To study the buddha way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things.

--Dogen Zenji

Richmond Zen Group

The Richmond Zen Group, meeting under the auspices of the Ekoji Buddhist Sangha of Richmond, seeks to provide the opportunity to study and practice Soto Zen Buddhism for those who wish to work with others in the spirit of the Sangha, or spiritual community. Richmond Zen Group is affiliated with Chapel Hill Zen Center and San Francisco Zen Center.

In 1991, two groups, the Richmond Zen Group and the Chimborazo Zen Group,came together to form the Ekoji Zen Group. Members of the new group had diverse backgrounds but no formal affiliation with any established Zen center. Since 1993, Taitaku Pat Phelan, Zen priest and abbess at the Chapel Hill Zen Center, has made regularvisits to support the practice of the group. Taitaku received her Zen training at San Francisco Zen Center, a Soto Zen organization founded in 1962 by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. In 2003, the group became the Richmond Zen Group.

Zen Practice

"Zen" is translated as "meditation." The roots of Zen Buddhism are traced back to the teachings of the Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha. Buddha taught a path to awaken from ignorance, craving, and anger. This awakening manifests our true nature, which is characterized by compassion for all beings and true freedom.

Zen evolved into a distinct school of Buddhism in China during the 6th to 8th centuries. Zen practice emphasizes zazen, or seated meditation, as the primary means to realize the teachings of the Buddha. Zen practice includes walking meditation, bowing, chanting, and working closely with a teacher. Practice also extends into everyday activities such as eating and working. These activities are seen as part of practice because, on one level they support our effort to awaken, and on another level, they actually express our true nature.

Visiting Teachers

As mentioned, Richmond Zen Group receives regular visits from Taitaku Pat Phelan. We also have other teachers visiting from San Francisco Zen Center and Berkeley Zen Center. The Ekoji Zen Group has also been honored by visits from Keido Fukushima Roshi, abbot of the Rinzai Zen temple Tofukuji in Kyoto, Japan. See our Upcoming Events page for current planned opportunities.