Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin

Bishop, Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism of North America

Myokei Shonin - as she is called with her bishop title, was born in Okinawa in Japan. Raised by a Japanese mother and an African American father, Myokei grew up in Texas, where, as a young girl, she first connected with the community of Japanese women who gathered to chant together.

Dedicating her life to the practice of chanting and with the completion of the arduous training of austere practices in Japan years later, today she is the first American woman and the first person of African Japanese descent to receive full ordination as a priest, and the only woman to become a bishop in the Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism worldwide. Based in Houston, Texas, she is the guiding teacher of Myoken-ji Temple.

For over twenty years, Myokei Shonin has also led two remarkable local prison sanghas that are continuing to this day, and has been active in both Healing Warrior Hearts (a program for veterans returning home) and The Gathering: Buddhist Teachers of Black African Descent. Her presence and teaching reflect a lifetime of deep practice rooted in compassion and the all-seeing eye of true equality in all beings.

For more about Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, and her teachings

https://myoken-ji-usa.org

Reference article on Myokei Shonin

https://www.lionsroar.com/meet-a-teacher-myokei-caine-barrett-shonin/

Teaching on the Lotus Sutra by Myokei Shonin

https://www.lionsroar.com/nichiren-shonin-a-teacher-of-equality/

Join the upcoming talk given by Myokei Shonin in the Dharma Stewardship series on August 24, 2025 (SUN) titled, "How Did We Get Here and What Can We Do About It? The Power of Choice and Changing the World. Join the series here: https://www.kwanumzenonline.org/

Recordings available post-session. Scholarship provided upon request.

Takeaways:

• Myokei Shonin's unique background includes being the first American woman ordained as a priest in the Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism, reflecting significant cultural and spiritual milestones.
• The practice of chanting serves as a profound foundation for Myokei, fostering community and personal growth throughout her spiritual journey.
• Through her work with marginalized communities, including prisons and veterans, Myokei Shonin exemplifies the Buddhist principle of compassion and equality for all beings.
• In her teachings, Myokei emphasizes the importance of unity among diverse communities to overcome societal divisions and promote healing and understanding.
• The concept of Sangha, or community, is central to Myokei's practice, highlighting the necessity of connection and support in spiritual development.
• Myokei Shonin's life illustrates the transformative power of Dharma, as she encourages individuals to recognize their inherent potential for change and growth.

Aaron Stryker

After a spiritual crisis at the age of 18, Aaron began practicing Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga with Angela Jamison in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He encountered Zen on a trip to Dai Bosatsu Zendo in New York State, with an emerging student meditation group at Wesleyan University. During his senior year, he worked with the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship to co-found Dharma Gates, supporting young students to do retreats in various Buddhist traditions.

He wrote an honors thesis in philosophy on the relationship between traditions of embodied practices, trauma, and cultural transformation. Since graduating in 2019, he has spent four years living in various communities in all three vehicles of Buddhism, and is currently living at Padmasambhava Buddhist Center and working on the preliminary practices in the Nyingma tradition.

Related links:

dharma-gates.org

Instagram: dharma.gates

Takeaways:

• Aaron Stryker embarked on a profound spiritual journey that began at the age of eighteen, focusing on personal growth through yoga and meditation practices.
• He co-founded Dharma Gates, an organization dedicated to providing immersive meditation retreats for young adults across various Buddhist traditions.
• Aaron's academic pursuits culminated in an honors thesis exploring the intersection of embodied practices, trauma, and cultural transformation, reflecting his commitment to understanding these complex relationships.
• His experiences have led him to practice within the Tibetan Nyingma tradition, where he engages deeply in preliminary practices to cultivate his spiritual development.
• The recent international Dharma Gates retreat in South Korea fostered meaningful dialogue among young adults regarding the challenges they face in today's world.
• Aaron emphasizes the importance of aligning with one's inherent integrity and serving others, irrespective of external circumstances or guaranteed outcomes.

#TeenWellbeing

#MentalHealthMatters

#MindfulYouth

#MentalHealthAwareness

#TalkAboutIt

#StrongerTogether

#CompassionateLiving

#TheMiddleWay

#AwakeningYouth

Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes

Barbara Rhodes (Zen Master Soeng Hyang), known as Bobby to her students, has almost five decades of Zen practice and teaching experience. She met the late Korean Zen master Seung Sahn in 1972, received inka (permission to teach) from him in 1977, and dharma transmission in 1992. She has been teaching and leading retreats since 1978, and has been the head Zen master of the global Kwan Um Zen tradition since her teacher’s death in 2004. A registered nurse since 1969, she worked as a nurse until 2014, with twenty-seven years spent as a hospice nurse. She lives with her wife, Mary.

She is an outstanding down-to-earth teacher, well respected in the Buddhist community, reflected by her inclusion in Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America, Revised and Updated Edition, by Lenore Friedman (Shambhala, 2000), which also includes such influential teachers as Pema Chödrön, Charlotte Joko Beck, and Sharon Salzberg. She was also included in Zen Master Who? A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen (Wisdom Publications, 2006), by James Ishmael Ford. Bobby is also a contributor to Being Bodies: Buddhist Wisdom on the Paradox of Embodiment (Shambhala, 1997), edited by Lenore Friedman and Susan Moon; and The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women (Wisdom Publications, 2013), edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon.

Her teaching has been published in Composting Our Karma: Turning Confusion into Lessons for Awakening Our Innate Wisdom (Shambhala, 2024). She continues to lead retreats and teaches worldwide both in-person and online, establishing kwanumzenonline.org, the global Kwan Um Zen online sangha.

Related links:

kwanumzenonline.org

kwanumzen.org

Takeaways:

• Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes, affectionately called Bobby, exemplifies the profound integration of Zen practice with everyday life and healthcare.
• Through her extensive experience as a hospice nurse, Bobby emphasizes the importance of listening deeply and compassionately to alleviate suffering.
• Bobby's teachings encourage individuals to embrace their innate wisdom by transforming confusion into actionable insights for personal growth and understanding.
• The necessity of dedicated practice, such as solo retreats, is underscored as a means of deepening Zen understanding and fostering significant personal insights.
• Bobby's stories illustrate that moments of awakening often arise unexpectedly when one is engaged and fully present in their surroundings.
• The conversation highlights that the true essence of Zen lies in questioning and seeking clarity amidst confusion, guiding us towards compassionate action.