Bamboo in the Wind is Looking for a Guiding Teacher

Bamboo in the Wind is a small Soto Zen sangha located in Sunnyvale, CA. Our founder and Guiding Teacher, Reverend Val Szymanski, was transmitted in 2010 by Roshi Diane Martin in Dainin Katagiri's lineage. She led us from 2001 until her retirement in 2024. We are seeking a new Guiding Teacher at this time.

Who We Are

We are a community of Buddhist practitioners devoted to the practice of Zen and dedicated to the teaching of awakening and the liberation of all beings. We deeply value the importance of regular zazen practice and cherish the sense of community and friendship that naturally arise from sitting together. We appreciate receiving dharma talks from our guiding and guest teachers to help deepen our understanding of the practice and the dharma. We are hoping to once again offer traditional ceremonies and short retreats, such as half-day sittings, to support and enrich the spiritual lives of our sangha members.

Our community numbers approximately a dozen practitioners who have been gathering regularly for zazen on Tuesday evenings and, until recently, Thursday mornings. On Tuesday evenings, zazen is currently followed by peer-led discussions or dharma talks from guest priests.

In the spirit of our founding teacher, we promote an open and accepting approach, welcoming and embracing all of who we are as a sangha. We are a multicultural, intergenerational, and inclusive community with:

  • Young parents and retired business leaders

  • Folks that have been with BitW for 20 years, and some who joined in the past 1-2 years

  • Primarily lay practitioners, including 2 lay ordained members, committed to zazen as foundational practice in their life. Some came to Zen through other meditative traditions or yoga. A few of us are sewing rakusus with the intention of receiving Jukai

  • Some practitioners have connections to other Zen sanghas in the area; the majority practice solely with BitW

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization led by a board of 5 members who are part of the sangha.

Job Description Overview for the Guiding Teacher (Head Priest)

We are seeking a well-trained Soto Zen priest-teacher to serve as a part-time Guiding Teacher (Head Priest) of our Zen Center, someone whose presence expresses their wholehearted embodiment and commitment to the life of a bodhisattva and to the possibility of living the truth of the dharma in daily life. The ideal candidate will have received Dharma transmission or be on the path to receiving it shortly.

As the Guiding Teacher, our sangha would look to you for vision, guidance, and teaching for our Zen Buddhist practice. In partnership with the sangha members, you would help shape and support core activities such as zazen, dharma talks, retreats, ceremonies, classes, and dokusan, with attentiveness to the needs, aspirations, and potential of the community.

As a member of the Board of Directors, your presence would help to ensure that the programs and activities of the sangha reflect and nurture our shared spiritual growth. The Board meets four times per year.

You would also direct the Practice Committee and the Doan Ryo.

We believe that this is a unique opportunity for a committed Zen teacher to offer the Dharma in a friendly, collaborative, and dedicated sangha setting.

Aspirations

We hope that, with your guidance, we will be able to expand the scope of practice, teaching, and liturgical activities at the zendo. Based on your availability and inclination, these could include:

  • Teacher-led dharma talks on Tuesday evenings

  • Morning zazen at least once a week

  • Monthly half/full-day sittings

  • Performing ceremonies and practice forms, with the intention of engaging members and cultivating their participation. We hope to resume our observance of specific ceremonial services, such as memorials, Buddha’s Birthday, and the Full Moon Ceremony.

  • Dokusan

  • Occasional study groups or special programs

Qualifications

In addition to seeking a Soto Zen priest who has received dharma transmission or is preparing to receive dharma transmission, we hope to recruit an individual who is a well-seasoned practitioner of zazen, other Zen practices, and Zen Buddhist liturgy and who possesses a solid and pragmatic knowledge of Zen Buddhism, including its practices, philosophy, literature, and traditions.

They would be able to give engaging and insightful dharma talks, and would welcome the participation of people from all walks of life.

Stipend and Time Commitment

Stipend: $400/month, negotiable

Current activities include:

  • Tuesday evening practice (zazen, brief service, and dharma talk: 3 hours plus prep time)

  • Board of Directors meeting (1-2 hours per quarter)

Based on your availability, additional activities could include:

  • Morning zazen with a brief service (at least once a week: about 45-60 minutes)

  • Dokusan interviews, for a small sangha

  • Occasional half or full day sitting (about once a month, depending on the level of interest)

  • Occasional special programs

Contact:

Bob Horowitz

bob@bamboointhewind.org