An icon of an incomplete black circle, which appears hand-painted using a single brushstroke; this symbol of Zen is known as an enso. Underneath is the word "ZEN" in English, and the Japanese symbol for "zen".

The practice of Zen meditation fosters an ability to live in the present and experience reality fully. The practice is not complicated but it is subtle, and we learn the form by doing it again and again; it is through the repetition of simple actions that we go through the process of clarification, insight and development.

Meetings

Our weekly meetings involve two hours of formal meditation practice. Members arrive at 6:00pm, and the formal meditation period lasts from 6:15pm-8:15pm. This begins with bowing and chanting, followed by three 25 minute periods of sitting meditation. Between each sit is a 5 minute period of walking meditation. The evening ends with a short chant and a serving of tea. We have informal tea and welcome practice related discussion afterwards.

The Zen group also organizes full-day retreats twice a year.

Our teacher

The BMSNBC Zen group follows the practices established at the Vancouver Zen Centre by their teacher, Eshin Godfrey. Dharma talks by Eshin are available at the Vancouver Zen Centre’s web site.

The Vancouver Zen Centre closed when Eshin retired in 2022, so the BMSNBC Zen group is not currently affiliated with any ordained Zen teacher who can provide definitive in-depth guidance.

However, our regular members are able to provide an introduction to Zen practice for the purposes of joining our group, as well as to suggest additional resources if you wish to learn more about Zen practice.

BMSNBC logo, which shows a white silhouette of a person in a sitting meditation position, in front of dark grey mountains, against a white background.