Buddhism Plain and Simple

[But] Zen is also Buddhism, so it is necessary for you to understand Buddhism in general and to have some understanding of the original teaching of Buddha or else, I am afraid, you will miss the point.

 ~ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sept 1, 1967 

Jonathan Joseph

February 5:  Jonathan Joseph  (The Brahmaviharas or Four Immeasurables*)

* lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity

Jon Joseph began practicing Zen while still in high school, regularly sitting with a group of friends and guided by his high school Spanish teacher, who was studying Zen under the Korean tradition, and with whom Jon still talks with on a weekly basis. Jon first started sitting sesshin at Los Angeles Zen Center, and in 1979 moved to Japan, where he studied Zen under Yamada Koun Roshi for nearly eight years. While in Japan he also studied Japanese and worked as a journalist and financial analyst, which remains his current profession. Jon returned to the U.S. in the late 1980s and began studying with John Tarrant (Robert Aitken successor), and completed his koan study with his teacher about 10 years ago. He is currently serving as Head of Practice at Pacific Zen Institute, where he helps run retreats and lectures.

Dan Kaplan

February 12:  Dan Kaplan (Taking Refuge)

Dan Kaplan has been practicing Zen for 38 years, and has been working with koan practice for 15 of those years. He also practices psychotherapy that is heavily influenced by his sitting practice.

Ven. Robina Courtin

Special event on February 12, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm:

Ven. Robina Courtin, In Conversation

For more info visit our Special Events page.

Jana Drakka

February 19:  Rev. Jana Drakka (The Noble Eightfold Path)

"Gengetsu Junsei" received Dharma Transmission in the Soto Zen Buddhist Lineage from Zenkei Blanche Hartman, the first woman in this lineage. Jana's nonprofit organization, Jana Drakka's Community Services, provides a wide range of services including support groups, workshops, classes and talks. Jana’s community work is based in Harm Reduction Principles -- a way to meet everyone with complete acceptance and allows for a client-centered modality. Among her many activities, Jana leads a meditation group at Glide Memorial Church on Monday evenings and facilitates an ongoing peer support group for the case managers at Tenderloin Housing Clinic where she runs a mindfulness group, grief/stress support group and gives one-on-one counseling to staff and clients. Jana was recently appointed to lead the revived Q-Sangha at MCC on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm. For more information on Jana and her programs, visit http://janadrakka.com.

Ryuei Michael McCormick

February 26:  Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick (Buddhism FAQ)

"Ryuei Shonin" has practiced Buddhism since 1985 with various Nichiren groups and the Korean Won school. In 1995 he joined the San Jose Nichiren Shu temple and in 1997 became a disciple the temple’s then head minister, the Ven. Ryusho Matsuda, receiving the Dharma name "Ryuei." He was fully ordained as a Nichiren Shu priest in 2001 after completing the final 40-day monastic training at Kuonji temple, Mt. Minobu, Japan. He assists at the San Jose temple, helps with study material translations at the Nichiren Buddhist International Center in Hayward, and leads the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha on Sunday afternoons at the Faithful Fools Zendo in the Tenderloin.