In the Virtual Dojo, “where we train” is exactly where we are. This is because we are all Zen dojos – places for resolving questions of life/death, mind/body, and self/other. The Virtual Dojo brings Zen training to students, but they still have to walk through the door, which is often the hardest part. Students who train regularly online tell us they’re showing-up in new ways in their daily lives, rather than living a double-life as “the person they were at the dojo and the other person they were at home.” And, we all benefit from their more consistent training. 

Almost a year ago, I reflected on the role of online training, and we outlined a training path, which for long-distance students likely includes a mix of online and in-person training. Since then, this concept has been actualized in ways both broad and deep.

• The Wandering Ox Dojo in Europe has blossomed with a hybrid approach including daily online training and in-person intensive training – recently completing their first sesshins in the French Alps and UK. 

• Students, like Roux in South Africa, have completed online intensives and jiki training and started their own sitting groups. 

• I’ve relished meeting many students in-real-life who I’ve known online for several years and training elbow-to-elbow as they’ve completed their first in-person sesshins. 

• We’ve supported the training of eight women “priests-in-training,” five of which are long-distance students who’ve completed 3 hours of daily training online, multiple keishin (online intensive training) and in-person sesshin; these women are poised for their second year of training with a focus on community service. 

• We completed our 10th keishin, where Greene Roshi kept it fresh by innovating a new approach and simultaneous schedule that allowed deeper connection with students connecting from time zones across Europe and the US. 

In the coming year, I want to expand and reinforce our training in key areas because our students need more from us. And, the world needs more from our students, who are literally in every corner of the globe. In the next year, we’d like to bring more students to in-person dojos by expanding travel scholarships and also help bring teachers to support in-person training in the new groups that students are forming. We also need more administrative support to help us grow.

I’ve enlisted Rebecca Ryan Roshi as a new co-head of the Virtual Dojo. As a bona fide futurist and my favorite co-pilot, I’m excited for what she’ll help co-create and where she’ll help steer the Virtual Dojo into the future. We’ll also be drawing more on our priests-in-training to anchor online training. 

We appreciate your boarding this rocket ship, or fueling us up, with a donation during our annual fundraiser to help our Zen training reach new heights.