Jyoshin and Shin’yu attended the biannual conference for the Soto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA) at Zen Mountain Monastery September 19-23 in New York. The theme of the conference was Interconnecting: One Soto Zen, Many Expressions.

Both Jyoshin and Shin’yu found the conference very inspiring, as it moves the SZBA forward in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which we are also working with here at Dharma Rain. One of the outcomes of the conference was a proclamation that was read. You can read a Lion’s Roar report on the conference, including the proclamation here.

Tenku Ruff, President of SZBA, sent a preliminary report to SZBA members, which included this paragraph: “At each SZBA conference, we hold a Dharma Heritage Ceremony in which current full members welcome new members to the organization. New members are priests who have demonstrated fulfillment of the SZBA Membership Standards. This year the SZBA welcomed fifteen new members first with a formal tea and then in the Dharma Heritage Ceremony.” Jyoshin Clay was one of the new members so honored this year. Congratulations to Jyoshin.