Our Fall Membership Drive ends this Sunday, and we’re so grateful to everyone who joined, upgraded, gave, or showed up for one another this fall. We’re closing it out with one last Meet a Member story.

Meet Hugo Medina. Hugo has been practicing since 1991 and found his way to BZC after moving to Brooklyn. He serves as a shika, helping after Dharma talks, and he told us that membership is “a commitment to support the sangha.” Or, as he puts it, “in a way, it’s faith.”

Missed the others in the series? Browse all Meet a Member stories →

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Name: Hugo Medina
Member Since: Winter 2023/24
Favorite Program: Saturday zazen and Dharma talks, Buddha’s Birthday celebration, and programs around the BIPOC community
BZC Roles: Shika Ryo (welcoming newcomers to Boundless Mind)
Fun Fact: “I assisted in firing the cannon on Angel Island State Park in San Francisco Bay.”

Watch Hugo’s video and read his full story below. If Hugo’s words make you think about what membership could mean for you, the drive wraps up this weekend, and we’d love to have you join us.

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This video is an excerpt from a longer conversation with Hugo. You can read the full conversation below.

My Story:

My name’s Hugo Medina. I’ve been a member of Brooklyn Zen Center for two and a half years. Before that, I was a member of San Francisco Zen Center at Green Gulch, so I’ve been doing Buddhism for a while, since 1991. I moved to Brooklyn three years ago, and I knew Brooklyn Zen Center was here, a continuation of San Francisco Zen Center. So I came, and I’m very happy that Sarah and Charlie are here, people I knew from San Francisco. They bring a lot of the love of the dharma and desire to connect with the people in the sangha that I felt at Green Gulch and San Francisco Zen Center. That’s one of the reasons I keep coming: that connection, and because it’s a very welcoming place that encourages us to be ourselves while we’re learning the teachings and practicing mindfulness and compassion.

And I’m happy I’m here.

What do you want to share about your practice journey?

My practice started because I had a desire for a spiritual practice that resonated with me. I’d been looking and found different things, but I found that Zen provided what I was looking for. This was a practice that spoke to my heart, my mind, and my spirit. It was all there. Finally, everything I was seeking aligned.

Part of it was bodhicitta, the awakening of that heart-mind, which I’d always had, and finding Zen Center allowed me to practice it with other people in a way I hadn’t been able to with other groups I was involved with. They’re great groups, but they didn’t have the stability, the forms, that I needed.

How would you describe bodhicitta?

Let’s see. I believe it’s simultaneously coming from inside and coming from the outside. I’m being drawn to something. Something’s drawing me, and I’m being drawn to it. There’s a part of me that’s being drawn to this spiritual activity in the world. And that’s how I see it. I mean, it’s the whole world. That’s one of the things about Zen: we’re all one. We’re all part of this universe, the cosmos, everything that’s going on. And part of me has always felt that, experienced that in some way. So bodhicitta is coming to and being drawn by the world, I think, if you had to ask.

What moments stand out from your time at BZC?

One is the Wednesday night Dharma Share, which gives everyone an opportunity to speak to the moment, to whatever’s coming up in their lives. I find it helpful, and it’s just good to be able to have that conversation, which you don’t generally have during the Dharma talks. So that’s great. Also, when we had a day of meditation and silent walking in Washington Square Park a couple of years ago, that was a lot of fun.

We did this with a couple of other Buddhist communities who organized it together. I can’t remember what the central theme was, but it was great to have all these Buddhists together. It was just a good feeling.

What does membership mean to you?

It’s a commitment to support the sangha. I feel it’s important that they know I’m here, that I’m contributing, and that they can count on me. Membership is different for different people. Some people have more time to contribute than others, but it’s a way of establishing the practice, the sangha. And in a way, it’s faith. You have faith that this will continue to grow and keep going. It’s an expression of that.

I’m a shika, which means I help with serving people after the Dharma talk and cleaning up. Sarah asked me if I would join [the Shika Ryo], and I said yes. I’m glad she asked. I feel more a part of the community being involved that way. So it’s a good practice.

What does being a shika involve?

Showing up. Showing up and washing dishes.

Dogen has a whole piece about the Tenzo, who’s a cook, but part of that is washing dishes. I think the essence of washing dishes is keeping your area clean, but it’s a practice of maintaining, how do I put it, a clear spirit. You don’t let things clog up. You don’t allow things to build up and get out of hand. Okay, let’s take care of it, get it out of the way, clean it up, get ready for the next time.

Interviewer: So that’s one of the things you’ve learned in your time as a shika?

It helps!

Join the campaign by becoming a member, renewing, or upgrading your membership!

Special thanks to filmmaker and BZC member Sara Lamm for help with the interviews! Meet Sara here.