Treeleaf Zendo
Treeleaf Zendo is a Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sōtō tradition. Treeleaf's teachers are Jundo Cohen and Taigu Turlur and the zendo is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association.
Treeleaf Zendo was designed specifically as an online practice place for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide Zazen sittings, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online.
The focus is Shikantaza "Just Sitting" Zazen as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen.
Ordination controversy
In May 2012, Treeleaf ordained novice priests in Austin, Texas and Rochester, New York via the internet. Largely in response to this,. Soto Zen Buddhist Association passed a resolution rejecting online ordination.
- Based on the belief that it is necessary and reasonable to require that the primary relationship between teacher and trainee contain significant physical face-to-face meetings, which is the basis for evaluating a student’s readiness for ordination and eventually membership in the SZBA, the Board believes that the Tokudo ordination itself be performed face-to-face, in the same physical room. This format will be the basis for membership in the SZBA. Given the serious nature of priest ordination, the dedication and commitment that should be required of the priest trainee, and our tradition's emphasis on face-to-face transmission of the Dharma, we conclude that tokudo ceremonies are most appropriately conducted in person except under rare and extenuating circumstances, such as a deathbed ordination. Exceptions should be made in consultation with the SZBA Board. By extension, transmission ceremonies should likewise be conducted in person.
Jundo Cohen has stated his intentions to ignore SZBA's ruling and continue online ordination.
