The Common Good: Zen Community of Vancouver 7-14-25

This episode’s guests on “The Common Good” are Laura Jomon Martin, a Zen Teacher with the Zen Community of Oregon, and now the Zen Community of Vancouver, and Claire Johnston, a lay member of the Zen Community of Oregon who has been the driving force to establish a Zen Community in Vancouver, where she has lived for almost 40 years. Jomon, as she is known in her role as teacher, and Claire are talking with me today about their background in Zen practice and what that will look like for people who join their newly established Zen Community in Vancouver. 

Zen Teacher Laura Jomon Martin has been practicing Zen since 2004 receiving Lay Teacher Transmission (authorization to teach) from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2019. She has served in various capacities within the ZCO Sangha, and is always excited about community-building. She continues a long career as a social worker (since 1993), with most of those years in community mental health agencies. She is an LCSW in private practice, specializing in working with healthcare professionals. She has taught MBSR and secular mindfulness since 2009. She and her husband Bansho currently reside at Great Vow Zen Monastery.  

Claire Johnston is a lay member of Zen Community of Oregon. She had practiced various spiritual traditions until I met her primary Buddhist teacher Ajahn Fa Thai, a Thai Theravada monk. Because of him she became a stalwart Buddhist. Claire has written a book about her experiences called “The Practical Seeker: A Down-to-Earth Guide for Finding Your Spiritual Home.” It’s on Amazon if you want to take a look at it. She is a retired esthetician (facials, waxing and all that.) 

For more information about the Zen Practice of Vancouver and how to join them to experience it for yourself, visit http://zendust.org/vancouver/.