Dharma talks from Clouds In Water Zen Center
Welcome to the Clouds in Water Zen Center Dharma Talks podcast! We post our Sunday dharma talks from various speakers, including talks from 202o to the present. Clouds in Water is a vibrant and inclusive community in the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition, with a mission to awaken the heart of great wisdom and compassion. Founded in 1994, we regularly offer meditation, classes, and retreats. We are located in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul, and everywhere via Zoom. We welcome people of all backgrounds and faiths. If you enjoy listening and would like to make a donation, please visit our...
Let Doubt be a Refuge by Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain
Date: 2026/03/08. Speaker: Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Jinzu is an artist, writer, and racial & systemic equity educator. They identify as BIPOC, disabled, queer and trans/nonbinary. Jinzu has been practicing SĹŤtĹŤ Zen Buddhism for over twenty-five years and is a novice priest, member of the teacher-ryo, and Communications and Marketing Director at Clouds. Jinzu believes that SĹŤtĹŤ Zen practice helps us cultivate the capacity for collective care and liberation, so that we may meet ourselves, one another, and these harrowing times with a well of stillness and courageous action.
Bodhidharma and the Next Right Thing by Rev. Taizan Alford
Date: 2026/03/01. Speaker: Rev. Taizan Alford. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Taizan was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Sosan Flynn in 2016, and completed shuso in 2021. He received Dharma transmission from Sosan in 2024 and has full authority to teach in the Soto Zen tradition. Taizan's journey with meditation began on the yogic path in the early 1980s after getting sober. Taizan’s focus in Soto Zen Buddhism is on how zazen, taking refuge and loving kindness can heal old wounds and help create less suffering for individuals and their communities. Taizan is a member of the te...
A Way Seeking Talk In Three Parts by EishĹŤ Felicia Sy
Date: 2026/02/22. Speaker: EishĹŤ Felicia Sy. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Part 1: All We Need Is Love: The Dharma According to John Lennon
Part 2: How My Troubled Childhood Made Me Want To Be A Buddhist
Part 3: The Dharma of Kikan's Knees
Dr. Felicia Washington Sy is a licensed independent clinical social worker, traumatologist, and educator with over 20 years of experience providing mindfulness based, trauma-informed client care to her clients. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota and her doctorate from the University of Denver Graduate School o...
In Gladness and In Safety by Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2026/02/15. Speaker: Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion.
The Bodhisattva Practice of Resisting Fascism by Rev. Koji Acquaviva
Date: 2026/02/08. Speaker: Koji Acquaviva. At Clouds and Water Zen Center.
Koji Acquaviva is a Soto Zen priest and teacher. He began practicing Zen at the age of twenty at the San Francisco Zen Center where he was a resident student for ten years. He co-founded the Mid City Zen Center of New Orleans, Louisiana and served regularly as visiting teacher at the Austin Zen Center in Texas. In addition to Soto Zen, he's studied Vedanta, Hatha Yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism in residential practice centers. Koji encourages meditators to feel empowered to develop their own syncretic practice paths...
The 7 Essential Dharmas: Principles of Unity and Good Governance by Rev. MyoOn Susan Hagler
Date: 2026/02/01. Speaker: Rev. MyoOn Susan Hagler. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myo On Susan Hagler began her Zen practice in the autumn of 1980 at MZMC. She went there to find a place to meditate and hit the jackpot when encountering Katagiri-roshi and the MZMC sangha. From then to now Myo On has lived a life filled with the joys and sorrows one encounters on life’s journey. She has been married since 1986, has 3 adult children and 3 grandkids, who bring her great delight. She was ordained in 2003 by Tim Burkett and received dharma transmission from Dokai Georgesen in...
Our Practice In The Midst Of Resistance
Date: 2026/01/25. Speakers: Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn, Rev. JĹ«ken Zach Fehst, Rev. Keika KarĂn San Juan, Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
The panel is preceded by a guided meditation.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion.
Afte...
Repentance and Taking Refuge by Rev. Kikan Michael Howard
Date: 2026-01-18. Speaker: Rev. Kikan Michael Howard. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Kikan started practicing at Clouds in Water Zen Center in the late 1990s and was ordained by Sosan in 2018. He is a member of the Teacher-Ryo at Clouds. Kikan is an independent app developer, a licensed consultant in Dynamic Emotional Integration®, and he transcribes Katagiri Roshi’s Dharma talks at the Katagiri Transcripts website, katagiritranscripts.net.
Living the Precepts by Rev. Myoshin Diane Benjamin
Date: 2026/01/11. Speaker: Rev. Myoshin Diane Benjamin. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She taught for over a decade in the children’s program at Clouds in Water, and has practiced at Hokyoji and Ryumonji monasteries and attended numerous retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and his community. She has worked for many years in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and is also a musician. Additionally, she is fully certified to teach the Realization Process.
Everything Is Medicine by Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2026/01/04. Speaker: Guiding Teacher Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn. At Clouds in Water Zen Center. Note: The discussion between members was edited out.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion.
This Very Moment by Rev. Kyoku Tracey Walen
Date: 2025/12/28. Speaker: Senior Dharma Teacher Rev. Kyoku Tracey Walen. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Kyoku resides at Hokyoji Zen Practice Community in Eitzen, MN, and spends one week a month in the Twin Cities teaching at Clouds in Water Zen Center and seeing students. Kyoku was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Byakuren Judith Ragir in 2008 and received Dharma transmission from Byakuren in 2015. She trained for three years at Great Vow Zen Monastery and also with Thich Nhat Hanh in France.
Practicing with Your Dharma Mirror by Rev. Shozoku Yoko Nomura
Date: 2025/12/21. Speaker: Rev. Shozoku Yoko Nomura. At Clouds in Water Zen Center. Note: The discussion between members was edited out.
Shozoku came to the US to study at a college and is now a proud Minnesotan. In 2008, she started learning mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s books, and coming to Clouds in Water. Challenges like chronic illness, being a parent, working as a civil engineer, and facing racism help her to continue to practice. Shozoku received Jukai in 2020 and was ordained as a priest in 2022 by Teacher Sosan Flynn. Seeing the truth, including seeing oneself as a bo...
Zen Practice When the Whole World is Disease by Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2025/12/14. Speaker: Guiding Teacher Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion.
Under the Rose Apple Tree by Myoshin Diane Benjamin
Date: 2025/12/07. Speaker: Lay Teacher Myoshin Diane Benjamin. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myoshin is a lay dharma teacher, a path that reflects her deep interest and engagement in the ways that Buddhist practice both permeates everyday work and family life, and supports engagement in social change. Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received Dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She is fully certified to teach the Realization Process.
Peace and War, Lessons from the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh by Rev. Keika KarĂn San Juan
Date: 2025/11/30. Speaker: Rev. Keika KarĂn San Juan. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Keika came to Clouds in Water Zen Center in 2005 and served on the Board for more than a decade before being ordained as a novice priest by Sosan Flynn in 2024. Areas of interest include Buddhist liberation theology; Buddhist pedagogy; and the Daoist roots of Chan. One favorite thing about Teen Practice–which they co-facilitate–is when conversations take surprising turns. They and their wife live in St. Paul with a single bonsai tree and a bevy of mismatched tropical plants.
Cultivating Zazen in this Moment by Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2025/11/23. Speaker: Guiding Teacher Sosan Theresa Flynn. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion.
Question and Answer on Prayer, Study and Meditation by Koji Acquaviva
Date: 2025/11/16. Speaker: Rev. Koji Acquaviva. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Koji Acquaviva began practicing Zen at the age of twenty at the San Francisco Zen Center where they were a resident student for ten years. Before moving to the Twin Cities, they served as resident priest of Mid City Zen Center in New Orleans and at the Austin Zen Center in Texas. They are the current Tanto (director of practice) at Clouds in Water. As a queer and neurodivergent person, Koji makes their best effort to identify and confront the ways Buddhism is taught which re-inscribe...
Finding Refuge in Compassion by Rev. Myo-O Habermas-Scher
Date: 2025/11/09. Speaker: Rev. Myo-O Habermas-Scher. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myo-O is a fully ordained SĹŤtĹŤ Zen priest, having received transmission in 2012 from Dokai Georgesen. She began Zen practice in 1975 with Katagiri Roshi, who was her root teacher, and studied with him until his death in 1990. She also studied and practiced in the Vipassana tradition for twelve years. In 2021 Myo-O retired after fourteen years as a staff chaplain at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and is a mom and a grandma to two little boys. She was a professional dancer in her youth and is...
Transforming the Karma of These Times by Jinzu Minna Jain
Date: 2025/11/02. Speaker: Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Jinzu is an artist, writer, and racial & systemic equity educator. They identify as BIPOC, disabled, queer and trans/nonbinary. Jinzu has been practicing SĹŤtĹŤ Zen Buddhism for over twenty-five years and is a novice priest, teacher, and Communications and Marketing Director at Clouds. Jinzu believes that SĹŤtĹŤ Zen practice can help us cultivate the capacity for collective care and liberation, so that we may meet ourselves, one another, and these harrowing times with stillness and courageous action. They wish to break down barriers to a...
Block. Build. Be. by Myoshin Diane Benjamin
Date: 2025/10/26. Speaker: Myoshin Diane Benjamin. Location: Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myoshin is a lay Dharma teacher, a path that reflects her deep interest and engagement in the ways that Buddhist practice both permeates everyday work and family life, and supports engagement in social change. Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received Dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She taught for over a decade in the children’s program at Clouds in Water, and has practiced at Hokyoji and Ryumonji monasteries and attended numerous retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and his community.
What Lay Practitioners Can Learn From The 20th Century Soto Buddhist Nuns by Fukutoku Ann Morishita
Date: 2025/10/19. Speaker: Rev. Fukutoku Ann Morishita. Location: Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Fukutoku is a Soto Zen priest in training with Rev. MyoOn as her teacher. She has practiced Soto Zen Buddhism for the past 18 years. In May of 2021, Fukutoku took home leaving vows, priest ordination, with Rev. Sojun Diane Martin of Udumbara Sangha in IL. She retired from hospice nursing in Dec., 2024. She is married to Ray and has a son, Kyle. Prior to becoming a Buddhist, Fukutoku was a member of the Evanston, IL, Quaker Friends' Meeting for ten years.
What is Buddhist Faith by Kikan Michael Howard
Date: 2025-10-12. Speaker: Rev. Kikan Michael Howard. At Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Kikan Michael Howard started practicing at Clouds in Water Zen Center in the late 1990s and was ordained by Sosan in 2018. He is an associate member of the Teacher Ryo at Clouds. Kikan is an independent app developer, a licensed consultant in Dynamic Emotional Integration®, and he transcribes Katagiri Roshi’s dharma talks at the Katagiri Transcripts website, katagiritranscripts.net. He lives in Northfield, MN with his wife and cats.
Touching the Earth: connecting with ancestors, descendants, animals, plants, and minerals through bowing by Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2025-10-05. Speaker: Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn. Location: Clouds in Water Zen Center, Saint Paul, MN
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked in both community mental health and staff training.
Practicing Joy and Precepts: teachings from the Flower Ornament Scripture by Sosan Theresa Flynn
Date: 2025-09-28. Speaker: Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn. Location: Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving Dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked in both community mental health and staff training.
Cultivating Peace (2025-09-21)
This talk was given on September 21, 2025 by Rev. Taizan Alford at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Taizan was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Sosan Flynn in 2016, and completed shuso in 2021. He received dharma transmission from Sosan in 2024 and has full authority to teach in the Soto Zen tradition. Taizan's journey with meditation began on the yogic path in the early 1980s after getting sober. He has been to India, studied Ayurveda, and taught yoga since 1998. Taizan spent three months as a resident at Zen Mountain Monastery in 2020 Taizan’s focus in Soto Zen Buddhism is on...
Cultivating Peace (2025-09-21)
This talk was given on September 21, 2025 by Rev. Taizan Alford at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Taizan was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Sosan Flynn in 2016, and completed shuso in 2021. He received dharma transmission from Sosan in 2024 and has full authority to teach in the Soto Zen tradition. Taizan's journey with meditation began on the yogic path in the early 1980s after getting sober. He has been to India, studied Ayurveda, and taught yoga since 1998. Taizan spent three months as a resident at Zen Mountain Monastery in 2020 Taizan’s focus in Soto Zen Buddhism is on...
Good Friends (2025-09-14)
This talk was given on September 14, 2025 by Rev. Myo On Susan Hagler at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Myo On Susan Hagler began her Zen practice in the autumn of 1980 at MZMC. She went there to find a place to meditate and hit the jackpot when encountering Katagiri-roshi and the MZMC sangha. From then to now Myo On has lived a life filled with the joys and sorrows one encounters on life’s journey. She has been married since 1986, has 3 adult children and 3 grandkids, who bring her great delight. She was ordained in 2003 by Tim Burkett and re...
Gratitude: Third Annual Joint Service with Twin Cities Buddhist Sangha (2025-09-07)
This talk was given on September 7, 2025 by Rev. Chiemi Renshin Onikura Bly and Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Raised in a Jodo Shinshu temple family in Fukuoka Japan, Chiemi graduated from a Jodo Shinshu high school and college. She moved to the United States in 2000. Chiemi has lived in Minnesota for 20 years. She is ordained in the Jodo Shinshu Nishi Hongwanji tradition in 2016. She is an Assistant Minister of the Buddhist Church of America, and serves at the Twin Cities Buddhist Association.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism...
Dharma Talk by Visiting Teacher rev. seigen johnson (2025-08-31)
This talk was given on August 31, 2025 by rev. seigen johnson at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
rev. seigen is a budding public theologian, SĹŤto Zen Buddhist priest, dialogue facilitator, and spiritual leadership consultant. She is most passionate about the growing interest in interfaith formation in higher education and finding opportunities to share insight from liberation and womanist theology with Buddhist practitioners. seigen has been practicing SĹŤto Zen Buddhism for more than 20 years. She lived in residential practice at San Francisco Zen Center for 7 years after working as a budget and public policy analyst for Santa Cl...
What Does It Mean to Be A Priest? (2025-08-24)
This talk was given on August 24, 2025 by Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain and Rev. Keika Karin San Juan at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Rev. Jinzu Minna Jain (they/them) is an artist, writer, and racial & systemic equity educator. They identify as BIPOC, disabled, queer and trans/nonbinary. Jinzu has been practicing SĹŤtĹŤ Zen Buddhism for over twenty years and is a novice priest at Clouds in Water Zen Center. They are also the Director of Learning & Development with Real Transformation Today, a racial equity education and consulting group. Jinzu believes that SĹŤtĹŤ Zen teachings and prac...
Breaking and Making (2025-08-10)
This talk was given on August 10, 2025 by guest teacher Marcus Young at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Marcus Young 楊墨 makes art in the unexpected, to show that art can be everything and anywhere. His work expands the range of everyday human awareness and expressive behavior. He is a behavioral artist making work within mindfulness and learning communities, as well as for the stage, museums, government agencies, and the public realm. His teaching focuses on individual and collective well-being, learning through participatory artistic experiences, and awakening to an artful life through questioning basic assumptions that no longer serve our...
Katgiri Roshi's Zazen Instruction (2025-08-03)
This talk was given by Kikan Mike Howard on August 3, 2025 at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Kikan Michael Howard started practicing at Clouds in Water Zen Center in the late 1990s and was ordained by Sosan in 2018. He is an associate member of the Teacher Ryo at Clouds. Kikan is an independent app developer, a licensed consultant in Dynamic Emotional Integration®, and he transcribes Katagiri Roshi’s dharma talks at the Katagiri Transcripts website, katagiritranscripts.net. He lives in Northfield, MN with his wife and cats.
Realizing Deep Peace and Relaxation
This talk was given on July 27, 2025 by Guiding Teacher Sosan Teresa Flynn.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. She has officiated at many ceremonies (daily & special liturgies, weddings, baby namings, and memorial services), and offers premarital and couples counseling. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion. She has a master’s degree in C...
Overcoming Hopelessness With Teachings from the Dharma Sutra
This is a talk by Guiding Teacher Sosan Teresa Flynn given on July 20, 2025 at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Sosan has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. She has officiated at many ceremonies (daily & special liturgies, weddings, baby namings, and memorial services), and offers premarital and couples counseling. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as he...
The Foundation of a Happy Life
This talk was given on July 6, 2025 by Taizan Alford at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Taizan (he/him) was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Sosan Flynn in 2016, and completed shuso in 2021. He received dharma transmission from Sosan in 2024 and has full authority to teach in the Soto Zen tradition. Taizan's journey with meditation began on the yogic path in the early 1980s after getting sober. In 1995, he spent two months meditating in an ashram in India, studied Ayurveda in 2005 and has taught yoga since 1998. Taizan spent four months as a resident at Zen...
Overcoming Hopelessness: Teachings From the Diamond Sutra
This talk was given on July 20, 2025 at Clouds in Water Zen Center by guiding teacher, Sosan Teresa Flynn.
Sosan (she/her) has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. She has officiated at many ceremonies (daily & special liturgies, weddings, baby namings, and memorial services), and offers premarital and couples counseling. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her pr...
The Four Bodhisattva Vows
This dharma talk was given on July 7, 2025 at Clouds in Water Zen Center by Myoshin Diane Benjamin.
Myoshin Diane Benjamin (she/her) is a lay dharma teacher, a path that reflects her deep interest and engagement in the ways that Buddhist practice both permeates everyday work and family life, and supports engagement in social change. Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She taught for over a decade in the children’s program at Clouds in Water, and has practiced at Hokyoji and Ryumonji monasteries and attended numerous retreats with Thich Nh...
Embracing All As It Is
This dharma talk was given on June 29, 2025 at Clouds in Water Zen Center by Kyoku Tracy Walen.
Kyoku Tracey Walen resides at Hokyoji Zen Practice Community in Eitzen, MN. Kyoku was ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Byakuren Judith Ragir in 2008 and received Dharma transmission from Byakuren in 2015. She trained for three years at Great Vow Zen Monastery and also with Thich Nhat Hanh in France. She worked as a business consultant and financial executive in corporate America until she discovered the Buddha Way in 1997 and retired to take it up full-time. Kyoku is...
DAIGO - Great Realization (Dogen Zenji)
This talk was given on June 15, 2025 by Flying Fish Barbara Murphy at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Flying Fish studied Zen at MZMC and was ordained by Diane Martin at Udumbara Zen Center in Evanston, IL in 2004 and received dharma transmission from Byakuren Judith Ragir.. She currently practices at Dharma Rain in Portland, but continues to be a beloved part of the Clouds in Water community. She was trained at Abbott Northwestern Hospital as a medical chaplain and has worked as a hospice chaplain with Allina Healthcare system. Her background includes college degrees in both Architecture and...
A Practice of Peacemaking
This talk was given on June 8, 2025 by Katto Laura Phillips at Clouds in Water Zen Center.
Katto (she/her) started practicing Zen at Clouds in Water in 1997. After a few years, she stepped away to focus on her new family and explore other spiritual traditions. She eventually returned to Zen with renewed enthusiasm and became a member of Zen Bridge, a meditation community in Stillwater. She later re-engaged with Clouds, receiving jukai in 2014. In 2022 she was ordained as a priest by Sosan Theresa Flynn. In 2023, she entered the role of sensei at Zen Bridge after having been...
