Windhorse Zen Community

A Note to Sangha and Friends: January 2025

We have, without a doubt, now entered a new era—one that, with all the political changes and technological “advances,” is likely to be radically different from any time in the past.

The fact is, the unprecedented hurricanes and fires of the past few months, and the fascistic energies currently emerging with such power and vengeance both here and abroad, have caused us to deeply examine our lives on very personal levels, and to focus more clearly on what this dharma center, this place of practice we call Windhorse, is all about.

Our lineage rests upon the work of our teacher, Roshi Philip Kapleau, who was somehow able to transform his courtroom experiences in the aftermath of WWII into fuel for his own dharma practice—and so for ours. Our practice also grows out of the teaching, practice, and wisdom of so many men and women going back countless centuries to the time of the Buddha and beyond. We have so much to be grateful for—and certainly it is difficult to imagine facing what may now lie ahead without the deep grounding and strength that sustained community practice offers.

Clearly, what collectively we’re being swept up in is the result of deep and long-standing evolutionary forces—and so addressing these issues most directly calls for an inquiry into the deepest levels of change. For the two of us, as parents, grandparents, and teachers, this has been the focus of our lives, and this is our practice. At this point, our intention is quite simple and straightforward: to continue on this path with others—now with a heightened sense of focus, clarity, and urgency.

We think of the Windhorse community as a kind of living sanctuary, and our dharma center in these ancient mountains as a place where we can come together for strong, deep practice, and work to transform the daunting challenges of these times into healing forces for the benefit of all beings. We welcome all who share this vision to join us in bringing it to life.

With hands palm-to-palm,

Sunya and Lawson