The living vow of Shugyo Daijo Bonnici, Roshi — rooted in the truth of suffering, dwelling in the still brilliance of core-Self.
"As Mother Earth is my witness, the Deep Valley is my true home.
As this Only Moment is my whole body, my lineage comes from Being-Time.
As I wholeheartedly dwell in the still brilliance and silent illumination of core-Self,
I treasure the vital freshness of my beginner's heartmind
and the Way of ancient buddhas.
Deeply rooted in the truth of suffering,
I live a vital, exuberant, and simple life.
Embodying boundless intimacy amidst everyday affairs and relationships,
I teach the ancient Way of Zen
with the sincerity of moonlight,
the pristine exuberance of mountain streams,
and the healing constancy of ocean waves."
— Dr. Bonnici (Shugyo Daijo-Roshi) · April 22, 2010
May all Beings know the joy of loving and being loved.
May they become intimate with the treasury of core-Self.
May they realize peace and compassion as their true nature.
Dr. Bonnici's Zen Master Seal is grounded in a formal lineage of practice and transmission. From 1976 to 1987, he studied, trained, and practiced at Genjo-ji Temple under the guidance of Jakusho Kwong-Roshi, a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi.
During his practice at Genjo-ji, he was ordained as a lay-monastic practitioner of Soto Zen. In 1988, he left Genjo-ji and founded Jotoku-Ji Zen Training Temple in Rohnert Park, California — where he officiated his formal Tokudo ordination as a Zen Buddhist priest, witnessed and supported by his whole family.
At Jotoku-Ji, he educated, trained, and counseled Zen beginners and veteran practitioners in the Way of Living Enlightenment for over twenty-five years. He also founded four other Zen Temple Dojos in Long Beach, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Sonoma, CA; and Kamuela, HI.
The ordination name he received — Shugyo Daijo — continues to express his deepest commitment: continuous practice of the Great Way.
A Zen Master's Dharma Seal is not a credential — it is a living vow, a statement of how the teacher stands in the world and what they commit to transmitting to others. It is written from the ground of direct experience, not from doctrine or ideal.
In Dr. Bonnici's seal, each image carries weight: the Deep Valley as home — the receptive, open nature of the awakened mind. Being-Time as lineage — the teaching of Eihei Dogen that existence and time are inseparable. The sincerity of moonlight — reflecting truth without distortion or self-interest. The pristine exuberance of mountain streams — teaching with aliveness and freshness, never stagnant. The healing constancy of ocean waves — the tireless return to each student, each moment, each breath.
"Deeply rooted in the truth of suffering, I live a vital, exuberant, and simple life. Embodying boundless intimacy amidst everyday affairs and relationships, I teach the ancient Way of Zen."
— Shugyo Daijo Bonnici, Roshi
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