The Vermont Zen Center

The Vermont Zen Center is a Buddhist community, founded to provide a warm and inviting place for the study and practice of Zen Buddhism. It was established by Sensei Sunyana Graef in 1988, with two members who, along with the Graef family, practiced in a room in the Graef’s residence.

 

History

By 1991 the Center had grown out of its small quarters and moved into a house just down the street. The generosity of members and friends enabled us to purchase the house and we soon began building a meditation hall (zendo), and planting gardens. We now have a comfortable site for conducting sittings, sesshins, ceremonies, study groups, and other activities. A major expansion of the Zen Center was completed in 2003 adding dorms, a large kitchen and a dining room.

 

Methods

The methods of Zen Buddhism practiced at the Vermont Zen Center stem from those taught by Roshi Philip Kapleau, whose teachings were in turn influenced by Zen Master Harada Daiun Roshi’s blend of the ancient sects of Soto and Rinzai Zen.

The foundation of our practice is zazen, which means sitting with one-pointed concentration. Zen practice is expressed in daily life through the attentiveness and awareness which we bring to every single moment. Our sitting practices include both shikan-taza and breath awareness, as is commonly done in the Soto Zen tradition. It also includes koans, or spiritual inquiries, as in the Rinzai tradition.
In the zendo we sit facing the wall rather than facing out. Most chanting and liturgical recitation is done in English.

Zen training arises out of the Buddhist tradition but can serve as a valuable adjunct to any religion, calming and centering the mind, and promoting stability, mindfulness, and clarity.

 

Library

The Zen Center has an extensive and growing library of Buddhist books both for reference and take-out. There are currently about 1200 titles in the collection, including many rare and out-of-print books.

 

Location

Map and directions

 

Jizo Bodhisattva

 

The Zen Center summer garden

 

Meditation Room