In today’s episode we’re joined by Eshu Martin of the Victoria Zen Centre in British Columbia to discuss his ventures into the online world of meditation practice. Eshu offers eZendo, an opportunity for people to login and participate in morning meditation sittings with Eshu and others. So go ahead…join in the fun! Every Monday and Thursday from 6-6:45am(PST). Here’s the link:

http://www.zenwest.ca/ezendo

The intro music to the Sweeping Zen podcast comes from the album “Dao Audio” by artist Ben Steed. The track title is “The Traveller.” To purchase the album, visit http://bensteed.bandcamp.com/album/the-shape-of-water

I recently spoke with Liz Fox of ZabuZabu.net, maker of meditation clothing and supplies. Gives you an idea of who you’ll be working with when you order one of her hand-crafted robes or cushions. Enjoy!

From Liz: “Born in Boston, grew up in the Navy, with tours all over the eastern seaboard, and two yeas in Rota, Spain. High school in Norfolk, Va, then to Boston University. Took a year off to ski in Steamboat Springs, Co, then finished up at University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Wa. B.S. in Occupational Therapy. Worked at that for 22 years, in Salt Lake City. Burned out.

Started Zen practice in 1998, at Kanzeon Zen Center. There was a sewing business there, Jade Thread, where they made robes, zafus and zabutons, and would help with rakusus and okesas. The late Bruce Waldrop was running it by 2000, when I left. By that time, I had made one kimono, as well as my rakusu and okesa. I moved to Germany, and since my German was far from employable, I got a used Pfaff and started making robes. I had the old Jade Thread instructions, which I have since modified. After a year in Germany, we moved to Zen River in The Netherlands, which was just starting up. Tenkei (Sensei, at the time), gave me space to work, and I operated my business there for three years. Tammy, Myoho Sensei now, had the idea for the name, ZabuZabu. Per Kielland-Lund, an old friend from Salt Lake, came for a visit, and talked me into starting a website.

I left Zen River to move back to Germany with my husband, having set up the sewing room there, and Anjo Kasman continues the work with residents there now. In 2006, we moved back to the US, to Taos, New Mexico, and I put the website into US Dollars, from Euros, and it went nuts! Business quintupled the first year! At first, more than half of my work was from Kanzeon, but now that it is gone, it has not effected me at all.

My teacher now, and for the past 6 years, is Musai Roshi, at Prajna Zendo in Santa Fe. It is not a residential center, so I drive down once or twice a week, and for sesshins.”

The intro music to the Sweeping Zen podcast comes from the album “Dao Audio” by artist Ben Steed. The track title is “The Traveller.” To purchase the album, visit http://bensteed.bandcamp.com/album/the-shape-of-water

Visit the Shogaku Zen Institute website: http://www.shogakuzen.org/

Empty Nest Zendo: http://emptynestzendo.org/

See also: http://emptynestzendo.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/SPOT-Intensive-Flyer-2-28-12.pdf

The intro music to the Sweeping Zen podcast comes from the album “Dao Audio” by artist Ben Steed. The track title is “The Traveller.” To purchase the album, visit http://bensteed.bandcamp.com/album/the-shape-of-water