The classes meet for 10 consecutive weeks each term. Each class lasts for two hours and consists of guided meditation practice in the first hour and a lecture on Buddhist principles in the second hour. The curriculum provides:
Through proper Zen practice, we believe that anyone can attain true wisdom and inner peace, and be enlightened to their inherent pure nature. We welcome you to join our spiritual path and live your life to the fullest.
All classes are free of charge. Your donations are deeply appreciated.
Two terms: 1A and 1B.
Each term is 10 classes.
Meditation methods: Breath-counting, Mindfulness of the Breath.
Topics covered: Mindfulness, Causality, the Buddha’s Life, Three Refuges, Five Precepts, Four Tenets of Chung Tai, Vegetarianism, and the Four Noble Truths (suffering, the causes of suffering, nirvana, the Noble Eightfold Path)
No Prerequisite
Four terms: 3A, B, C and D. Each term is 10 classes.
Meditation methods: Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Contemplation of Middle Way Reality
Topics covered: The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, Ten Dharma Realms, Middle Way Reality, Introduction to Buddhist Schools, Three Periods of the Zen Lineage, Sixfold Buddhahood, Nine Stages of Abidance, The Essence of Mahayana Practice, Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings.
Prerequisites: Completion of Level 2A and 2B
Two terms: 2A and 2B.
Each term is 10 classes.
Meditation methods: Seven-Round Compassion Contemplation, Four Immeasurable Minds, Contemplation of Middle Way Reality.
Topics covered: The Bodhisattva Ideal, the Six Paramitas, Four Immeasurable Minds, Four Bodhisattva Ways of Fellowship, Repentance & Dedication, Mindfulness of the Mind, Samantabhadra’s Ten Great Vows.
Prerequisites: Completion of Level 1A and 1B
The meditation portion includes previous and additional meditation methods.
The topics are from selected Buddhist scriptures such as The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters and The Sutra of Impermanence.
Prerequisites: Completion of Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Classes required.
Yes. We are open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please sign in at the reception upon arrival.
Clothes that are loose and comfortable but modest and appropriate with shoulders and belly covered. Long-sleeved tops and full-length pants rather than shorts are recommended.
Socks are required inside the Meditation Hall.
No smoking, alcohol, or pets on the premises.
Buddhist monks and nuns are celibate and avoid bodily contact in general (especially with the opposite sex). So instead of shaking hands, we greet one another by joining palms.
Give it a little time: visiting a Buddhist monastery is like taking a trip to a foreign land, full of history, culture, and tradition. Give yourself a little time; to settle in and get adjusted. You'll learn some Buddhist etiquette during the class.