Written by: Jun Po Denis Kelly

Sisters and Brothers,
I am delighted to share with you that we have matured and improved our practice form and we have made it even more beautiful and effective.   I request that you return to the Zendo for another 7 Day Mondo Zen Sesshin to experience this truth for yourself as soon as you can. Do not wait to come to awakening and freedom. Samadhi is indeed right here, right now!

The sesshin we just completed at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center was the deepest and most beautiful we have led to date. The addition of alternating Qi Gong embodiment practice and walking meditation allowed for a deeper more comfortable sitting practice. This releasing of physical pain and tension and balancing of physical energy allowed a deeper insight experience. The morning one and one half hour Mondo Koan Ego Deconstruction Dialog practice and the afternoon one hour Emotional Koan Awareness Intervention practice [Mondo Zen] shared in small groups clarified our understanding and released emotional blockages resulting in a deeper insight experience. These processes allow us to return home with a much clearer Understanding and a set of tools that allow us to remain insightful and compassionately awake in the normal commerce and intercourse of our ordinary lives.

The Mondo Dialog shared with four different facilitators and others in attendance clarifies where we stand in reference to and exposes where we doubt our Buddha nature and changes our view. And the Emotional Koan work with four different facilitators and others in attendance allows us to experience and transform negative feeling reactions and frees us for deeper more genuine compassionate responses. We have successfully added skillful means practices to embody our wisdom and compassion.

In any case, please remember that awakening takes practice.
Be well and do not doubt this Truth, "Ata Dipa, you are This light".

Yours in the Dharma-
Jun Po