Practice

Orientation to practice

We encourage newcomers to attend a one-hour orientation to Zen practice before starting to sit with us. This includes basic Zen meditation instruction, as well as describing how we approach entering the zendo, walking meditation, chanting and transitioning from one activity to the next during our Sunday morning sits. After an orientation you are welcome to join us for all of our offerings.

Activities

We practice zazen, study texts and teachings, and explore and apply the precepts to our daily lives. Zazen is offered on Sundays as well as morning and evening during the week. We gather for full days of practice, or zazenkai, about every six weeks. These include zazen, dharma interview, chanting, walking meditation, work practice, oryoki meal and tea. We also offer three-day sesshins several times a year.

Fees

Practice with CZC is free, though we ask people to contribute something towards the rent each week, according to your budget. When we have a visiting teacher or monk, we ask the sangha to contribute generously to show appreciation for the teachings and to support them to do their work. We welcome contributions for the costs of upkeep for Dharma Garden Zendo, as well as to maintain a scholarship fund to help anyone who would like to attend a retreat and cannot afford to do so.

Membership

We also welcome you to support our efforts by becoming a member of Corvallis Zen Circle. A sign-up form and pledge agreement will be posted here soon or you can request it to be sent to you by sending an email to Mushin.