Our annual 8-month study group on the Zen Precepts. The group will be led by Myoki Raizelah Bayen and Ikushun Desiree Webster.
This class, and community, for Zen practitioners interested in deepening their relationship to their practice and their lives through the study of the Zen Precepts.
All are welcome. And students moving towards Jukai are expected to attend all sessions plus the Jukai ceremony at the Fall Samish Sesshin. If you are interested in receiving Jukai this year, please see the Going Further page on the website and speak with a teacher for information on the process.
Meetings
Each group meeting will include discussion, experiential exercises, and reflection in small groups on what these precepts mean for us as human beings and students of Zen and in reflection of the teachers' comments.
A second monthly meeting is self-organized by smaller study groups to discuss the readings and further reflect on how the precepts show up in their lives. Responses can be written, artistic, or verbal.
The study group concludes with a half-day retreat in early August.
Text Used
Opening to Oneness: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to the Zen Precepts by Nancy Mujo Baker. 
Schedule
1st Monday evening meetings plus a Saturday half-day retreat.
Jan 19 - 6:30-8:30pm About the precepts, taking refuge
Feb 16 - 6:30-8:30pm Pure precepts
Mar 23 - 6:30-8:30pm Precepts 1 & 9
Apr 20 - 6:30-8:30pm Precepts 2 & 3
May 25 - 6:30-8:30pm Precepts 4 & 5
June 22 - 6:30-8:30pm Precepts 6 & 7
Aug 3 - 6:30-8:30pm Precepts 8 & 10
Sept 29- 9am-1pm Saturday Half-day retreat
Teachers
Myoki Raizelah Bayen was shuso, head student, during the 2024 Winter Practice Period when she explored the Eihei Dogen's Genjokoan in her shuso's class. Raizelah has 20+ years of teaching yoga, embodiment, mindful massage and inquiry practices. She is currently studying for priest ordination with Hoka Chris Fortin.
IkuShun Desiree Webster has been a practitioner for many years and previous to her practice in the Soto Zen tradition practiced in the Plum Village tradition. She was Shuso for the winter practice period 2023, and lead the sangha on a journey through The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings, bringing with her the flavor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s understanding. Her formal teacher is Ryushin Andrea Thach from the Berkeley Zen Center.
