Honoring my Ancestors in Japan

A deep bow to you. My name is Kim, and I am a long time Soto Zen student and now priest and teacher. The Sotoshu (kind of like the Vatican for Zen Buddhists) has included me in an invitation to participate in the 700 year anniversary and commemoration of Keizan Zenji's life and teaching, at his home temple Eiheiji in Japan.

The tour and ceremony will take place over three days and will include visiting the two main temples, as well as a tour of the Sotoshu headquaters in Tokyo.

I have always felt a deep faith connection to my religious, traditional Japanese heritage but have never been able to afford to go over. The notion that I could be in the same space that Keizan Zenji and so many other great Zen Masters that have come afterwards moves me to tears.

And not only that, but I have trained extensively in many countries around the world, including South Africa, the UK, Italy and now the USA. This is an important global event, and so many of my former teachers will be there. I would love to see them all again and extend my deep gratitude to them personally on that sacred ground.

The tour costs $650 and I would like to donate $100 to both Sojiji and Eiheiji to support the temples. I will be staying on for 3 more nights before returning home and I need support for that too. $120 will cover a hotel for the night in Tokyo and $20 will cover a meal, which altogether makes and additional $540.

A very generous Zen teacher will be paying for my flight and any additional funds I can raise will be donated back to her.

Please help me realise my dream of walking the sacred ground of my spiritual ancestors.

With deep and grateful thanks,

Kim Dai-Hō Kōgen Hart

(Loyalty Source, Great Dharma)