Saturday Community (Talk by Richard 'Zengan' Johnson) - ON SITE (in Zendo)

About this event

Talk will be given by Richard Zengan (禅石) Johnson, a student of Jakusho Kwong-roshi and Nyoze Kwong-osho, following 10:30-11:00 am zazen.

In 1971 Richard met Jakusho Kwong-roshi at Sonoma State University where he was teaching classes and attended them three or four times a week from 1971 to 1972. While Kwong-roshi took a year off to travel, Sōjun Mel Weitsman Roshi took over Kwong-roshi’s classes for a year in 1973 and mentored Richard. After Kwong-roshi returned, Richard had his first dokusan in Kwong-roshi’s office and joined SMZC when it opened in 1973. He had also been a member of Berkeley Zen Center for 12 years from 1982 to 1994. Richard rejoined SMZC and has been a member since. Since SMZC opened, he has attended every Buddha’s Birth Celebration. He has had a continuing practice since 1971 and received Jukai from Nyoze Kwong-osho in November 2024 and received the Buddhist name Zengan 禅石 (Zen Rock).