Grand Junction Zen Community

Schedule

About Us

Resources

Join the Grand Junction Zen Community to deepen your practice and discover a supportive sangha of kalyanamittata (spiritual friends) through Rinzai Zen practice in a welcoming community of lay practitioners.Schedule<ul><li>Sundays, 9am - 11am: traditional zen practice with optional social/coffee time following.</li><li>Wednesdays, 7pm - 8pm: two periods of zazen with a stretch break between.</li><li>Third Thursdays, 5:30pm - 6:30pm: study group.</li><li>Final Saturdays, 9am-5pm: all-day sitting, or zazenkai.</li></ul>Please contact our practice leader, Andy, at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:keionandy@proton.me">keionandy@proton.me</a>&nbsp;for questions or to learn more, including the address of the home where we practice.NOTE: our practice space is also home to two long-haired cats. We vacuum regularly and use an air purifier, but we can't guarantee it will be allergen-free.

Rinzai Zen in Western Colorado

Participate in regular Dharma talks and discussions to deepen your understanding of Zen teachings and connect with fellow practitioners.

Prayer meeting by Buddhist monks in front of the holy Relics of Lord Buddha, placed in the gallery of the National Museum, New Delhi

Community Dharma Talks

Experience immersive weekend retreats in the serene landscapes of Western Colorado to refresh your mind and spirit through intensive Zen training.

Zen Retreats in Nature

Integrate breath, body, and mind through the practice of mindful chanting in Sino-Japanese.

Choka (Chanting)

The core practice of our tradition, zazen helps us clarify our true nature and see reality as it is.

Zazen (Seated Meditation)

Take the concentration and mindfulness you developed in the laboratory of zazen into the world of action with kinhin, or walking meditation.

A collection of small figurines photographed at Katsuo-ji Temple in Osaka, Japan. The statues are captured from multiple angles, showcasing their detailed craftsmanship, traditional design, and placement within the temple grounds.

Kinhin (Walking Meditation)

Deepen your understanding of Zen practice, history, and how it can integrate into your daily life with study of sutras, dharma talks, and other texts.

Study

Our Practice Modalities

Landscape shot on top of Mt. Emerald in Colorado

Contact the Grand Junction Zen Community

Sundays, 9am - 11am, optional social time following<ul><li>tea ceremony</li><li>incense offering</li><li>chanting (choka)</li><li>bows (sanpai)</li><li>seated meditation (zazen)</li><li>walking meditation (kinhin)</li><li>dharma reading</li></ul>Wednesdays, 7pm-8pm<ul><li>incense offering</li><li>zazen</li></ul>

There has been a Rinzai Zen presence in Grand Junction since the 1990s. In our current iteration, we began sitting together at the home of a member in 2022; in fact, our first sitting was the day after they moved in! There were still boxes of unpacked things all over the place!Since then we have grown and changed as members have come and gone. Our practice is rooted in the tradition of Rinzai Zen shared with us by various teachers, but we do not have a specific teacher at this time. Our Sunday dharma talks are usually readings from a variety of dharma books, or talks from our members about their own experiences.Are you interested in practicing meditation in a supportive, community atmosphere? Come join us! Please email me, Andy, at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:keionandy@proton.me">keionandy@proton.me</a>&nbsp;if you have any questions or would like to learn more, including the address of the home where we practice.

Embracing Rinzai Zen in Western Colorado

<h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/LL2XUTeoUsM?si=Hn8r8EJcoP4RwWu5">Shodo Harada, Roshi, on how to practice zazen</a></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://still-breathing.net/zazen-instruction/">Written instructions by Shodo Harada</a></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_8osY9MOO8">Monk Soko on how to do zazen</a></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-xku7EjpUQ">Meido Moore, Roshi, on how to practice zazen</a></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/dJ51hksCkZg?si=GqxNbWY1pUDKQOvl">Dharma Drum Monastery, on Chan ("Zen" in Chinese) practice</a></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.mnzencenter.org/primers.html">Minnesota Zen Center's excellent series on sutras and Zen history</a></h4>