First Work Practice Day Was Amazing Samu, which means "work practice" in Zen Buddhism, is a form of meditation that involves actively engaging in tasks with mindfulness and a sense of service. By focusing on the present moment and letting go of our usual distractions and judgments, we can experience a sense of unity and connection with others and the world around us. We had our first samu practice with the intention of developing a culture of appreciation, responsibility, and self-sufficiency. During Work Practice Day, we had the opportunity to practice this form of meditation and bring a sens ..read more

The Way of Seeking Mind By Cathy Jikai Rose For 30 years I worked in the Canadian arctic providing health care, linked by phone to physicians and hours away from hospital, if the weather was flyable.  The work was wide-ranging. I was always trying to find ways to upgrade my knowledge to meet the challenges that presented because often I was on my own in the provision of care. That’s how I first stepped onto the path.  Early on, I enrolled in a palliative care program delivered by mail.  One of the components required students to look at complimentary therapies and because of my ..read more

A Great Fall into Practice As most of you know, I recently suffered a serious bicycling accident. “This is all practice,” I remarked to Shinzan, in hospital. He suggested that I write on it for this newsletter. A glorious day of freedom reclaimed followed our prolonged seclusion, vaccinations opened doors. I launched on my favorite Bayshore bicycle route. My bike and I danced, all senses drinking deeply. Suddenly, an obstacle, escaping my eye, grabbed my wheels. The bike abruptly tumbled under me, and I was thrust into the air. C R U N C H. the feel of mangled bones in my chest. Pain welled up ..read more

Vigilance: A brief essay By Alberto Anzan Apalategui "Vigilance is the path to the Deathless; negligence the path to death.” These are the first two lines in the chapter, “Vigilance,” in The Dhammapada. For those who do not know, The Dhammapada is a famously known compilation of teachings by the Buddha in verse form. In the previously mentioned quote, the Buddha is warning people against the dangers of being lazy yet reminds them of the capacity for true living. By being diligent, awake, and disciplined, people can live their lives to their highest potential. According to the Buddha, for ..read more

Yudo’s Jukai 2018 Yudo Seeking Mind By Kevin Yudo Mahoney Hello Zen community. My name given to me at birth is Kevin Mahoney. My name given to me by Sensei Shinzan Jose Palma is Yudo (Courageous Way). I was born the 6th child in a family that would eventually grow to 10 children.  My parents were devout Catholics.  We were raised in the City of Detroit during an explosive period of extreme violence, murders, and major riot that flaired up on almost a weekly basis for over 8 years. It is often spoke of as the most violent time in the most violent city in the US. This background to my ..read more

Why Found a Zen Center? By Rev. Jihyang Padma Each thing has it, each thing is already complete. As Dogen said, no creature ever falls short of its own completeness. Whether its shadow is large or small, it never fails to cover the ground. So, perhaps building a temple is a big mistake. But, even the Tathagata made this big mistake. In. the Book of Serenity, a koan states, the Tathagata was walking with his disciples and the god Indra when he paused. He pointed to the ground and said, “this is a suitable site to build a temple.” The god Indra then plucked a blade of grass, placed it in the gro ..read more

Opening Day- a Celebration, a Cultivation By Blair Mushin Withcomb We have had this house for a couple years now, but the “plague” kept it out of reach. gradual lifting of that heavy cover allowed us to “Open” the “Gate.” We proclaimed May 21, 2022 as our official day of opening. As the day approached, a mixture of feelings, a lot of not knowing circled around our heads. Expectations, something we’re often reminded to refrain from building, became, in this case, nearly impossible. Shinzan had begun, and we followed, mildly, gently putting out the word, inviting friends and others to join us in ..read more

By Alexandra Yurin Geller The first time I sat in meditation with Sensei Shinzan, I felt like a baby being held in my mother’s arms. I could not imagine more fondness and safer space. I knew in this moment, that the practice of Zen had brought me home, and at the same time, I understood clearly that I had always been there. My background in Buddhism spans over the past twelve or so years. I had dabbled in sitting here and there, and the practice appealed greatly to me, but it never quite stuck.  This practice has an affinity towards unfolding the path exactly as one’s life warra ..read more

This video is a interview by my dharma brother Bopsa Frank Jude Boccio In this first conversation-based episode of Pobsa's Dharma Lounge, recorded on June 2, 2022, I had the delight in reconnecting to my dharma brother, Muhan Jose Palma. We met over 20 years ago when we were both students of the Korean Son (Zen) Master, Samu Sunim. While I was on the Dharma Teacher track, Muhan was on the track to become a priest. After his ordination, he went on to train with Joan Halifax Roshi at Upaya Zen Center where he also received the new dharma name, Shinzan. Sensei Palma is now based in San Diego wher ..read more

Monshin A Journey Still to Come By Santiago Monshin Aviles It was sunny, and I could feel the fresh air scent of Springtime at Upaya Zen Center. A nice and warm Friday afternoon: the han was announcing the first practice of our retreat. A whole new experience was about to start. For part of my training, as a physician who works in the end-of-Life Care field, I enrolled to attend a “Being with Dying” retreat led by Roshi Joan Halifax. There were many things I had not explored and they appeared at the edge. I knew nothing about the rituals and the forms of this place and wit ..read more