EUGENE BUDDHIST PRIORY

We ask that anyone wishing to attend priory activities first come to an Introduction to Zen Meditation session. This offers a welcoming, practical introduction to our way of meditation and to the broader practice followed at the Eugene Buddhist Priory and within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives.

The meditation we practice is called Serene Reflection Meditation (or Soto Zen in Japanese). During the session, we explore and try out three simple meditation postures—cross-legged, kneeling, and seated in a chair—so that each person can find a way of sitting that is steady, relaxed, and alert. We then look at how to work with the mind in meditation. This includes learning to “just sit,” while allowing thoughts, feelings, and sensations to arise and pass without pushing them away or getting caught up in them. In a world that can feel fast-paced and often overwhelming, this can be a simple way to pause and settle. You don’t need any previous experience to take part—we’ll guide you through it.

This practice is a chance to step out of the constant pressure to improve or figure everything out, and simply be present. As we sit with our own unique life, it can begin to open into something both very personal and universal—a quiet sense of completeness, a feeling of being at home in our own life and within the world.

The instruction is followed by a 15-minute meditation period, giving you a chance to try the practice for yourself. Afterwards, we explore how the “mind of meditation” can carry into daily life through approaches such as every-moment meditation, mindfulness, and working meditation. We also introduce the support offered by the Buddhist Precepts, the role of ceremonial, and the opportunity to talk with a teacher about the practice and about questions or challenges in daily life. There is plenty of time for questions and open discussion, whether you’re completely new or have some experience.

We hope this introduction will give you a clear sense of our form of practice and how the priory can support you, whether you are completely new or simply curious to explore. If you would like to attend, please phone or email the priory in advance. We look forward to meeting you. If transportation is a difficulty, please feel free to get in touch—we may be able to help with a ride.