Rei Rō

I never noted the actual date I first visited the Empty Hand Zen Center (http://emptyhandzen.org/) , but the first email communication I had was in 30-July-2013 and that was about making a monthly contribution. So, I must have been sitting with them for at least a month by then. The decision to practice Zen was not taken in the spur of a moment, rather, it was a based on meticulous research which I covered in the email in which I asked Sensei the permission to sew my Rakasu. Tokudo Ji-on Susan Postal was the resident teacher at Empty Hand, under whose guidance, I started and slowly improved my Zen Practice until her passing in February 7, 2014. Her student and Dharma heir Myozan Dennis Keegan, who was supporting my practice even before her death, deepened his commitment and played an important role in helping mature my practice. When it was evident that my job would take me away from the East Coast, it was Myozan who found me a place to practice with the Nashville Zen Center. He even continued giving me one-on-one Dharma study by Skype every week until his passing at July 19, 2016. By then I had been sitting at Nashville Zen Center (NZC) for two years. My first sit with NZC was at 04 November 2014 and I have been with them ever since. My Jukai was conducted my Sensai at the Penuel Ridge Retreat Center on 27-March-2016. On 13-Jan this year I asked Sensai for permission to sew my Rakasu. With patience and guidance from both Carola and Kaaren I finished stitching it by 8-Oct. My Zaike Tokkudo was on Nov 18.