Dharma Talks

February 3, 2023

Venerable Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni began exploring meditation in the late seventies. In 1996 she joined a Kriya yoga-based center, where she deepened her meditation practice and made spiritual development the central theme of her life. In 2002, she received a Masters of Divinity degree after completing a four-year interfaith seminar program to become a minister. The program emphasized meditation, study of the major world religions, meticulous ethical conduct, and development of the skills required in ministry, such as spiritual guidance counseling, support for the ill and dying, teaching, and conducting ceremonies. In this Dharma Talk, Venerable Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni spoke on “The Relief Found in Practicing the Teachings of the Buddha.”

October 21, 2022

Reverend Taijo Imanaka of Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple, who leads this local Japanese-style temple in the Shingon tradition. Rev. Imanaka was ordained at Rengejoin, a Koyasan Shingon monastery on Mt. Koya in Japan, as a disciple of Abbot Ryusho Soeda. In 2006, he was assigned as Head Priest of Seattle Koyasan Buddhist Temple, in downtown area of Seattle. Since 2014, Rev. Imanaka has focused on educational and social outreach, hosting field trips from the Psychology Department and Theology Department of Seattle University, delivering Ah-breathing meditation to the community, including homeless camps. More recently, he has been conducting a Mandala Symphony meditation weekly dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. He also serves as an Advisory Council Member for CEIE. Rev. Imanaka spoke on “A Shingon Temple Responds to Present Day Challenges: War and the Precept of Not-Killing.”