zen students bowing

Meditate with Us

Blue Heron Zen Community offers a variety of events to inspire your Zen practice and encourage the development of a supportive community. Regularly scheduled events include:

Group Meditation

Please join us for group meditation. Choose the day and location that’s convenient for you and feel free to attend whenever you like. There’s never a charge for regular group meditation practice, though donations are welcome.

View our schedule of in-person and online Group Meditation

Sunday Morning 10:00 am pacific time

Sunday morning group meditation is offered as a hybrid in-person/online event. This format combines online practice via Zoom with in-person meeting at the Blue Heron Zen Center.

Newcomer Orientation

Join us at 9:30 am on Sundays for orientation with a Dharma Teacher at Blue Heron Zen Community. This in-person session introduces Zen practice and answers your questions. This is followed by our regular Sunday practice at 10:00 am. (If you cannot join an introduction on Sundays, contact us for other options or come 10 minutes early to any practice.)

In-Person Group Meditation at the Zen Center

In addition to Sunday mornings, in-person meditation is available on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm, and on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:00 am pacific time.

To attend, simply show up 5 – 10 minutes before any meditation time. The building will open for those group meditations. Use the ground floor entrance from the back yard. Masks are now optional for in-person practice, and are available. (Anytime you have cold, flu, or COVID symptoms please join an online practice session.)

Online Group Meditation

We hold Online Group Meditation on Sunday Mornings at 10:00 am pacific time ( hybrid, in conjunction with In-Person Meditation), on Tuesday Evenings at 7:00 pm pacific time, and Monday – Saturday Mornings at 7:00 am pacific time. Join the Zoom meeting 5 – 10 minutes before any meditation time. Join Online Group Meditation

Retreats

Blue Heron Zen Community offers 1-, 2-,3- and 9-day retreats throughout the year. Retreats allow us to delve more deeply into the practice, without the distractions of normal daily life. Silence is maintained throughout the retreat. We have dharma dialogues (private face-to-face meetings) with teachers during the course of the day. Retreats are suitable for both beginning and experienced students meals. If your schedule does not permit full participation, you may join us for a portion of the retreat. Retreats are held at our Seattle practice location unless otherwise noted. More information is available here.

Dharma Dialogues

A vital feature of our practice is that we offer multiple opportunities for private meetings with teachers. This gives students a forum to discuss their practice issues and explore questions and challenges that arise with an experienced elder of our Zen community. Dharma dialogues are completely private and confidential.

Each one of us is unique, as are our circumstances, so these meetings can be especially helpful in navigating the thorny jungles of our own minds and hearts. For dharma dialogues with either a Poep Sa Nim or Zen Master, kong-an training is also available (but not required).

Kong-an Training

Kong-ans are dialogues or questions that invite mutual inquiry into how we can meet a situation with clarity, intuitive wisdom and compassion. Drawn from historical and contemporary sources, kong-ans give us a safe framing in which to explore how we might meet the vital needs of our momentary world. Secondly, kong-an training shows us those places where our karma prevents us from seeing clearly. Kong-ans function like acupuncture for the brain, opening up those areas of our thinking and behavior that are usually hidden from our view. And finally, kong-ans create the sense of great doubt (our “don’t know mind”) that is so essential to Zen insight. Check the calendar for upcoming scheduled dharma dialogues.

Residential Training

Blue Heron Zen Community in Seattle provides opportunities for students to live and train with an established sangha in the Zen tradition of Zen Master Seung Sahn. More information is available here.

Public Talks

Periodically we offer public talks that address aspects of Zen teachings in an informal setting. There is always opportunity to engage with questions and comments from the audience. These are open to everyone, with or without experience in Zen practice.

Ceremonies

Blue Heron Zen Community celebrates two traditional Zen Buddhist ceremonies every year: Buddha’s Birthday and Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. Ceremonies are usually followed by a sangha meeting. Everyone, including Zen students, families, friends, and any interested person, is cordially invited to attend any of our ceremonies.