Attention: Our Rev. Kojitsu has passed ...

[Jundo]

UPDATE: Tricycle published Koji's essay ...

https://tricycle.org/article/the-edge-of-impermanence/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear All,

I must report that our friend and priest, Rev. Kojitsu Brett Williams, passed from this world today.

Bion has been in touch with his wife, Vi. We saw him just today at our monthly Priest's meeting and, apparently, his heart gave out soon after.

I have sent word through Bion that Treeleaf and all of us here are with Vi and Jett, their boy. I will be writing myself shortly.

We will have a service with Zazen on Friday, and all will be sitting for him and all the family.

I will have more details soon. For now, please Sit, Chant the Heart Sutra, offer Metta and love for our friend Koji and all who love him.

He recently offered this wisdom on living and dying (I repost the full essay below) ...

To live with serious illness ... is not simply to endure physical suffering. It is to walk daily along the edge of impermanence. Yet from the perspective of Zen practice, this path is not tragic. It is an opportunity to meet life exactly as it is, moment by moment, with clarity, dignity, and compassion.

In Zen practice, we do not look away from suffering. We meet it directly. ...

Facing mortality each day ... is not merely frightening, it is intimate. It strips away illusions of control and certainty. Zen does not offer answers, but it does offer intimacy. Not knowing becomes our ally. We try to open to each moment not with fear, but with wonder. What is this? In the face of death, we do not reach for beliefs or promises. We return to this breath, this step, this bowl of rice. We let go again and again, not just of hope or fear, but of our very selves. This is the liberation Zen speaks of, not beyond suffering, but through it.

From an essay he wrote awhile back on the passing of his father ...

In my mind, Zen teaches us to live in the present moment, to let go of attachments, and to embrace life’s challenges with mindfulness and compassion. ... Zen does not dismiss these emotions but instead encourages us to sit with them, allowing ourselves to fully experience them without judgment. ... Our practice reminds us that suffering often arises when we resist reality as it is. ...

A reminder today as tears fill our eyes.
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Bondō Kōjitsu Williams (梵道 好日)

Nine bows.

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A modest, but heartfelt homage to our friend is now publicly available on the Treeleaf homepage: https://www.treeleaf.org/2025/10/honoring-kojitsu/



J

[Kotei]

Thank you Jundo.

As many of you know, Koji was very ill for quite some time.
We once talked about his health and dying as it was close. He made his peace with it.
His concern was always about the others, his family and friends.

Nine bows,
Kotei,

[Jundo]

I repost in full this essay he recently offered on living with such great health challenges ...

~~~

To live with serious illness such as dialysis-dependent kidney failure, heart disease, and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) is not simply to endure physical suffering. It is to walk daily along the edge of impermanence. Yet from the perspective of Zen practice, this path is not tragic. It is an opportunity to meet life exactly as it is, moment by moment, with clarity, dignity, and compassion.

In Zen practice, we do not look away from suffering. We meet it directly. The Buddha’s First Noble Truth states that life includes dukkha (unease, discontent, and suffering.) Chronic illness does not make this more true, it only makes it harder to ignore. Each dialysis session, needles in the arm, the steady hum of the machine, the annoyance of your blood pressure being taken every 30 minutes, the fatigue after, is a dharma gate. So too are the moments when breathing becomes difficult, when the chest tightens and fear arises, or when the heart goes into atrial fibrillation and you start to panic. These experiences are not interruptions to our spiritual life. They are our spiritual life. In Zen, we do not seek to escape or transcend something. We seek intimacy with all things. That includes the fatigue, the pain, and even the bureaucracies of medical field. Nothing is left out. Dogen taught that practice is not separate from daily life. Whether stirring a pot of soup or sitting on a cushion, each activity is the entirety of the Buddha Way. In illness, the scope of action may be limited, but not the possibility for practice.

When walking becomes labored, we bring attention to each step. When our breath catches in the lungs, we rest in the breath we can take, rather than grasp for the one we cannot. This is not passivity, it is profound engagement. To say “just this” is not resignation but a vow to live fully, exactly where we are. Sitting zazen with a body in decline may be difficult, but the essence of zazen is not physical posture. Whether in a chair or a hospital bed, we can embody shikantaza, just sitting. In Zen, this means sitting with no gaining idea, no goal. Not even health or recovery. Zazen is the enactment of our inherent Buddha-nature, even when we are hooked to machines, even when our organs are failing. Dogen reminds us that “practice and enlightenment are one.” We do not wait until conditions are ideal. We do not wait until the body is strong. We do not wait.

Illness often isolates. Others may not understand our condition, or may even see our lives as diminished or burdensome. But from the perspective of Zen, every being is a manifestation of the dharma. No one is outside the circle of compassion. To live with serious illness is to become intimately aware of the suffering of others... those with tubes, scars, pills, and fears. In this way, we wear the okesa not just over our shoulder, but across the shared ground of human vulnerability. Our practice, though silent, becomes a vessel of compassion for all beings.

Facing mortality each day, when each clot could be the last, when the heart’s rhythm wavers, when the back pain is so intense you can't possibly sit still, is not merely frightening, it is intimate. It strips away illusions of control and certainty. Zen does not offer answers, but it does offer intimacy. Not knowing becomes our ally. We try to open to each moment not with fear, but with wonder. What is this? In the face of death, we do not reach for beliefs or promises. We return to this breath, this step, this bowl of rice. We let go again and again, not just of hope or fear, but of our very selves. This is the liberation Zen speaks of, not beyond suffering, but through it.

Living with dialysis, heart disease, and pulmonary embolism is not easy. But it is not in conflict with the Buddha Way. In fact, it may offer the rarest gift of all, the chance to live every moment with full awareness of its fragility. Zen does not promise that we will live longer. It offers something far more profound... that we might live fully, and die fully, without clinging, without regret, and with an open, awakened heart.

As Dogen Zenji wrote:
“When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.”

This body, this moment, this breath... this is our place. And we practice endlessly.

gassho
kojitsu

[Seiga]

Dear All,

For now, please Sit, Chant the Heart Sutra, offer Metta and love for our friend Koji and all who love him.

I will do that. In his passing, he reminds us that life and death are matters of a moment. May he find relief on his journey. And may those who love him find peace.

gasshō
satlah
seiga

[Hoshuku]

“Facing mortality each day ... is not merely frightening, it is intimate. It strips away illusions of control and certainty. Zen does not offer answers, but it does offer intimacy. Not knowing becomes our ally. We try to open to each moment not with fear, but with wonder.”

Profoundly beautiful words - may I use them in a post and attribute them to him?

Bows
Hoshuku
Satlah

[Jundo]

“Facing mortality each day ... is not merely frightening, it is intimate. It strips away illusions of control and certainty. Zen does not offer answers, but it does offer intimacy. Not knowing becomes our ally. We try to open to each moment not with fear, but with wonder.”

Profoundly beautiful words - may I use them in a post and attribute them to him?

Bows
Hoshuku
Satlah

I am sure that he would welcome that.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Seiko]

To Vi and Jett and all loved ones of Kojitsu Brett Williams:

Our friend Kojitsu - Brett - lived gracefully with great pain and discomfort. Now he is free of suffering. We will remember him fondly.

Nine Bows

Seiko

[Onki]

I had the pleasure of working as Kojitsu’s mentor. We spoke about many things. One of the things we talked a lot about were our illnesses and struggles with them.

He told me about his illnesses, having to attend dialysis many times a week, difficulties through multiple surgeries, etc. He told me how exhausted he was all the time. Through all of this, any time he spoke of priesthood, his eyes lit up. There was a sense of determination in his voice.

Within our talks, he spoke in great length of his aspirations of becoming a priest. He was very excited for the opportunity to do so with Treeleaf.

Koj made his peace with his inevitable passing some time ago. He wasn’t afraid.

Something he said in conversation that has stuck with me was, “I know that I’m dying. And I’ve made peace with that. I’m not afraid to die. But before I do, I want to be a Buddhist priest. I want to help other people.”

Wishes do come true, Kojitsu

May your family have comfort in this time of loss.

Gasshō,

On

[Tairin]

Metta for Vi and Jett and all the loved ones of Kojitsu Brett Williams

Kojitsu thank you for your practice


Tairin
sat today and lah

[Kyonin]

Metta for him and his family. May all be free of suffering

[Seikan]

Much Metta to Koji and his family.

I only got to know him better in recent weeks, and yet I was quickly enamored with his ability to balance a deep sincerity of practice with his own quirky sense of humor—taking life and this practice very seriously, and yet not so seriously... I'll carry that teaching with me always.



Gassho,
Seikan
stlah

[Bion]

I will terribly miss my dear friend. I was fortunate to have him as a close brother in the dharma since he joined this sangha. He was dedicated, kind, compassionate, gentle and always present... He was an example of resilience, endurance and practice in the midst of difficulty. Almost nobody really knew what he dealt with daily or what a toll it took on his body to put on the robes each Friday, get his trusted back scratcher and come to Zazenkai, after enduring hours of uncomfortable dialysis.. No one knew the pain he endured during his Ordination, holding a gassho for 1 hour, keeping his body up, bowing with his whole being to us all as he committed to living for the dharma for the rest of his life.. Which he did, wholeheartedly. He even served us as shuso full term.
I hope you all remember him fondly.

Koji.jpg koji car.jpg

Gassho
sat lah

[Shujin]

I am grateful to have spoken with Kojitsu during one of our Teahouses. He will be missed, though his life will continue as an example of living and dying in zazen. I will sit for him and his family.

Gassho,
Shujin

[Tai Do]

We were very fortunate to have practiced along side Kojitsu and learned from his teachings. May he be at peace and May his loved ones find comfort.
Gassho,
Tai Do
Satlah

[Kokuu]

Very sad to hear this news this morning. I didn't know Kojitsu well but I deeply admired his practice with all of the physical issues he was going through. I am happy he got to fulfil his wish to become a priest.

even as leaves fall
the moon shines clear
through birth and death
yet in this turning moment
we light incense
and remember a true friend of the way


Much metta to our dear dharma brother and all of his family and friends.

Gassho
Kokuu