Dear Friend,

Our recent Sangha Celebration was a wonderful success. It was a real pleasure to gather together to chat, relax, and enjoy one another’s company. Thank you to all who brought along a delicious dessert to share. It was a blessing to meet the friends and family of our members and supporters who were able to attend. As we move closer to the close of 2019, we deepen our connections and strengthen our Sangha. It is encouraging to look back on a strong year of Dharma practice and inspiring to look forward to a new year. Please know that you are an important part of Long Beach Meditation. Your steadfast support enlivens this precious jewel of Sangha.

Our mission statement points directly to our commitment to practicing the profound teachings which align with the Buddha’s path of awakening. A true strength of Long Beach Meditation is the diversity of its teachers and Sangha members. The different lineages and traditions represented make our Sangha a space where valuable perspectives and points of practice are accessible in ways uniquely supportive to an individual’s affinity. The historical Buddha, regarded as our founder, was an ordinary person who shed extraordinary light upon the human condition. His teachings have since been adopted across countries and cultures because of their timeless relevance. Long Beach Meditation honors the historical Buddha’s legacy of insight, wisdom, and compassion in a contemporary American setting.

It continues to be a privilege and pleasure to serve as Long Beach Meditation’s Guiding Teacher. As Guiding Teacher, my training and empowerments are based in the Soto Zen Tradition. In 2014, I received Dharma Transmission or authorization to teach. This marked my becoming a successor in the Buddha’s lineage, spanning eighty-three generations to the present day. As a lineage holder I am dedicated to finding effective ways to engage Dharma teachings within our Sangha and the wider community. Currently, our Sangha’s teachers come from varied paths including the traditions of Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, Vipassana, and Mindfulness. Presently, in our inclusive Californian setting, a truly American expression of the Dharma is flowering within our Sangha—a space of practice where the heart of tradition and emerging secular modalities are mutually supportive, and all are welcome!

Beginning in 2020 we will be offering a day-long Saturday retreat every other month. The core of our practice is sitting meditation and day-long retreats function as a key support for deepening our realization. We are concentrating our study for these Saturdays on the 5 Precepts for Ethical Living. Earlier in 2019, the Teachers Council met and agreed to uphold these precepts at Long Beach Meditation. Now, we invite our members and supporters to explore how we live upright lives and contribute with care in our wider communities. Please come and join us. We will continue our regular Sunday Sits, Monday evening guided meditation, and the Wednesday evening meditation and mindful yoga gathering, as well as introducing a new 6-week introductory course beginning in January.

Your contribution as a Long Beach meditation member is a demonstration of your commitment to ensuring that the healing art of meditation is accessible to all. People often express to me that they are impacted positively and profoundly by our collective practice. Though the Buddha passed from this life 2,400 years ago, his living teachings manifest as our very breath, our smiles, and our tears. I wish to offer my sincere gratitude for your devotion in supporting Long Beach Meditation. Through practice we grow to see that before and beyond the narrow sense of “me,” the true Self includes everyone and everything. The Buddha’s great awakening is our great awakening. As we simply sit, bear witness, and dwell here, we simultaneously attain the way. As always, I welcome your reaching out to me directly at jokai@longbeachmeditation.org. I look forward to seeing you soon. Please feel welcome to participate in our exciting events throughout the year to come. All best wishes for the holidays and beyond.

With Appreciation,

Jokai

浄
Jo (Pure)

海
Kai (Ocean)