10am – 12pm – Eko Jeff Kelley: Buddha’s Birthday Celebration

Our Sunday service consists of chanting, two periods of sitting meditation, and a dharma talk.

Eko Jeff Kelley retired from teaching at Seattle Soto Zen in 2019, a Sangha he led for ten years. He long shared the leadership of two groups within the Washington State prison complex in Monroe and plans to return once Covid restrictions are lifted. Jeff came to the Seattle area in 2009 from Minnesota where he practiced Zen for fifteen years at Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul, first with Dosho Mike Port and then with Byakuren Judith Ragir. He was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Byakuren Judith Ragir in May of 2008, and received formal Dharma Transmission from her in 2013 in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri Roshi.

Today we’ll commemorate the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha, some 2500 years ago in Lumbini.

Early morning meditation (7-9:30am) will be CANCELLED so we can have time to build the traditional flower house for the baby Buddha (Zoomers, the Zoom room will be open so you can see). Anyone is welcome to come (and bring your kids) between 8 and 9:30am to help us build the special flower altar.

At 10:00 we will begin the Sunday service with chanting and zazen. Eko Jeff Kelley will tell the story of the Buddha’s birth.  At 11:30 any families with kids (yours, the neighbors, friends- all are welcome) can join us and all will be invited to wash the baby Buddha with flowers and sweet tea.

Afterwards, Birthday Cake will be served outside.