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.Summer Schedule (Memorial Day through Labor Day)<ul><li>Sundays, 10am-12pm: informal zen practice and sharing at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.gjcity.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Hawthorne-Park-14">Hawthorne Park</a> in downtown Grand Junction. Bring a cushion or a lawn chair! All are welcome.</li></ul>Please contact our webmaster, 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.NOTE: our practice is welcome to all who are interested. No prior experience needed, no cost is associated with our practice, and nothing special needed except something to sit on.

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

Summer Schedule (Current)Sundays, 10am-12pm, informal zen practice------September Through May ScheduleSundays, 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>