DDM Abbot President Visits the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center in Northern California to Congratulate the New Abbot on his new position

On October 3, a group of 9 people, including DDM Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei and DDM San Francisco Bay Area Center Director Ven. Chang Xiang, went to the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center to congratulate the new Abbot Nyoze-roshi on his new position. DDM Abbot President and his entourage arrived at the Zen Center at 1 p.m. The former Sonoma Mountain Zen Center Abbot Jakusho Kwong Roshi, the new Abbot Nyoze-roshi and the volunteers all warmly welcomed their arrival at the Zen Center entrance, and then led everyone into the Zen Center to worship the Buddha.

In the reception hall of the Zen Center, the two parties had a tea gathering and exchanged views. The new Abbot introduced everyone to the method "Just Sitting (Shikantaza)" of Caodong school (Soto Zen) of Chan Buddhism that the Zen Center strives to practice, which is to attain enlightenment through sitting meditation and Chan practice. The courses and activities provided by the Zen Center include Dharma talks, sutra recitation, guided meditation, study group, and Chan retreats lasting from 1 to 30 days or even longer to meet the needs of various different practitioners from all over the community. The new Abbot of the Zen Center specifically mentioned that, after the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become accustomed to taking online classes. Many people, especially the elderly, choose to study at home and rarely go to the Zen Center. People who come to the Zen Center are only concerned about whether they can reach enlightenment, and have little interest in serving as volunteers. The Abbot President Ven. Guo Huei suggested that we can exhort those who want to be enlightened to cultivate more blessings and wisdom and sow more seeds of merit. The new Abbot of the Zen Center also asked Ven. Guo Huei for advice on how to perpetuate Buddhaharma in the world. The Abbot President replied that we can encourage everyone to apply "six words to settle oneself and be in harmony with others: Lightness, relaxation, slowness, carefulness, smallness, and cooperation" in our daily lives, so that we can live with more ease, compassion and wisdom. To do so is to enable the Buddhadharma to remain for a long time to come.

The relationship between Dharma Drum Mountain and Sonoma Mountain Zen Center can be traced back to the time when DDM Founder Master Sheng Yen was invited by Jakusho Kwong Roshi in October 1990 to visit the Zen Center and give a lecture on "Chinese Chan Master and Chan Hall". The then Sonoma Mountain Zen Center Abbot is at an advanced age now. Therefore, his son officially took the position of Abbot on September 2^nd this year. After a lapse of 33 years, the main purpose of Ven. Guo Huei's visit was to extend loving care on behalf of Master Sheng Yen to the Zen Center, as well as to congratulate the new Abbot on his new position.

The Sonoma Mountain Zen Center is a Buddhist retreat center of Caodong Shool, which occupies ​​approximately 80 acres and is located in the mountains of the city of Santa Rosa, Northern California. The Sonoma Mountain Zen Center founder Jakusho Kwong Roshi is a disciple of Shunryu Suzuki, an important monk of the Japanese Soto Zen who introduced Zen Buddhism to the western world. Jakusho Kwong Roshi was born in the city of Santa Rosa in 1935 and became a Japanese Zen monk in 1970. After his teacher passed away, Jakusho Kwong Roshi founded the current Zen Center in 1974.

The two-hour visit ended with a pleasant exchange of thoughts. Before bidding farewell, Ven. Guo Huei presented to the Zen Center new Abbot a replica of Master Sheng Yen's calligraphy "Blessings and Wisdom" on behalf of Dharma Drum Mountain. The new Abbot of the Zen Center led everyone to visit two newly built dormitories, as well as the Chan Hall and the temple Gates under construction. Since the construction project is quite complex and involves many difficulties, the new Abbot hoped to fulfill as soon as possible his father's long-standing wish of seeing the inauguration of the new Chan Hall in his lifetime. The Abbot President and his entourage sincerely wished that their dream would come true at the earliest possible time: namely, that the teachings of the Zen Center would last for a long time, and that it would therefore introduce more people to Chan practice


Text: Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center
Photos: Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Bay Area Center
Translation: YKL
Editing: Keith Brown