Who is our "Resident Teacher"?
Jishin Hoka (Hoka Matt) is a trained teacher in the Soto and Linchi traditions and is a member of"The Order of the Boundless Way" (Mugendo Zen Kai). He has also completed chaplaincy training with The Buddhist Council of NSW, Australia.
Hoka Matt has studied in Japanese, Korean and Chinese Buddhist traditions and has a degree in Buddhist studies from The World Buddhist University. He is particularly interested in the contemporary use of Zen Dharma in Western culture.
The Order of the Boundless Way
The Order of the Boundless Way is committed to the promotion and practice of Zen Buddhism as a universal form, open and available to everyone, independent of specific ethnic or cultural practices or traditions. The Order consists primarily of individuals who have chosen the path of Zen as Wayfarers, and chose to join the Order for religious affiliation and/or spiritual advancement.
Boundless Way practitioners seek to integrate spirituality into their day-to-day lives by way of Zen practice. We recognize that everyday life is Zen practice, and that everyday life is different for everyone. Thus, though we may often practice together in groups, members of the Order are generally individual householders who maintain a personal Zen practice.
All members of the Order are known as Wayfarers (Jp.-Dojin Ch.-Daoren) regardless of their vocation. Some may choose to live as monks or become clergy, but this is purely optional and is up to each individual. Members of the Order who intend to become clergy and/or live as monks are expected to follow a path of personal commitment corresponding to those lifestyles and vocations.
The Order of the Boundless Way in Australia is officially recognised and incorporated as a religious order within the Soto and Lin Chi schools of Zen Buddhism, through the lineages of Japanese Zen Master Soyu Matsuoka Roshi Chinese Zen Master Hsu Yun.
Teachers of Boundless Mind Zen
As illustrated in the story of Huiko and Bodhidharma, Zen teachers are recognised as teachers by their students and ultimately receive all of their authority from this recognition. Those who are recognised as teachers are individuals who have committed to a life of practice and living by the precepts, becoming living expressions of the Dharma. As such, individuals become genuine teachers of the Dharma through personal example. Through this natural process the teacher's understanding and authority is authentically realised rather than institutionally instated and sanctioned.
Members of the Order who are committed to ongoing education and training are encouraged to study, train and practice with established teachers, regardless of lineage and tradition, and develop a well-rounded background in traditional practices, protocols, and forms. Being recognised and successful as a Dharma Teacher can only result from personal commitment, experience and due diligence. Teachers within the Order are individuals who have committed to the transmission of the Dharma and teaching through their living example.
Fundamental to the philosophy of Boundless Mind Zen is the recognition that teachers themselves are also students of Zen and that the nature and quality of their teaching is derived from their own understanding and practice. As continuing students, they are committed to an openness and fluidity of teaching and practice, and may develop and apply diverse approaches to their methods of teaching.
While we incorporate some teachings from Grandmaster Hsu Yun, our practice is primarily within the Sōtō Zen tradition. This approach places emphasis on shikantaza—“just sitting”—a form of meditation grounded in openness, awareness, and allowing things to be as they are.
Because of this, our practice does not follow the Rinzai Zen style of kōan training, which can sometimes involve a more dynamic or confrontational teacher–student exchange. While we deeply respect that tradition, our path is quieter and more spacious, focusing on steady, continuous practice rather than kōan-based inquiry.
Both traditions share the same roots and intention—awakening—but express this in different ways. Our way is simply the Sōtō expression of that shared heart.
