As one part of the 90th anniversary events for Zenshuji Soto Temple in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles, there will be a panel discussion on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 8, from 2:00 – 4:30 pm.
It will begin with a keynote speech given by Prof. Duncan Ryuken Williams, Chair of USC’s School of Religion and Director of the USC Center for Japanese Religions and Culture.
The title of his talk is: “Soto Zen Buddhism 2022: Aspirations, Opportunities, and Challenges.”
In his speech, he will highlight aspects of the past 90 years of Soto Zen Buddhism in North America, Zenshuji’s place in the history of American Zen Buddhism, the current situation of Soto Zen in North America, and some of the opportunities and challenges for Soto Zen as they approach the centennial in 2022.
The keynote speech will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Rev. Daigaku Rummé, Head Priest of Zenshuji and Director of the Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office.
A stellar panel lined up are: Prof. Williams, Rev. Issho Fujita, Director of the Soto Zen Buddhism International Center in San Francisco, Rev. Egyoku Nakao, head priest of the Zen Center of Los Angeles, and Rev. Sumi Loundon Kim, author of Blue Jean Buddha and presently the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University.
The event will be in English; everyone is cordially invited to attend. There will be plenty of time for questions and comments from the audience. There will be a suggested donation of $10.
Zenshuji is located at 123 South Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information, contact Zenshuji at (213) 624-8658. www.zenshuji.org
