Dear sangha members and friends,
The safety and well-being of our sangha is of paramount importance to all of us. Information about COVID-19 continues to develop, and we have been closely monitoring local and national health directives and guidance. With COVID-19 now declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and with States of Emergency declared in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, health officials are making it clear that dramatic steps must be taken to mitigate the risk of transmission.
The Board and Rev. Hayashi have made the difficult decision to suspend all services and activities at Ekoji with immediate effect at least through the end of March. All scheduled activities are immediately canceled, including Saturday’s Open Mic Night, all Sunday services, Children’s Dharma School activities, Thursday night meditation, the Buddhism discussion group, and any meetings previously planned at the temple.
We recognize that many of our sangha members and friends look forward to the practice of taking refuge in our Sunday services. For that reason, we are planning to post a virtual service, led by Rev. Hayashi, to our website (ekoji.org) and our social media platforms later this weekend. Many of our Dharma Talks can also be found on our website.
For anyone facing life changes such as illness or the passing of a loved one, please contact our main office number (703-239-0500) or ekoji.info@gmail.com. We will do our best to respond in a timely fashion to assist with arrangements.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you updated of any changes via email, our website, and social media. Decisions to reopen the Temple will be based on global and local guidelines that advise it is safe to do so.
We appreciate your understanding and hope all of you remain safe and healthy.
In gassho,
Rev. Hayashi and the Ekoji Board of Directors