In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few - Shunryu Suzuki

We are a small community dedicated to helping people navigate joy and sorrow in their lives. We seek to integrate highly accessible Buddhist practices and modern urban life. Using meditation, chanting, and study, we offer practical ways for people to skillfully negotiate the challenges they face and more clearly engage with the world.

Our aim is to foster a community that is both compassionate and engaged. This compassionate path is the core of Zen Buddhism and also aligns with Karen Armstrong’s Charter for Compassion which states:

Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the center of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

You can get involved by dropping in to our Tuesday night meditation group, attending a book study or service, or by scheduling an informal meeting.

Our Roots

Our community is rooted in the Soto Zen School and affiliated with The Order of Clear Mind Zen, whose goal is to bring about abundant good for all beings through social action. For more information see our lineage page.

Teacher

My name is Rev. Dr. Ron Mitsugo Zacharski or simply Ron. I was ordained a Zen priest in 2015. If you would like to know more about Beginner’s Mind Zen or Zen in general please contact me at ron.zacharski@gmail.com or 575.680.4041.

This morning I vow with all beings
To see the world clearly, As it is.
To end violence
And bring compassion to all beings.