Who is Baba Wawa?

Baba Wawa is written by Mika Crawley. I’ve been practicing Soto Zen since I was eight years old and am part of the San Francisco Zen Center Sangha.

This blog is called Baba Wawa because of the line from The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi “Baba Wawa - is there anything said or not?”

I aim to write a new blog post once per week based on whatever aspect of Soto Zen I am currently studying.

My main goal with this blog is to make Soto Zen accessible to new practitioners, as well as to deepen my own understanding.

Outside of Zen, I enjoy competitive swimming and triathlons, studying Chinese and exploring San Francisco with my friends and family.

With a deep bow,

Mika

Young woman with long brown hair taking a selfie outdoors on a sunny day with power lines and blue sky in the background.

FAQs

  • I’m sure I will write many commentaries on this question in the future, but for now let’s just say that Soto Zen is the Buddhist tradition that passed from India through China and then into Japan with the great Master Eihei Dōgen Zenji in the 13th century.

  • This blog is called Baba Wawa because of the line from The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi “Baba Wawa - is there anything said or not?” . This line grabbed me because on one level it’s ridiculous, but on a deeper level it gets to the very heart of Zen.

  • No, you do not need to pay but if you enjoy the courses please consider donating to the San Francisco Zen Center by clicking here. They have created a wonderful community for me and many others to pursue their Zen Path.

  • I aim to write a new commentary oncer per week, with the expectation of holidays.

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