2016 Sept. 16th. University of Hawaii

This is the Peace Memorial at the University of Hawaii Manoa. http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/

The Peace Memorial was actually an accidental discovery. Though there to meet up with a friend, I was wandering the campus to head for the Japanese Garden and Teahouse (Jaku-an).

Jaku-an is the cottage of tranquility; the grounds and garden adjacent to the teahouse certainly brought a sense of peace and harmony as I walked down the path following the flow of the stream.

2016 Sept. 16th. University of Hawaii

This is the Peace Memorial at the University of Hawaii Manoa. http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/

The Peace Memorial was actually an accidental discovery. Though there to meet up with a friend, I was wandering the campus to head for the Japanese Garden and Teahouse (Jaku-an).

Jaku-an is the cottage of tranquility; the grounds and garden adjacent to the teahouse certainly brought a sense of peace and harmony as I walked down the path following the flow of the stream.

Jyozen and Kanzeonji L.A.

jyozen

JYOZEN ANJYU·SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 201630 Reads

I've had several teacher's over the years. But there are two main ones. One is my 'root' teacher Hirokazu Kosaka Sensei; He calls me his legacy holder. He's a Shingon Priest, but I am not; the legacy I 'hold' is his teachings on traditional Japanese Culture; for me this is primarily the practice of kyudo or Japanese Archery that he taught me.

My other teacher is Rev. Ryugen Watanabe Osho. A Disciple of Soyu Matsuoka Roshi. Matsuoka Roshi was among the first Soto Zen Priests to come to America and specifically want teach those of non-Japanese ancestry. With some disagreements with Soto-shu Japan on how to do that, he recommended to several of his disciples to not worry about maintaining that relationship with Soto-shu Japan. So at that time we became non-sectarian. My teacher has openly embraced this as a way to reconcile the many sects and not be Zen per se, but simply Buddhist. But our practice, inherited from Matsuoka Roshi is primarily based on the same Soto-Zen Model. But we also have a variety of 'moving meditations' as promoted by other streams that Watanabe Osho studied.

With both of us having multiple influences from a variety of Buddhist Sects and Shinto too, we really like the non-sectarian model.

Also we have not traditionally used a temple setting; but simply use one of the members homes, or convert a home into a meditation space. So we simply practiced in one of homes Watanabe-Osho owned on Terrace 49 in Mount Washington CA. Recently he sold the last home, and is now a wandering homeless monk, which he seems to be enjoying quite immensely.

He, and everyone else, has assumed that I will take up the mantle. To some degree I will, though I have a zendo and some surrounding grounds here at home, that a few years back he dedicated as Jizo-an, a small Zen temple, and appointed me as it's anjyu. In this way I could 'live' at a temple and fulfill his requirement as eligible to take over in due time. It also gave me some experience in running a small temple with a few Sangha members. So, actually I like this small arrangement. But now, he says, I am the Abbot of Kanzeonji, we have moved most of the Temple Altars and other items to my place, and I've set up a temporary space. But it's much too small for more than the private or semi-private practices, I've already been holding. So I will continue that way, at least until the sangha can help decide how to expand; and even then, I would prefer not to expand too much. Best to be small, humble, invisible to some degree.

Non-Sectarian Temple

Non-Sectarian Temple

KANZEONJI L.A.·WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016

Kanzeonji moved to from Terrace 49, where it was founded in 1984 by Rev. Ryugen Watanabe Osho, A Japanese Buddhist priest who is also a Swami (yoga meditation master),to it’s new home on the same grounds as Jizo-an. Practice at Jizo-an, and now Kanzeonji L.A., is lead by a direct disciple of Watanabe Osho, Jyozen.

Rev. Watanabe wrote: “There are many sects in Buddhism. The teaching of Buddha is very deep and profound. Therefore, in order to study and practice his various teachings in depth, we had to separate them fo the past 2,500 years. For example, in Japanese Buddhism there are the “Soto” and “Rinzai” sects, also know as “Zen Sects”. These sects focus their practice on Zen meditation, and so they are meditation specialists. The “Nichiren” sesct focuses its pract on the Lotus Sutra exclusively. The “Shingon” sect concentrates on the esoteric teachings of Buddha, such as mantra, mudra, and meditation. There are many more sects than these.

All sects of Buddhism concentrate on the true teachings of Buddha, but each one approaches them differently. Sectarian Buddhism is wonderful. It has given us the opportunity to practice the various teachings deeply for all these years. Every sectarian teaching has merits and demerits. For the past 2,500 years the sectarian schools have completed there mission. Now it is time to unify the sects again.

There is one “laughing matter” in Buddhism; all the different Sectarian Buddhists should respect each other. But in reality some of the high priests teach that their sect is better than the others. They teach that “this sect is the true teaching, and the other sects are wrong”! One of the main teachings of the Buddha is non-attachment, but these so-called masters are very attached to the teachings of the sect to which they belong. It is very sad to see Buddhist of different sects fight against each other. They argue over doctrine. But whoever loses is an embarrassment to Buddha, and whoever wins insults Buddha’s teachings. No wonder many sincere followers of Buddha are confused by sectarian priests.

One of the purposes of Kanzeonji Non-Sectarian Buddhist Temple is to correct this “laughing matter” of Buddhism and to serve the public by presenting Buddha’s teaching in a non-sectarian way, creating a place for all Buddha’s disciples to get together to exchange energy and information. In one sense, Non-Sectarian Buddhism is just another sect: yes- the sect of no-sect!

This approach should not be restricted to Buddhism. Kanzeonji Temple attempts to approach all different kinds of religions with oneness.”

Buddhist Chant Monks of Kanzeonji Recitation of Ancient Sutras

Hanamatsuri 2016 at Kanzeonji L.A.

Mongolian Zen Temple 2013 Sesshin and Initiation Ceremony

Blessing Ceremony Part 2

Blessing Ceremony Part 1

Buddhist Chant Monks of Kanzeonji Recitation of Ancient Sutras