Thursday, June 27, 2024, was the day that my life changed. It was the day that I graduated from the intensive esoteric Buddhist training at Enryaku-ji Temple on top of Mt. Hiei in the northeastern corner of Kyoto. I was officially ordained as a Tendai Buddhist monk, and sent back into the world to spread the Dharma. The graduation ceremony ended just before 11 a.m. After that my classmates and I had just thirty minutes to clear our belongings from our tatami-mat rooms and

Shindo fuji, the third and final shōjin ryōri principle, is a way of reintroducing profound connection into our lives. Translated directly, it means “body and earth are not two.” The human body is inseparable from the land on which it exists. By bringing our awareness back to this direct connection between our existence and the planet, we can reclaim our physical and mental well-being, while also making a positive impact on our outer world.

Everything is shugyō—everything is practice. Mindfulness isn’t something only possible in the idyllic setting of silent retreats or seated meditation. We can return to it at any moment, especially in the midst of the mundane.