407 Hunter Avenue

City Island, New York 10464-1332

(917) 682-0645 • pacogenkoji@gmail.com

        

        

  

        

         December 7, 2011

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This coming year, from January 4th through the 23rd, I will be traveling to India

and Nepal with my teacher Roshi Bernard Tetsugen Glassman.  For those of you

who know me and have followed my spiritual path, you know that these

pilgrimages are part of the journey and part of the practice.  For those of you

who are new to this, consider this an invitation to follow and support me on this

journey.

These pilgrimages are intended to deepen our practice as we walk in the steps of

the Buddha.  We will explore the roots and current practice of Socially Engaged

Buddhism and Hinduism at their source lead by Zen Master Bernie Glassman

and Dharmacharya Shantum Seth.

Our tradition has always included Dana or begging as part of our practice to

continue our work and to support our spiritual growth through pilgrimages and

retreats.  In this, we incorporate the Mala or prayer beads assigning to each bead

the names of donors who support us on our journey.  I am asking for your

financial support so that I can travel to India and Nepal and take you with me on

one of my Mala beads along with your intentions.  The size of the donation

matters less than having as many of my friends and family indicate their

support.  

As an update of what I have been doing, The Hudson River Peacemaker-House

of One People Sendho continues to meet weekly in Yonkers.  I continue an

interfaith approach to Zen practice and as such work with Christian groups in

the South Bronx.  For the last two years, I have shared a project with Sensei

Melanie Chong.  Melanie and I began to shift the culture in a traditional health

club by introducing mind, body, spirit, awareness.  My commitment to socially

engaged Buddhism has taken me to Porto Alegre, Brazil to work among the poor

of the Favelas and into the streets of Detroit where Roshi Grover Genro Gauntt

and I conducted a four-day street retreat.  This past summer, I had the privilege

of ordaining Ovidio Waldemar, my host in Brazil, Daiken Nelson, my student of

five years, and Joaquin Salazar, who works in the fields of the Dominican

Republic extending our social action practice to this Caribbean nation.

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December 7, 2011

Your generosity is requested for this trip and our ongoing works in socially

engaged Buddhism that, as you can see from my brief report, includes everyone.

Please send your donation to the Hudson River Peacemaker Center-House of

One People either via USPS mail to: 407 Hunter Avenue, City Island New York

10464.  Or, use Paypal using my e-mail address:  pacogenkoji@gmail.com, or via our website, www.hrpchoop.org

If you wish to contribute anonymously, you can do so by sending a donation with a note indicating that this is for Paco’s account and that you prefer to remain anonymous to: Zen Peacemakers, c/o Laura Smith, P.O. Box 460, Sunderland, MA 01375. (laurasmith@peacemakercenter.com).  

The Hudson River Peacemaker Center is a duly registered not-for-profit and contributions are deductible as permitted by law.

Thank you and many blessings.  

                                                                                    I bow to you and am grateful,

                                                                                    Paco

                                                                                    Sensei Francisco Genko-ji Lugoviña