Gengetsu Junsei Jana Drakka / Mysterious Moon, Pure Spirit
October 21, 1952 – October 27, 2017
Memorial service at San Francisco Zen Center, 300 Page Street, Thursday, November 9, 6:10 – 6:30 pm
Funeral Ceremony at City Center on Friday, December 15, at 4 pm in the City Center Buddha Hall. There is an accessible entrance. The event will be Livestreamed to accommodate those who are not able to attend.
From the Facebook page hosted by Rev. Joko Mira Ingram and Shishin Junsei Benn Meyers:
Reverend Gengetsu Junsei Jana Drakka departed her body on October 28 at 9:16 pm. Please join us for a memorial in her honor at San Francisco Zen Center on Thursday, November 9 at 6:10 pm sharp. With her “Zendo Without Walls,” Rev. Junsei Jana Drakka brought the Dharma to many of San Francisco’s poor, houseless, and marginalized communities. She created and taught Harm Reduction Meditation to support people facing great stressors. She could often be seen on the streets of San Francisco giving comfort to people who were suffering, and her presence will be greatly missed.
Jana wanted you to know that loving you was a great joy in her life. Like her teacher, Zenkei Blanche Hartman, she felt that kindness is one of our most important practices. She said, “There is never such a thing as too much love.” This is a basic realization that has sustained her in the past difficult days, freeing her to do her inner work despite the pain.
Prior to the memorial, there will be the usual evening period of zazen/meditation starting at 5:40 pm (please arrive by 5:30 pm). Anyone who is attending the memorial is welcome to join the period of zazen beforehand. The memorial will begin promptly, and parking is scarce, so please allow yourself extra time to park if driving.
This event is wheelchair accessible. San Francisco Zen Center is at 300 Page Street at Laguna. Entrance to the memorial will be at the Laguna Street double-door entrance (enter through right-hand door).
Junsei Jana Drakka dies at 65 by Lilly Greenblatt posted October 30, 2017 on the Lion’s Roar web site.
Jana Drakka… Great Teacher… Huge Green Tara Buddha/Goddess,
Lover-and-Faithful Protector of the Old Ways-at-the-same-time-showing-
How-they-might-be-“without-walls”,
Rebel who knew and could manifest perfect form,
Visible without the robe to those who needed to see that –
Visible in the robe for those who needed that,
Hope and Dharma Gate for those who’d lost it or never felt they’d Enter it
She was the one who said “As Blanche (Hartman) always said, ‘Just This is It’…so we’ll work with what we have!” Her vision of Practice greatly widened the color and vastness of possibilities In the field of Practice.
I never saw her in the role of great teacher or the woman with the great loving heart walking the streets to comfort those in need. Still we had a special connection. Loved her big ears, as mine are. There was a connection in non-locality and in the big heart that includes us all. Grateful for having met her. All the way from Sweden to the US East Coast via social media. We are all blessed from having been in contact with her.
Rest my dear dharma sister….
When I last saw Jana at Spring Jikoji sesshin, we talked and had some laughs and both wondered aloud whether she might be soon ready to pass, as she described how she was feeling. Exploring the idea with curiosity in her same joyful, vulnerable and bold way, while having fun, sharing a meal with her students. I offered to sit with her when she was ready to depart her body and although I did not have that privilege, I am so glad to have had the chance to offer this and receive her heartfelt gratitude. She made her mark on our practice and our hearts, Bowing to the SFZC sangha, Pitaka
I remember seeing Rev. Junsei’s Dharma talks on youtube and it was one of first times I heard about zazen and I started practicing soon after listening to her talks. Just found out that she had passed and I wanted to say thank you to her.
Bows,
Akiva