Greetings and welcome to my blog! My name is Paco Tozan Vérin and I am a modern monk. Professionally, I am a horticulturist, I like jam bands, cooking, laughing with friends, and lots of other regular stuff. I also have been a lay Buddhist in the American Zen order, Hollow Bones, since May 2002, ordained as a priest in 2011. In June 2016 the opportunity to do a classic 1000-day monastic training arose, and I accepted. It starts September 14 at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, pictured above, where the founder of Hollow Bones, Junpo Denis Kelly, trained.

The purpose of this blog is to give you a window in to the monastic life as I live and discover it, and give a taste of the contemplative and transformational path of Zen Buddhism. I do not seek to proselytize or convert, yet I do hope, given how intense political, economic and ecological issues are getting, that, if you do not already, you would explore a sincere commitment to meditation. A clear and consistent meditation practice can transform your experience of life.

Thanks for visiting, and have a fabulous day!