Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism

03/12/2026

You may know Wendy Shinyo Haylett as a Bright Dawn Sensei, but did you know how and when she came to Bright Dawn as a student?

Before entering the Bright Dawn Lay Ministry program in its second year in 2007, Wendy spent more than 15 years studying and practicing in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. That deep involvement in Tibetan Buddhism raised an initial question from Bright Dawn about her interest in the Bright Dawn LM program and it almost didn’t happen…

Continue reading Wendy’s story from our previous newsletter, and be sure to subscribe!

https://mailchi.mp/56f327f73f9a/winter-2026-news-from-bright-dawn?e=63ecad5c42

Wendy Shinyo Haylett

02/25/2026

In 2016, I, Tamu Hoyo Ngina Sensei (LM5) was honored to serve as President of Bright Dawn Trailblazers.

On December 8, 2016, together with our beloved Adrienne Sensei, I co-edited and published Bright Dawn Dharma Glimpses: A Collection of Teachings from Everyday Life. The project was the brainchild of William Toyo Holland Sensei (LM6) who was serving as Trailblazers President-elect at the time.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the book’s publication. Amazon:
https://a.co/d/01oHxY0q

Adrienne Sensei and I did not do this work alone. We were generously supported by a dedicated team of Bright Dawn Lay Ministers, who served as co-editors, carefully reading, reviewing, and editing each submission before passing them along to us for final editing.

Adrienne Sensei and I also collaborated on the cover design. From beginning to end, it was a truly beautiful and communal process, rooted in shared practice and mutual care.

As we reflect on this work a decade later, I offer my deep gratitude gassho to all who contributed their voices, their time, and their hearts to this collection, and to all who continue to walk the Dharma path in the midst of everyday life.

May these pages serve as gentle companions, reminding us that the teachings are not separate from our lives, but are revealed through them.

Rev. Koyo Sensei was fond of saying, “KEEP GOING!” & “Until Next Time…)

Both he and his beloved wife, Adrienne Sensei, have since passed on. Yet their spirit, their guidance, and their unwavering encouragement continue to live on through this work and through all of us who carry the practice forward.

May we honor them not only in remembrance, but in how we live, how we show up, and how we continue, step by step, on the path.

In Oneness,
🙏🏽
Tamu Hoyo Ngina
Until Next Time, KEEP GOING!

02/15/2026

There are many techniques and ways to meditate.

Meditation can include incense, singing bowls, chanting or music, and can also be done in a variety of styles including Zen meditation, mindfulness meditation, guided meditation, and so on.

What does your meditation process look like? 

02/10/2026

Hello friends,

The Bright Dawn Leadership Council would like to hear from everyone who considers themselves involved with Bright Dawn in any way! Please complete this short google form, which will allow us to get updated/current information from everyone. Please complete even if you know we know all of this information for you! The far-reaching goal is to have this information for everyone in one place!

Please feel free to comment any questions, and I would be happy to answer!

With a new year now upon us, the Bright Dawn Leadership Council is eager to hear from all who are affiliated with Bright Dawn in any way. The purpose of this form is to keep the leadership council updated in one place with current contact information and about what you are doing in your spiritual li...

01/31/2026

Bright Dawn is looking for individuals interested in helping our Leadership Committee improve and grow Bright Dawns online presence.

Therefore we are forming a TECH Committee, to help our online presence be the most effective.

The committee will assist the leadership committee in improving our website platform, finding effective conferencing strategies, researching appropriate and feasible ways to communicate our message online, and more.

We will meet once a month for 1 hour, on the 3rd Sunday of each month, at noon (Pacific time).

No tech experience is needed, just an eagerness to commit and help Bright Dawn improve.

Interested parties can send us a Facebook message. Thank you for sharing your time and talents!

01/26/2026

January feels like everything slows down—quiet mornings, cold air, snow that keeps us homebound.

Buddhism reminds us that slowing down isn’t a problem to fix; it’s a chance to notice. A warm cup of coffee, a steady breath, one calm moment in the middle of the day.

How are you practicing presence this January—small habits, quiet moments, or pauses you’re choosing in the middle of everyday life?

01/19/2026

Dr. King and Thich Nhat Hanh had a shared philosophy: both men championed nonviolence and love as fundamental to achieving peace and justice, seeing the true enemies as hatred and intolerance, not people.

Today and every day, let us be reminded of the compassion and teachings of these men.

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. met Thich Nhat Hanh, a deeply courageous Buddhist monk from Vietnam. Their meeting forged a lasting moral connection—one rooted in nonviolence, compassion, and a shared commitment to peace.

Today, as Buddhist monks walk for peace across the country, we are reminded that the work Dr. King called us to has always transcended borders, faith traditions, and nations. Justice is not confined to one community—it is a shared responsibility.

That same interfaith spirit guides the Beloved Community Global Summit, where leaders and community members gather to turn shared values into shared action.

Learn more and join us January 15–16 in Atlanta:
https://events.pulse.ly/lywwiyuxlt

01/01/2026

May you find peace and clarity in the new year.

12/29/2025

Join Morris Sekiyo Sullivan Sensei and Volusia Buddhist Fellowship on Zoom for a New Year's Eve service with the Heart Sutra, the Metta Sutta, and other recitations, as well as meditation and a dharma talk.

The service is at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

For the Zoom link and copy of the service so you can join in, email [email protected]

12/27/2025

Everyday Suchness is now available to order!

Order your copy for just $12 on the Bright Dawn website (retail $15)! Shipping starts in January.

Orders can also be placed on Amazon, however orders through our website provides more impact to the various programs of the Bright Dawn organization.

International orders: readers abroad can avoid costly international shipping fees by ordering from Amazon in their country.

Thank you!

12/08/2025

HAPPY BODHI DAY!!!!

Bodhi Day Poem
Chris Kakuyo Sensei of the
The Salt Lake Buddhist Fellowship

After many teachers
and six years
in deep reflection
and ascetic practice

that brought you
to the point of death
sitting under the Bodhi
tree you realized

you knew nothing

which opened the door
to your awakening.
Beneath that same tree,
you turned the arrows

of suffering, doubt,
fear and expectation
into flowers, that rained
at your feet. Thank you

Awakened One.

At the very heart
of the Buddha Way
is the promise of

awakening.
The boundless vow,
the bright flame
of Buddha Nature

and the luminous
dharma. In response
to your awakening,

we pass your light
from one to another,
the past reaching
far into the future,

encouraging all
to take part
in the improbable
tender awakening

of our world.

We now light
our candles as
a symbol of passing
the light and promise

of awakening
from the Buddha
to each of us.
”A thousand candles

can be lit from the flame
of one candle, and the life
of the candle will not be shortened.
Let us now come out

of the darkness of our
unknowing and the dusk
of our dreaming, come out
from far places and go forth

into the Bright Dawn of our awakening.

Let us all now come
together. Offering
heart, mind,
and body.

Seeking the clear light
of understanding. Seeking

the way of the Buddha.
May the light of our joining
flames kindle our resolve,
brighten our spirits, reflect

our love,
and unshadow our days.
Come we now, together entering
into the brightening dawn.