1 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: What motivates you to practice?
If you want Rinzai I don't know of anything in the Baltimore or DC area. "Zen Center" is a bit of a misnomer. Real estate is crazy expensive so Zen groups tend to meet in churches. Sesshins are also a problem cost-wise, which is why you're not seeing a lot of them.
There are WPA Soto sanghas, all with legit teachers. Janet Jinne Richardson Roshi started Clare Sangha in Baltimore and transmitted to teachers who have scattered around the area.
Joyful Mind Zen Community in Rockville holds sesshins and the teachers offer dokusan. https://www.joyfulmindzendo.org/[1][2] Clare Sangha out of Baltimore holds sesshin on the Eastern Shore, and their teachers work with students. https://claresangha.org/[3][4] One Heart Sangha the other person mentioned offers regular sits, zazenkai, and dokusan but they are further south over the DC border. https://www.silverspringzendo.org/[5][6] There's a WPA Zen group starting up in Annapolis now too, Harbor Light Zen.
1: https://www.joyfulmindzendo.org/
2: https://www.joyfulmindzendo.org/
5: https://www.silverspringzendo.org/
6: https://www.silverspringzendo.org/
If you're up towards Bel Air or Aberdeen, Red Rose Sangha in Lancaster is another WPA group who meets in person though I don't know about sesshin. Sangetsu Sensei came out of Clare Sangha. http://redrosesangha.org/index.php/about/[7][8] They probably join Clare or Joyful Mind for sesshin.
7: http://redrosesangha.org/index.php/about/
8: http://redrosesangha.org/index.php/about/
Eastern Shore or Western Maryland you're kinda screwed.
Comment by Pure-Alternative-515 at 21/01/2025 at 03:38 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Thank you for the response. Clare Sangha and Joyfulmindzendo seem to be the best options for me.