Roshi used his talk this week to continue our exploration of the Samurai Koans. He began by reminding us that in 13th-century Japan, Zen practice was spreading beyond monks and clergy to new groups, including the samurai. A major challenge at the time was that most Zen teachers were Chinese and did not speak Japanese.…

Roshi spoke this week about Yorktown Zen’s ongoing efforts to support Buddhist practice within the neurodivergent community. He referenced a recent interview with the entertainer Trevor Noah, who has ADHD, and highlighted two coping strategies he uses. Roshi then connected these strategies to techniques familiar in our own practice. The first strategy is the ability…

This week, Roshi chose to focus on the topic of diversity within Soto Zen.  He began with updates on the “Ananda Project,” an initiative aimed at bringing Zen practice to neurodivergent communities. The name Ananda was chosen in honor of the historical Ananda, renowned for his extraordinary memory and for reciting much of the Buddha’s…