One Heart Sangha

News

  • Invitation to Shukke Tokudo – May 10th

    Invitation to Shukke Tokudo – May 10th

    Sensei Museidō is “Leaving (and Not Leaving) Home”

    You are cordially invited to attend the Shukke Tokudo of Sensei Rebecca Museidō on May 10, 2026. This is the Zen Buddhist ceremony of Leaving Home. This is the first step on the path of a monk (or in our White Plum Asanga tradition, a “priest”).

    The Significance of Shukke Tokudo

    In our Sōtō Zen tradition, Shukke Tokudo marks the moment of “leaving home,” not necessarily in a literal sense, but as a profound turning of one’s life toward the Buddha Way. It is the formal entry into priest training, grounded in the vows to awaken for the benefit of all beings.

    This ceremony is not merely symbolic; it is a living transmission of intention, discipline, and lineage. It is a vocation. Through shaving the head, receiving robes, and taking vows, the ordinand embodies a commitment to practice that is at once deeply personal and inseparable from the wider sangha. It is both a beginning and a continuation—an entry into a stream that has flowed uninterrupted for centuries.

    This year, Roshi Ed Sullivan Sangetsu of Red Rose Sangha and Sensei Jon Seichō Kenzen McCollum are honored to present the following candidates for Shukke Tokudo:

    • Sensei Rebecca Museidō Hawes

    • Dharma Holder Mike Dōshin Shanahan

    • Allison Shōkyo Ehrman

    • Davi Shōrei Hayes

    • Len Sōkai Sitnick

    Friends and family attending the ceremony at 11:00am on Sunday should bring bag lunches and arrive by 10:30. If they have received precepts, they may wear their rakusu as well.

    Hosted by Zen Community of Baltimore – Clare Sangha

    443-413-1723

    View Organizer Website

  • WES Interfaith Social Justice Seder (April 4th)

    WES Interfaith Social Justice Seder (April 4th)

    WES is hosting an interfaith, social justice oriented Seder on April 4th from 6pm to 8pm. OHS and other communities are invited.

    From Rev. KC: “It will be a less traditional Seder, and we’d really love to have you or any folks from One Heart who are interested join us.”

    Here’s a link for individuals to let us know if they plan to join: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyny5AkIz2P0PBsJdUEgpIwZvfANBCT-05nssJZ5mtHfoo_w/viewform

  • Zen Peacemakers  Bearing Witness to Racism Retreat

    Zen Peacemakers  Bearing Witness to Racism Retreat

    Join the Zen Peacemakers for a Bearing Witness retreat this April. They will be visiting Selma and Montgomery, Alabama to bear witness the events African Americans faced there. Please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested. ZPO Bearing Witness retreats take place in places where deep human trauma occurred and where healing is endlessly needed. With retreats they intend to contribute to this healing.

    Visit their website to read more or Click to register.

    Bearing Witness to Racism in America

  • Website Update

    Website Update

    Welcome to our new website! Elaine and Fran have been working steadily for the past couple of months to migrate from Squarespace to WordPress. We’ve launched and are Hopefully you can find key information like where to sign up for events, request “remokusan”, and if you’re new here learn about the zendo and our meditation events.

    We’re aiming to have a calendar of local Zen events online sometime in the next couple months, since we have four White Plum Asanga lineage sanghas in the area. You’ll also notice we’ve switched eCommerce providers for donations and events. Feedback on what works and doesn’t work is welcome as we continue to develop and refine the site. In particular, let us know about any difficulties you have on a tablet or phone.

  • Jukai class for fall 2026

    Jukai class for fall 2026

    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.

  • Mini Ango

    Mini Ango

    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.