About Mushin
Mushin Abby Terris founded the Corvallis Zen Circle when she arrived in
Corvallis in the summer of 1992 and has been the primary teacher and
guide since then. Initially practicing in rented space, she and the early members building a small Zen hut, Dharma Garden Zendo, in 2004 to
accommodate an expanded practice schedule. Outgrowing this, too, she
and the group of dedicated sangha members began efforts to establish a
lasting practice home for Sangha Jewel Zen Center. This opened in
March of 2019. They began practicing a full schedule of Dharma offerings
at that time — zazen, sanzen, retreats and workshops. In March of 2020 a
new, larger sanctuary was completed just in time for the onset of the
Covid shut-down. They maintained practice in the Zoomdo for the
duration, and rejoiced in the re-opening of in-person practice in March of
2023.
Mushin began her Zen study with Glen Webb and the Seattle
Zen Center in 1975, after practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM)
for several years. TM was her entry gate to meditation and
spiritual practice. But she felt that she’d finally found her true path when
the bell rang to start the first period of zazen. There was something
so familiar, authentic and immediate about sitting still and quiet,
and counting the breath. She met Robert Aitken Roshi in 1976 on
his visit to Seattle, and went for residential training at the Maui Zendo with
him the following winter. She found his kindness, Dharma clarity, straight-
talking commitment to social action, and his laughter quite inspiring. After
returning to the mainland, she did several more retreats with him. And
resumed daily practice with Takabayashi Genki Roshi, who had arrived
from Japan to lead the Seattle Zen Center while she was on Maui. She
also studied briefly with Joan Rieck Roshi, Aitken Roshi’s Dharma
sister, and did a number of retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and Korean
Zen master Sueng San.
Married and the mother of two daughters, working as a
psychotherapist, she continued to practice and led a small sitting group in
the attic of her home. In spite of her other responsibilities (and joys!) she
was always determined to carve out some time for regular meditation and
even managed, with the kind permission of her family, to attend regular
retreats.
When, in 1983, she read an article in Ten Directions newsletter from
Zen Center of Los Angeles, written by Jan Chozen Bays, she resolved to
meet her. That came a few years later when Chozen Roshi led a sesshin at
Cloud Mountain. That was the beginning of her study with Chozen Roshi
and the Zen Community of Oregon. The experience of practicing with
such mature teachers and deeper formal Dharma study enriched her
ability to step into leadership and a more formal teaching function in
Corvallis.
Mushin received transmission from Jan Chozen Bays Roshi
and Hogen Bays Roshi in 2013. At this ceremony they added the
name Hoen, which means, “dharma garden”. So her Dharma name is
Clear Heart Mind, Dharma Garden. You can just call her Mushin, or Abby.
