Our mission is to empower you to live a Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy, and clarity.

Upcoming Programs

May 15, 2025 @ 7:00 PM | Hybrid

MEDITATION FOR EVERYONE:
Open Your Heart,
Trust Your True Nature

with Rev. Kelly Junmei Good

In these turbulent and confusing times, many yearn for clarity to see a way forward. When your attention is fragmented and busy, it leads to greater anxiety and stress, making it difficult to appreciate the gift of life and your own unconditional, basic goodness.

We are here to empower you to live a Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy, and clarity.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 @ 6:30 PM

BONFIRE SOCIALS ARE BACK

Join us for our first Bonfire Social of the Spring season on Wednesday evening, May 15th. We’ll gather on the back patio from 6:30-8:30ish. Plan to bring your own beverage and we’ll supply the snacks. There will be relaxed fellowship, stories, and laughs. It’s a great way to get a head start on the weekend. Hope to see you there.

Saturday, May 17th @ 10:00 AM

ECO TOUR at NATIONAL GROVE

Meet Adrian Ayres Fisher in the parking lot off 26th Street in North Riverside.

Adrian is a long-time volunteer with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and a site steward for National Grove Woods, 54 acres of oak woodland, savanna, and floodplain forest. You can find out more about her at her website, Ecological Gardening.

Welcome to the Zen Center

Every day, people just like you step through our doors – CEOs and students, believers and skeptics, all searching for clarity. We understand the burdens you may carry: the depression that colors your world gray, the stress that tightens your shoulders, and the burnout that dims your spark. We’ve walked this path before and we’ve found something worth sharing.

1. First Steps on the Path

Imagine standing at the threshold of a new world – one filled with peace, wisdom, and connection. Join our Zen family by attending any of our free events, such as our Sunday Morning Zen program or our weekly morning online meditation.

2. Getting Started

Zen meditation and the cultivation of mindful awareness form the core of our practice, offering profound benefits such as stress management, deeper relationships, and a richer life experience. Begin your journey with our four-part Meditation for Everyone course.

3. Embrace the Zen Journey

Our Sangha welcomes all, from curious newcomers to dedicated practitioners. To help you understand better the nature of the Zen Spiritual Path, we suggest you take our course, the Path of Zen. The next step is to consider joining the Center as a member. There are two kinds of membership at the center.There are several ways to participate as a member. You may become a supporting member paying monthly dues to help support our mission You may also choose to embark on a serious Zen path of training.

4. Finding Your True North

As you delve into your Zen practice, a world of self-discovery unfolds before you. The ordinary is extraordinary–each moment a revelation, each breath a miracle. Your journey may lead you to take the Jukai ceremony, where you embrace the sixteen precepts under your teacher’s guidance.