Dedication of Mushin Zendo

Hadashi Jeff Miles, Ryan Thompson, Monju Tegaku Marc Paine, Jizo Hodo Thompson and

Koro Kaisan Miles at the entrance to Dragonfly Hermitage.

On May 18^th, members of the Order gathered a few country miles outside of Edgar Springs, Missouri for the official dedication of Mushin Zendo / Dragonfly Hermitage. Dragonfly Hermitage is the mountain home of Boundless Way member Jizo Hodo Steve Thompson. After several failed attempts at procuring a home for his hermitage and future zendo, Hodo san was finally able to secure a lovely piece of the Ozark foothills.  A forested, granite strewn hillside and gentle stream bed will one day be transformed into a residential practice center complete with meditation hall, community kitchen and multiple residential huts overlooking the wooded valley.

 

Sitting in the No-Zendo of Mushin Zendo,

Natural granite zabutons overlooking the wooded valley behind the hermitage.

Currently, Hodo san conducts his practice out in the open and invites all who wish to commune with nature to join him on his naturally arranged granite zabutons. Only in the snows of this last winter did Hodo and his small sangha move into the shelter of the one-room hermitage for zazen, otherwise it was coats and warm blankets followed by hot tea and good company. Hodo intends to keep this practice center off the grid and as independent as possible. He has already stripped the existing electrical wiring out of the cabin and he intends that all light at Dragonfly Hermitage will be by candle and lantern.

Hodo says he is in no hurry and that the construction of Mushin Zendo will be done step by step as time and materials become available. He does not intend to go into debt in order to live “off the grid” and outside “The Matrix.” He intends that the meditation hall, huts and related facilities will be manifested through dedication and volunteer efforts, but this will be a gentle journey taken with mindfulness, one day at a time.