August 2026

Photo by Zen Master Jeong Bong

A good friend recently sent me a post from Koshin Paley Ellison titled “Who is Walking Beside You?”

The teaching was wonderful, reminding us how those with whom we spend most of our time help shape us.

Clearly, we are not on this path alone.

Our dharma “buddies” support our practice and encourage us in our aspiration to grow more compassionate, more real, wiser. They also can help us see where our old habits cause us to trip up.

This isn’t about judging anyone or checking who might be “worthy” as a friend. It’s about looking at how our friendships affect who we are.

And deep gratitude for our dharma sisters and brothers.

Ann Pepper, JDPSN

Precepts Ceremony

Sunday, August 2 at 10 am

Please join us as members take precepts and affirm their connection to the Zen path with the Blue Heron Zen Community on Sunday, August 2, 10 am. Everyone is welcome to attend the ceremony.

This ceremony will be held in-person, in the Dharma Room of the Blue Heron Center, and will be streamed on Zoom.

The program for the ceremony is available here. If you are attending online you may want to print it out so that you can watch the ceremony onscreen while reading along.

August Nine-Day Retreat

Saturday, August 15 - Sunday, August 23

Beginning on Saturday, August 15, we’ll gather our online and in-person communities for an immersion in group practice, Dharma talks, and personal Dharma dialogues.

Please register here by Tuesday, August 11. In-Person participants are encouraged to register early to help us plan meals.

We welcome everyone to join us for all or part of the retreat.

August In-Person Sessions

All in-person practices are open for walk-in attendance (no need to sign up in advance). In-person practice is not streamed, unless otherwise noted.

Weekly Sessions:

• Sunday 10-11:30am (Also streamed online)
• Tuesday 7-8:00pm
• Wednesday 10-11:00am
• Friday 10-11:00am

Newcomer Orientation:

• Sunday 9:30-9:50am

Sunday Morning In-Person Activities: (Online participation is welcome!)

• First Sunday of the month (8/2) — (canceled due to precepts ceremony)
• Second Sunday of the month (8/9) — Special Chanting (more info here)
• Third Sunday of the month (8/16) — Dharma Talk (canceled due to retreat)
• Fourth Sunday of the month (8/23) — Online Dharma Dialogues (canceled due to retreat)

To attend, simply show up 5 to 10 minutes before any practice time. The building will be open for those practices. Use the ground floor entrance from the back yard (west side of the building).

Dharma Dialogues

Our senior teachers offer online Dharma Dialogues if you would like to discuss your practice and ask questions. Paul Gulick, JDPSN, and Ann Pepper, JDPSN, also offer optional kong-an exchanges. Please get in touch with them individually to schedule an appointment if you would like a one-on-one Zoom meeting.

• Greg Eisen, JDPSN eisengn@gmail.com
• Paul Gulick, JDPSN paul@blueheronzen.org
• Ann Pepper, JDPSN anngoldenwind@outlook.com
• John Craycraft, SDT johnc@blueheronzen.org
• Jim Peacey, SDT jim@blueheronzen.org

Special Chanting Requests

Once a month, we set aside time in our Sunday practice to express compassion for anyone who is suffering (Kwan Seum Bosal chanting) or recently deceased (Ji Jang Bosal chanting). We invite you to register the names of loved ones for either chant. We will recite the names when we do special chanting.