Sensei Rebecca is starting classes to lead regular students through precept study and preparation for Jukai. Jukai, giving and receiving the precepts, is how Zen practitioners make a commitment to upholding and maintaining the Bodhisattva Precepts and to entering the stream of the lineage of the Buddha Way.
Over the spring and summer participants will sew their Rakusus, or Buddha’s Robe, incorporating their deep desire to practice with each stitch. They will also copy the ancestral lineage from Shakyamuni Buddha down to themselves, to indicate their place in the continuation of the Dharma stream. In our tradition students prepare a personal lineage of the people in their lives who brought them to Zen as well.
If you are a regular attendee of either our Wednesday night sits or our Zazenkai, speak to Sensei Rebecca to learn more about jukai.
One Heart Sangha is in the midst of a 4-week Mini Ango, which runs February 10 to March 10. The Mini Ango provides a supportive structure to commit to an additional level of practice for a short and specific period of time. The primary purpose is to deepen your zazen practice, renew your commitment to the Dharma, and if you like, make a commitment to other practices that can help make positive changes in your life.
While registration is closed now, you can still silently join other members of the zendo in making a personal commitment to additional practice for the coming weeks.
How it Works
Participants typically commit to increased zazen during the Ango. For example, participants can pledge to sit one extra day per week or increase their sitting time. In addition, participants may commit to other beneficial activities such as a mindfulness practice, volunteer work, yoga/stretching, or starting a Zen 108. Alternatively, participants can commit to cutting back on activities like doomscrolling social media, gossiping, or eating unhealthy foods.
Seven students confirmed their commitment to upholding and maintaining the Bodhisattva Precepts and to entering the stream of the lineage of the Buddha Way.
Over the past year, each recipient hand-crafted a Rakusu, or Buddha’s Robe, incorporating their deep desire to practice with each stitch.
Each prepared a personal lineage of teachers that reveals what brought them to this point.
Each copied the ancestral lineage from Shakyamuni Buddha down to themselves, to indicate their place in the continuation of the Dharma stream.
Please welcome our newest bodhisattva cohort!
Pictured: Precept Recipients: Susan Myoren (harbor light) | Sarah kyoshin & Mike Shinyu (joyful mind) | Cathy Yōki, Fran Kishin, Laura Kyohan & Michelle Myōshin (one heart)
Sensei Bruce (Shiho) and Sensei Rebecca (Museido) are now offering remote dokusan (“remokusan”) to students who are attending our Wednesday sits or zazenkai regularly. As you’ve probably noticed, we have a lot of sitters on Wednesday evenings now. It’s great to have so many people coming to the service, but it means there isn’t time on Wednesday evenings to give everyone the opportunity to speak to a teacher. Our setup at WES also only allows one teacher to offer dokusan at a time. Bruce and Rebecca want to support everyone’s practice so we’re hoping this is a good way forward. In particular, those students who are interested in the path to Jukai should plan to meet at least monthly with one of the teachers at One Heart Sangha to discuss their work with the Precepts, sewing, and lineage.
Sensei Bruce ShiHo Lindsay and Sensei Joshua Kūhai Radice received dharma transmission in the lineage of the White Plum Asanga from Sensei Robet JinGen Ertman on May 31, 2025. We’re delighted to welcome Sensei Bruce as a new teacher at One Heart Sangha. In his new role as a teacher, Sensei Bruce has started offering newcomer introductions and online dokusan for regular students. Sensei Kūhai is growing a new zendo in Annapolis, Harbor Light Zen Sangha.
The transmission was at the Annapolis UUC, and was kindly hosted by the Annapolis Mindfulness Group. It was well attended with students, meditators, and teachers from sanghas all over the area. We had attendees from Joyful Mind Zendo in Rockville, Clare Sangha in Baltimore, Harbor Light Zendo in Annapolis, Del Ray Zen in Alexandria, and of course One Heart Sangha in Silver Spring. Sensei Jan JinKai Gary even kindly flew up from Florida to join us in person.
A slightly chaotic morning zazenkai preceded the denbo ceremony, as we integrated the different sanghas and the mindfulness group. The forms came together and the kinhin lines fell into place with some guidance from senior students. The dharma flowed freely as the practices merged.
Teachers from left to right: Senseis Rebeca MuSeiDo Hawes, Bruce ShiHo Lindsay, and Bob JinGen Ertman from One Heart Sangha; Sensei Josh Kūhai Radice from Harbor Light Zen; Senseis Rev. Jon Seichō McCollum, Oshō and Tony Hoetsu Falcone from Clare Sangha; and Senseis Jan JinKai Gary, and Martine Taikai Palmiter from Joyful Mind Zen Community.
Bruce and Josh after receiving their stoles from Bob. These reflect the tradition of the stream of ancestors from Bernie Tetsugen Glassman Roshi to Robert Jinsen Kennedy Roshi and his descendants.
Sensei Bruce is expanding our newcomers’ introduction on Wednesday evenings into a longer format. He will be accepting appointments to come 6pm on Wednesdays and give an Introduction to Zen Practice.
We strongly encourage all beginners to attend. However, anyone else is welcome to schedule a session as well. If you want to schedule, email brucelindsay@oneheartsangha.org.
The intro will cover finding a suitable meditation posture, sitting zazen, and our Zen forms. Sensei Bruce reviews how we enter the zendo, bow (gassho), attend dokusan (teacher meetings), walk kinhin, and chant. Finally, he explains what to expect on a typical Wednesday night. The goal is to help demystify Zen practice, allowing participants to feel welcome and comfortable with our forms and programs.
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