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• Soto Zen Temples and Centers - This list is maintained by Sotoshu Shumucho, the Soto Zen headquarters in Japan.

Everything can be my teacher
If I just let it be.
Not tring to push it away
Or clinging to it,
Wanting it to stay.

My runny nose while sitting is my teacher. It says to me, "John, why do you always want me to go away when I try to visit you? Can't I just stay with you for a while? Let us get to know each other a little better. I won't stay too long. Let's just sit together and just be in each other's company."

The calm, peaceful feeling I often get while sitting is also my teacher. It says to me, "John, don't get attached to me. Don't always long for my arrival and don't get upset if I don't visit you in your sitting today. Just know me when I come. Just be me as wholly as you can."

These insights were sparked by Zen Master Jakusho Kwong-roshi in his new book No Beginning, No End: The Intimate Heart of Zen. I just recently purchased this book and have been REALLY been enjoying it. It is a wonderfully written book. Very down to earth and accessible to us Americans. I highly recommend it!!

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• Vallejo Soto Zen Buddhist Meditation Center - Wow. I like the design of this web site. It's a small web site with not much content but since the Zendo is in the Soto tradition of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, I wanted to "collect" it here.

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• Sonoma Mountain Zen Center - A Zen Center in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. Jakusho Kwong-roshi is a successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. He has been teaching Zen in the United States and Europe for more than thirty years. He is the founder and abbot of the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center outside of Santa Rosa, California. In 1995 he was given the title of Dendo Kyoshi, Zen Teacher, by the Soto School in Japan. He is one of nine Western Zen teachers to receive this acknowledgment. "Zen," he says, "is the aliveness we bring to each moment."

These words just came to me this morning while reading about Trungpa Rinpoche's Stupa at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center (a Zen Center in the lineage of Shogaku Shunryu Suzuki-roshi).

Today, as I walk the path of realization of the Buddha Way, I am reminded by my Higher Power that this is the same (but different) path of realizing the Way of Christ.

~ jhs, June 16th 2003.

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• Berkeley Zen Center - This center was established by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. They have a few good lectures by Suzuki Roshi here that are some of my favorites.

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• 180 Answers About Zen from Master Deshimaru - I just found this page again after about a year. These questions and answers from Master Taisen Deshimaru were and still are very helpfule to my Soto Zen practice. This page and the wisdom on it was one of the reasons I chose Soto Zen.

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• Still Mind Zendo - A Soto Zen center in NYC. Sensei Janet Jiryu Abels. Would like to visit sometime.

Amy turned four years old yesterday. We had a birthday party for her at the house with a small group of family and friends. She was so excited. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that wound-up before. It was a blast!! She really enjoyed her self, the cake, the company and (of course) all presents!! I think she has enough play-doh to last her for the next 4 years!!!

Amy is such a big girl now. It’s just amazing. I just love her to death!!

I am so grateful for the practice that I have found in Soto Zen Buddhism. It was taught me to be present with my wife and daughter on a scale that I’ve never approached before. It is a wonderful experience. I think one of the greatest gifts my practice has given me is the ability to be way more open to moment to moment changes that occur in family life and to let go of my attachment to my own agenda. I like to call it “being interruptible”. At any moment, my wife or daughter might ask something of me and I can (for the most part) respond immediately to them without any of the resentment junk that used to be kicked up inside me before. I am really enjoying cultivating an attitude of service at home. I hope that it will someday translate to service outside the home as well.

I can truly say that right now I am grateful for this day, this opportunity to continue my practice. Gassho.

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• Self-Immolation of Thich Quang Duc - Good article on the whole event and why he did it and why it was not considered a suicide under the buddhist precepts. There are a couple of pictures as well so viewer beware.

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• Many Paths - A lot of good stuff here for all Spiritual walks of life.

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• Elberon Zen Circle - Zen Practice in the tradition of the Soto school in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, founder of San Francisco Zen Center.