Rising Lotus Zen

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Rising Lotus Zen We embrace an eclectic approach to practice, honoring where people are in their lives. Hello, I'm Kyoji.

Welcome to Rising Lotus Zen – an inclusive, accessible, and women-led online Zen community for those who may feel out of place in more traditional Zen settings. I am the founder and guiding teacher at Rising Lotus Sangha. Rising Lotus serves everyone but is intentionally open to those in the disability, neurodiverse, and chronic illness communities. I am a legally blind priest who strives to help

make Zen practice open and available to everyone. I live in the eastern US with my husband, and our Boxer Dog, Henry.

When we take refuge in Buddha,we’re not just turning toward the historical figure who lived 2,600 years ago.We’re turnin...
09/07/2025

When we take refuge in Buddha,
we’re not just turning toward the historical figure who lived 2,600 years ago.
We’re turning toward the awakened nature within ourselves —
the stillness, clarity, and compassion that lives in our own breath and body.

One of our great present-day teachers, Shohaku Okumura Roshi writes:

“Taking refuge in Buddha means taking refuge in the awakened nature that is within ourselves and all beings.”

This is not a gesture of worship —
it’s a vow to keep returning to your own capacity to wake up.

To pause.
To be present.
To live with authenticity.

This is what it means to take refuge in Buddha —
not as something out there, but something right here.

🪷

Every Wednesday, we meet.And we sit — for peace, for justice, for clarity in the noise of the world.This is a secular me...
09/07/2025

Every Wednesday, we meet.
And we sit — for peace, for justice, for clarity in the noise of the world.

This is a secular meditation circle— open to all who identify as female —
who care deeply: about the world, about living, and about staying steady in uncertain times.

In silence, we remember what is sacred.
In stillness, we soften our grip and return to what matters.
In our small community, we restore our strength.

You are welcome to join us — just as you are.
We'll meet you there.




Every Wednesday, we meet.And we sit — for peace, for justice, for clarity in the noise of the world.This is a secular me...
04/07/2025

Every Wednesday, we meet.
And we sit — for peace, for justice, for clarity in the noise of the world.

This is a secular meditation circle— open to all who identify as female —
who care deeply: about the world, about living, and about staying steady in uncertain times.

In silence, we remember what is sacred.
In stillness, we soften our grip and return to what matters.
In community, we restore our strength.

You are welcome to join us — just as you are.
We'll meet you there.




Monday Morning ZenWisdom grows in stillness.This isn't the kind of wisdom you read in books or trade over tea with Dharm...
30/06/2025

Monday Morning Zen
Wisdom grows in stillness.
This isn't the kind of wisdom you read in books or trade over tea with Dharma friends — but Prajna, transcendent wisdom.

Prajna isn’t something we “get.”
We don’t earn it through our studies or "spiritual hustle."
It arises when we slow down, when we return — again and again — to the stillness of Zazen.

Dogen called it “shinjin datsuraku” — mind and body sloughing away.
In that letting go, in that spacious silence… we become open enough to receive.

🌿 Sit. Be still. Let the wisdom grow.

Dhyana Paramita is the practice of meditative concentration, not by force, but by quiet return.Like these stones, one st...
23/06/2025

Dhyana Paramita is the practice of meditative concentration, not by force, but by quiet return.

Like these stones, one stacked on the other, we rest our attention gently, moment by moment.

Noticing when we've wandered.
Returning without judgment.
Breathing with what is. Being with what is.

In Soto Zen, this is shikantaza — just sitting.
Nothing to fix. Nothing to force.
Only this moment, again and again.

May you experience moments of stillness today.

“It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.”— Jóha...
20/06/2025

“It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.”
— Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland and the first openly gay head of state

Their words echo across borders and traditions — and into the heart of Zen.

Pride is more than a celebration.
It’s a practice. A vow. A call to stay awake.

In Zen, we drop the labels… and yet, we bow deeply to each person’s truth.
To be fully seen — to be allowed to exist in joy and dignity — is not extra. It’s essential.

To my LGBTQIA+ siblings:
You are not separate. You are not alone.
You are sacred, whole, and beloved — just as you are.

🏳️‍🌈 In this sangha, you belong.
+Rights

Your cushion doesn’t care how long it’s been.You can restart, renew, or begin again — anytime.Meditation isn’t a one-siz...
18/06/2025

Your cushion doesn’t care how long it’s been.
You can restart, renew, or begin again — anytime.

Meditation isn’t a one-size-fits-all practice.
Some sit. Some recline. Some lie down.
Some sit for an hour. Others for five or ten minutes.

What matters most is arriving with an open heart and a willing spirit.

Our practice is simply being with whatever arises in the moment.

The cushion is our training ground — and it’s always ready for your return.

✨ Looking for a place to begin or deepen your Zen practice?Whether you're just curious, starting out, or have been sitti...
17/06/2025

✨ Looking for a place to begin or deepen your Zen practice?
Whether you're just curious, starting out, or have been sitting for years — you're welcome here.

Our Discord sangha is a quiet, supportive space to ask questions, share experiences, and walk the path together. 🌿

Want to join us? DM for the link. 🪷


16/06/2025

Being like a mountain means being like the calm in the storm.

Our Zen practice — just sitting, just breathing, just being with what is — is a path of liberation.

Liberation doesn't mean becoming a Zen robot. It’s not about erasing our emotions.

It’s about learning to meet them with steadiness. It's about learning to regulate the feelings that come up around the circumstances we face in everyday life.

When we respond from a place of steadiness, we respond from our true nature.
We lessen our own suffering and the suffering of those around us.

Sit. Breathe. Be present.
This is the Way.

n Zen, we are taught to see things as they truly are — to strip away delusion, projection, and fear.Bigotry doesn’t aris...
13/06/2025

n Zen, we are taught to see things as they truly are — to strip away delusion, projection, and fear.

Bigotry doesn’t arise from clarity. It arises from separation.
From clinging to “me and mine,” and fearing what is unfamiliar.

Our practice is to turn toward that fear,
to soften it with understanding,
and to dissolve ignorance through presence, inquiry, and compassion.

It begins right here — with each of us. 🪷

🕊️ Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) was an LGBTQ+ activist who self-identified as gay, and a drag queen. She was a key figu...
06/06/2025

🕊️ Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) was an LGBTQ+ activist who self-identified as gay, and a drag queen. She was a key figure in the early LGBTQ+ rights movement and the Stonewall uprising.

Her words echo the Dharma: that we are not separate. Not truly.
We suffer when we forget our shared humanity —
and we heal when we remember it.

In Zen, we vow to end suffering for all beings.
Marsha lived that with courage. May we do the same.

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Opening Hours

Tuesday 22:00 - 23:00
Wednesday 15:00 - 17:00
Friday 15:00 - 17:00
Saturday 08:00 - 09:00
Sunday 12:00 - 13:30

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