Zen Student: Myoho

Deborah is also a formal Zen Shoken student of Jay Rinsen Weik Sensei & Karen Do’on Weik Osho, 

and member of the Buddhist Temple of Toledo.

After the tremendous losses of both her parents, her marriage, and her daughter’s rare disease diagnosis, Deborah found herself seeking refuge at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo. The journey of self realization in the Zen mind brought a comfort to her that was not met anywhere else in her awareness. She was seeking a way to understand and live with her pain and challenges. She did not want to hide from it anymore or pretend it was something different. Beginning Zen study brought her a peace in facing and exploring that pain and expanding her spiritual practice in much deeper ways than her Catholic practice of her early life had offered. 

"Zen is not a theology or set of beliefs. The practice of Zen invites us to come into a deeper relationship with this moment – to learn how to fully participate in our life of each moment. We practice together and with the guidance of a teacher, not to learn what someone else knows, but to uncover the wisdom and aliveness that is already present within each one of us.”

Deb took her Jukai vows in 2014 and received the name “Myoho”- translated as “Wondrous Phoenix”. She continued to advance her studies with Shoken vows as well in 2015. Myoho has also served as a leader in the Temple community liturgically, on special projects, as well as on the Leadership Council.

*Myoho has permission to formally teach Zazen, the sitting form of meditation in the Soto tradition. Teaching this form of practice has been useful to her private clientele as well as to groups of faculty, staff, and teachers from a variety of fields.