Who are we?
We are a small group of friends who gather regularly to practice Zen meditation. In our practice we follow the teachings of Zen master Seung Sahn who founded the international Kwan Um School of Zen. The school has Zen centers all over the world ranging from small weekly sitting groups like ours to big residential centers.
What do we do?
We practice Zen meditation following the form and teaching style of the Kwan Um School of Zen. We join for regular evening practice every Tuesday night at 19:30h. Exceptions to the schedule will be posted in the "News" section of this webpage.
We follow a schedule which starts by doing some traditional (Korean)
Buddhist chants, followed by 30 minutes of formal meditation. If you
are new to Zen or meditation, we provide an introduction
for begginners at the time shown on the practice schedule. Email us to
arrange for another time if this time is not convenient for you.
We also organize short meditation retreats
"Yong Maeng Jong Jin" about 2 or three times a year and get together
for social outings, hiking etc. Have a look at our photo
gallery for a little glimpse of past activities.
Who can participate?
Everybody is welcome at our weekly meditation night. This includes
beginners who have never meditated before. If you are a beginner you in
fact posses one of the most precious assets to practice Zen, it
is called "beginners mind". We will provide you with a basic
introduction to the practice forms.
Except for a willingness to try and commit some of your time to practice regularly, Zen meditation requires no special skills or mental qualities. So anybody can practice Zen!
Practice Schedule
Check the "News" section of this website for possible
exceptions/alterations to the Schedule.
| Tuesday (Kitsilano) |
|
| 7:00 pm | Introduction for beginners
and newcomers. |
| 7:30 pm |
Drop in Zen meditation practice. |
| 8:45 pm |
Socializing with Tea and Cookies. |
| Wednesday (Surrey) | |
| 7:00 pm | Introduction to Zen meditation |
| 8:45 pm | Socializing: Tea, coffee, cookies... |
| Saturday (Kitsilano) | |
| 9:00 am | Drop in Zen meditation
practice. |
| 10:30 am | Socializing: Pancake Brunch |
| Sunday (Surrey) | |
| 9:30 am - 11:00 am |
Drop in Zen meditation
practice. |
Kitsilano: Near Kitsilano Beach Park. 1526, Arbutus (@Cornwall). Buzzer "Kris De Volder".
Surrey: Han Seok Korean Buddhist Society at 14069 104th Ave.
Seattle: Since our guiding teacher lives in Seattle, there is a small group of students practicing with him down there. They meet at 7550 Roosevelt Way NE in Seattle, WA 98115. Their main practice is on Wednesday night at 6:30 PM. For more information go to their website seattlezengroup.org (you can also call them at 206-985-0466)
Contribution
Participation is free! Monetary donations (called "dana" in
Buddhist lingo) to help support the group will be gratefully accepted
but are not required.
The biggest and most valuable contribution you can make to our little sangha is not monetary. Your biggest and most valuable contribution is simply your participation. Your willingness to dedicate some of your time and energy to come check us out and hopefully to come practice together with us regularly is what our little sangha needs most of all.
How to contact us?
If you want more information you can contact the phone number or the
email address below.
Contact person: Kris De Volder
Email: mail@zen-group.org
Phone: 604-222 4411 (evenings and weekends) 604-822 1209 (office
hours)