Speaker:   Sanki Harold Schlechtweg

Dharma Talk Topic:  "Enlightenment in Dogen Zen, or How to be a Buddha".

Bio: Reiun Sanki Harold Schlechtweg is Practice Leader of the Southwind Sangha in Wichita Kansas. Sanki celebrated Jukai in 2010, Zaike Takudo in 2013 and Shukke Tokudo in 2019. Sanki’s teacher and preceptor is Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston, Roshi.  He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Indiana University and a Master’s ini Labor Studies from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

He worked as ESL teacher volunteer for IRC for 2 years 2015-2017 after retiring from SEIU (Service Employees Union–He was the state director for the union which represents public employees) in July 2015.  He also volunteered because as a vet he wanted to help Iraqis and Afghanis who worked for the US and were now threatened in their home countries and had been permitted asylum in the US.   He then became an employee of IRC in advocacy (government relations and community education) from Sept 2017 until October 2019.

He uses his free time over the last year, beginning in March, and with the help of other members of the sangha to figure out how to operate during the COVID crisis.  He also helps his local Democratic party organization both in KS and in his precinct where he is a precinct committee person and city-wide.