Major News: New Abbacy, Residential Training Program, New Staff and Volunteer Roles
The Missing Piece
As Rinsen and Hoshi mentioned in a recent Abbot’s Address – we have some exciting news to share about the coming year. Before we get into news and what it means for you, we need to share a little history so it all makes sense.
Several years ago, our generous donors and friends, Rena and Hoshi, gave the sangha the gift of land and funds toward building the new Temple building. The Temple land was originally part of a larger wooded plot that included the a home on Estateway. The original owner, who became our neighbor, sold a large part of the wooded area while keeping the 11 acres closest to his home.
The owner agreed at that time to give the Temple the right of first refusal to purchase his home and the remainder of the original plot in the future when he decided to sell the property. We hoped that sometime in the next 10-20 years -- whenever our neighbor decided to relocate -- we would expand the Temple grounds, reunite the woods, and find purpose for an additional single family home.
Sadly, our neighbor died unexpectedly of cancer late in 2022. His family reached out to see if the Temple wanted to purchase the property. We had not hoped or planned to have this opportunity so soon, but nonetheless, it arrived and would not come again. Our Board of Directors decided to purchase this beautiful home in the middle of the woods, ensuring others won’t buy and develop the land. We closed on the property in December.
New Practice Opportunities
In the long-term, the addition of the Estateway property to the Temple grounds creates many possibilities. Most immediately, our Teachers will be moving from the current Abbacy on Emmajean to the new Abbacy on Estateway, which is tucked into the woods and is larger and more suitable for hosting guests and sangha members.
While visiting for the Grand Opening last Spring, Rinsen’s transmitting Teacher James Myoun Ford Roshi remarked that BTT now had the right facilities and enough dedicated practitioners with empowerment to offer every type of Dharma training and practice that a Zen community can -- except for the opportunity of residential practice beyond a brief sesshin. In other Zen communities, the way residential practice generally works is that a person pays rent to temporarily live on site, following a set schedule, benefitting the sangha and all beings by deepening and giving away their practice, and by performing many types of service work to aid in running the Temple. Looking around our beautiful new Temple, Myoun Rohsi observed that BTT had nowhere to house longer term residents: our bunkrooms are perfect for sesshin but not so for longer stays where there is unstructured time and not every meal is communal.
The purchase of the property on Estateway opens the path for residential practice. The Teachers and Board are working on plans for the former Abbacy on Emmajean to become housing for residential practice opportunities of varying lengths. There are many important financial, policy, and legal details to work out before launching a residential training program.
The current Abbacy on Emmajean.
Every Zen community that offers a residential training program works a bit differently -- some offer week-long and month-long opportunities, some offer residency for an Ango, or residency for a year or more. If you want to see some of the models that we are referring to in making our own plans, check out Zen Mountain Monastery, Zen Center of New York City: Fire Lotus Temple, Dharma Rain, San Francisco Zen Center. Ultimately, the residential training program at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo will join these others as a completely unique expression of how residential training works and how it functions in the life of the practitioner and sangha.
There are many important matters to discern and finalize so we do not yet have a timeline when the residential training program will launch. Our Teachers, Board, and others in Temple Leadership are beginning to develop the program, and we will keep you informed along the way. If you are interested in residential practice, you are more than welcome to let us know by sending us a message, so we can make sure to keep you informed as plans come together.
Growing Sangha, Growing Need for Dedicated Support
Administrator, staff position
At the end of 2021, we were delighted to announce that Michelle Jūkai Clossick (Jukai Class of 2019) had committed for a year to serve as the sangha’s volunteer Administrator. Over the past year Jūkai applied her wealth of non-profit management experience to get the sangha settled into the new building, working on countless policies, processes, and projects.
Jūkai recently made two new commitments to the Temple: she received her gray robe and became a Shoken Student, and she agreed to become the Temple’s first paid administrative staff member (the Abbot is the Temple’s only other paid staff member). Jūkai will continue with the title Administrator and will continue myriad seen and unseen efforts to make our practice possible.
As always, you can find her in the Administrative Office by the front door of the Temple, or reach out to her Temple email: jukaibtt@gmail.com
We are so grateful for everything that Jūkai has done and continues to do. At the same time, Jūkai cannot do it alone -- our “little” group of over 300 members, 21 acres, and 3 buildings needs more help than any one person can give. Many sangha members have volunteered throughout the year to work on the grounds, the buildings, in the kitchen, and in the office. Thank you so much for devoting your time to making practice available for everyone who so desperately needs it.
Operations Coordinator, volunteer position
We especially want to thank and recognize Kelly Kensei Troyer (Jukai Class of 2021) who has been volunteering nearly full-time this year. Like Jūkai did for 2022, Kensei has made a commitment for 2023 to serve as a full-time volunteer Operations Coordinator.
In her new role, Kensei will serve as volunteer coordinator and project manager for Temple stewardship, leading sangha volunteers in maintaining the temple as a welcoming space for visitors and members to deepen their practice. She will also continue to assist Jūkai as needed with general temple administration.
You can find Kensei anywhere and everywhere around the Temple, or reach her at her Temple email: kenseibtt@gmail.com
