06/12/2026
Next Saturday, 6/20 at 11am, we're excited to host Rev. Monen Ishikawa from Japan for a special presentation on baika music. Baika, which you can hear a sample of in this youtube clip (see first comment below), is a somber, heartfelt musical tradition distinctive to Sōtō Zen. Rev. Monen will discuss the history of this tradition and offer a demonstration. We welcome all to come experience baika in person or to join us online.
See our events page for links and more info:
https://zcla.org/calendars/upcoming-events/
Rev. Monen Ishikawa is an accomplished Sōtō Zen teacher who completed foundational monastic training at Eiheiji, one of the school’s principal head temples, from March 1988 to March 1991. Over a distinguished career, they were appointed as a Certified Itto Kyoshi Sōtō Zen teacher in October 1993, later advancing to a Certified Seikyoshi teacher in 2018. Highly specialized in the musical Buddhist practice of Baika-ryu, Rev. Ishikawa has served as a Baika-ryu Specialty Teacher since 2015 and achieved the rank of Baika-ryu First-Class Instructor (Ikkyu Shihan) in 2023.
