street from the Dojo at 3570 Kalihi Street. We're sharing this news with the Chozen-ji network now to invite members and supporters around the world to join us to raise the remaining $400,000 to break ground and complete construction.
Read MoreFour years ago there was one person signed up to do the summer sesshin. The most recent sesshin had 19 participants. This is a great indicator of the change that has happened over the last four years.
Read MoreThe recent summer sesshin was remarkable in many ways, building on the energy of last winter’s sesshin and the spring live-in training period. The crowd was made up of 19 people with young, mostly local students including a few first-timers. Jackson Sayama was the jiki with assistance from Nick Alamia.
Read MoreSeveral weeks ago Dojo members completed construction of a new awning over the steps into the Dojo. This awning was part of the original design but was never built.
Read MoreChozen-ji's 2021 Summer newsletter focuses on a big new project at the Dojo: the development of new housing on the empty lot at 3570 Kalihi Street to support steadily increasing demand for live-in Zen training.
Read MoreIn our Winter 2020 newsletter, you'll read about how Zen training at Chozen-ji has come alive in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Download our most recent newsletter as a PDF or read all of newsletter articles on our blog.
Read MoreCovid-19 lays bare the First and Second Noble Truths that existence is impermanent and that suffering arises from attachments. To date, December 18, 2020, there have been 17 million infections and 310,000 deaths in the United States. Life has been disrupted in so many ways, and so many livelihoods lost. Face to face encounters have become a luxury.
It’s a good time for spiritual training.
Read MoreIn a year when many of us experienced loss, we note the passing of several important Dojo members who taught, trained, and embodied the spirit of Zen training at Chozen-ji. Their influence on past and current Dojo members continues to have an impact on the training here.
Read MoreWhew! What a year! If you are human, you are so looking forward to its end and ready for 2021 to begin. But what does that mean?
Read More“It seemed impossible or at least foolish—maybe even a little crazy—to try. I had previously lived in at Chozen-ji twice, so I had some idea of how difficult three months of live-in training would be.”
Read MoreIn these turbulent times, Zen Art can help you become clear and tranquil—bringing peace to a busy city, or clarity to your environment and state of mind. As a vibrant force, Zen Art influences your vibration, helping you to accord with the flow and rhythm of the Universe, which is unmoved even by today's chaos.
Read More“To receive and let flow away.” —Tanouye Tenshin Rotaishi
This phrase is found in Master Takuan Soho’s letters to swordmaster Yagyu Munenori on the Immovable Mind in fencing. It refers to a technique in which the opponent’s attack is received and returned against him.
For example, the opponent cuts for your head. Receiving the strike with your sword, you let its momentum initiate your cut to his body. Tanouye Rotaishi used to say, “Here’s the secret to life.” Receive and let flow away.
Read MoreWe made the call a few weeks before this summer’s sesshin to go ahead with it, albeit with serious precautions. With safety rules in place, we had an extremely sharp and efficient sesshin, ending with the firing of the wood-fired kiln.
Read MoreEven in late March—as the COVID-19 pandemic began—we saw an increasing number of requests from new students to begin Zen training. We decided to offer beginning zazen instruction online for the first time, even as Chozen-ji monks sheltered in place and Dojo members were asked to stay at home and shelter in place.
Read MoreReconstruction of the wood-fired ceramics kiln was completed in January after more than a year of discussions, design, deconstruction, and construction.
At the time of this newsletter, it has now been fired twice, producing wood-fired ceramics for the Art Show that will hopefully take place in November.
Read MoreThe rapid spread of the Coronavirus has had me thinking about patient zeros and what it takes for something to spread quickly throughout the world. This doesn’t only apply to viruses and pathogens, of course. Stephen Kow Roshi’s Mu-I Tai Chi (sometimes referred to as 10-step Tai Chi or Mu-I Taiji Zen) is one example of something good that has made its way quickly around the world.
Read MoreThe second to last chant (okyo) in the choka sequence is Shiku Sei Gan Mon—The Four Vows. It is chanted three times at a pace slower than any other and has a vibe of seriousness and focused determination consistent with this chant, which comes as close to prayer as a Buddhist may have.
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Download our most recent newsletter as a PDF—or browse all our Winter 2019 newsletter articles on our blog, linked here in this post.
Read MoreIn the late 1980’s, Tanouye Roshi was determined to spread the lessons of the Aloha Spirit. He felt that a deeper understanding and cultivation of Aloha would give students a more tangible sense of the Buddhist principle of compassion. Four Aloha Spirit posters were made, one of them featuring Native Hawaiian spiritual leader Pilahi Paki’s definition of Aloha. Thousands were distributed. Alvin Shim also succeeded in passing the Aloha Spirit Bill, putting this definition into law.
Read MoreThis year’s annual Zen Art Show & Sale was held November 8-10. Following coverage in The Hawaii Herald and The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, attendance far exceeded our expectations. We estimate as many as 1,000 people came through.
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