Cleveland Zazen Group

09/07/2026

"There is a simple way to become buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no designing thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Do not seek anything else.”
– Master Eihei Dōgen

Translated by Arnold Kotler and Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Quote from Shōbōgenzō- Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, written in 1233 by Japanese Zen master Eihei Dōgen 1200–1253 founder of the Soto school of Zen, early influence from China to Japan to this day.

Image from: Rochester Zen Center

08/31/2026

Weekend Meditation Intensive, reschuled date & info to be announced at later time
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When scheduled will be held at CZG Zendo, ordained teacher Sensai Jissai Prince-Cherry, will lead a Weekend Meditation Intensive hosted by Cleveland Zazen Group. The weekend includes zazen, work practice, silent meals, daily teisho, and, most importantly, dokusan (one-to-one- practice meetings) with Sensei.

You may participate via Zoom or in person. Zendo space is limited, and housing for out-of-towners is still being arranged.
The full schedule and registration information are coming soon.
Stay tuned!

*info from Louisville Zen Center & Cleveland Zazen Group
*Sensei Jissai Prince-Cherry's bio from Rochester Zen Center is in the comments

08/24/2026

"The depth of truth is bottomless. Your interconnection is bottomless. A single grass in the field is perfect Buddha. How utterly ONE are all things: the grasses, the trees, the great earth, the great sky. All being is born in relation to all things. This is the true self, the perfect self. No matter what, all is goodness."
"Please never forsake the limitless treasure which is you yourself. Be in touch, simply do not look away. Grasp nothing, hold nothing. There is just now, here, fresh, new, alive. Just do your practice with good grace."
-Zen Master Harada Daisetsu Tangen Roshi 1924-2018

-excerpt from:
The Depth of Truth is Bottomless, by Harada Tangen Roshi-Teisho given in the year 2000.

Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede of Rochester Zen Center wrote a bio and of his time spent, studying with Roshi Harada in Japan.- see comment

Photo of Tangen Roshi from https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/TangenHarada.html

08/17/2026

"Zen comes as a reminder that if we do not learn to perceive the mystery and beauty of our present life, our present hour, we shall not perceive the worth of any life, of any hour."
-Roshi P. Kapleau

Roshi kapleau assures, "...zazen strips (the mind) of extraneous thoughts and allows us to enter into a full rapport with life." Zazen and mindful practice off the mat, embracing Buddha's teaching, the guidence of the Noble Eight Fold Path, manifests our True Nature... the mystery, the beauty, every moment.

Excerpts:The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment, by Roshi Philip Kapleau

The Noble Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (awareness, samādhi, meditative consciousnes).
The Noble Eight Fold Path is the Fourth of The Four Noble Truths, spoken by Buddha upon awakening, helps us live morally disciplined mindful wisdom- heartfully, Buddha Nature in all we do, every moment.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

08/11/2026

This Sunday, August 16, following two rounds of zazen (starts 9a), we'll have Work Practice, zazen off the mat at 10a-12p to clean the zen house & yard.

"In Zen, everything one does becomes a vehicle for self realization; every act, every moment, is done wholeheartedly, with nothing left over."
"...Thus one's daily work becomes one's meditation room, the task at hand- one's practice."
- Roshi Philip Kapleau

Bring work clothes and gloves if you'd like. Hope to see our sangha involved in this important aspect of Zen practice🙏🏼- Susan R.

08/06/2026

August 9, 9am-11am CZG is celebrating Founders Day of the Rochester Zen Center founded in 1966 by Roshi Philip Kapleau, one of America's pioneer Zen Buddhist teachers and author of many Buddhist classics, his first book, The Three Pillars of Zen, profoundly influencing Western Buddhism.

The story of how anyone comes to practice zen is interesting. The legendary Roshi Philip Kapleau's story of coming to Zen is exemplary of what Buddha taught... all beings are born with Buddha True Nature, Compassion-Wisdom.

Before seeking out Buddhism, Philip Kapleau was a prominent court reporter, serving as chief Allied reporter for the Nuremberg Trials and later covering the Tokyo War Crimes Trials in Japan. During those trials, Philip Kapleau was exposed to the heart wrenching stories of inhumane brutal suffering. Juxtaposed to his daytime job, was the beauty and peace he found in the gardens of the Buddhist monasterys he was able to visit and wander in on breaks from the trials. He became deeply intrigued by this peace that was so contrary to the harshness of the war crimes he was recording in the trials.

Post the trials, not yet a monk, Philip Kapleau returned to America his peaked interest in Eastern philosophy, continued, meeting with D.T. Suzuki at Columbia University, after having met him in Japan. This then spurred Philip Kapleau to return to Japan, in 1953 where he diligently committed to intensive Zen Buddhist training, spending 13 years studying, becoming a monk and under Japanese Zen masters including Harada Roshi and Hakuun Yasutani Roshi, he was ordained Roshi Philip Kapleau.
His book, The Three Pillars of Zen, documents this journey and has been a monumental primer and inspiration to Zen students since it's publication as has his established Rochester Zen Center, active teaching monastery and affiliate zen centers/communities throughout the world.
Gratitude to Roshi Philip Kapleau, born 1912 - 2004, from his early days of feeling, trying to understand about the suffering he heard first- hand, to curious, seeking, if Buddha's peace, freedom, True Nature is possible to intensive Zen practice - zazen, to Zen Master! Roshi Philip Kapleau🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

08/01/2026

"The uniqueness of zazen lies in this:
that the mind is freed from bo***ge to all thought-forms, visions, objects, and imaginings, however sacred or elevating, and brought to a state of absolute emptiness, from which alone it may one day perceive its own true nature, or the nature of the universe."
-Roshi Philip Kapleau, The Three Pillars of Zen, Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment book

Zazen is sitting in quiet awareness, paying attention to stillness now. Like clouds floating by, letting thoughts, mental stressing pass on by. Being, in the present moment, brings one clarity and stability, more even tempered to deal with our modern life. Zazen reveals: Zazen heals🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

07/27/2026

"Whether sweeping the floor or posting on Instagram, our work can be one with our Zen practice."

"In the Zen tradition, work practice has long been part of the daily monastic schedule, dating back more than 1,000 years. Traditionally, it involved manual work, such as cooking, cleaning, gardening, and other routine activities that require minimal thinking. In a practical sense, work practice enables a monastery or residential training center like ours to function daily. But, more importantly, it’s a form of active zazen, bringing our practice “off the mat” and into the world."

Zen and Work Practice
By Sensei Dhara Kowal | Zen Bow | Autumn 2024, Vol. XLV, No. 3

https://www.rzc.org/news/zen-and-work-practice/

Sensei Dhara Kowal is Dharma Successor to Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who sanctioned her as a Zen teacher in 2022 and gave her Dharma Transmission in 2025. As a resident teacher and priest (ordained in 2023), she serves as Co-Director of the Rochester Zen Center, in partnership with Sensei John Pulleyn.

Our inner circle, the Cloud-Water Sangha, is made up of groups led by Dharma successors and students of Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. Cleveland Zazen Group is a member of Cloud-Water Sangha.
If you have curiosity to explore Zen Buddhism all are welcome to visit. One of our centers may be in your neighborhood. Many programs are also zoomed.-info scripted from Rochester Zen Center

07/21/2026

If you'd like to learn "Sitting immovable like a bold mountain" as Zen Master Eihei Dogen calls Zazen, the practice of Zen, we have a Zen Intro/Refresher July 25, 1:30p Saturday. Call or text 216-630-3583 to reserve a seat.

And Sunday July 26 is our monthly sitting/teisho and BRUNCH! Hope to see you there.

In this *drawing, a lay Buddhist is practicing to:
"Sit like a mountain" as the sangha monk next to him is exemplifying.

*Drawing by Giei Sato, & text on the drawing by Eshin Nishimura
From book Unsui: a Diary of Zen Monastic Life

07/18/2026

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

When we don’t resist changing circumstances or conditions, we remain at rest.
- Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, “Becoming the Wind”, Zen Bow, Vol. ###VIII, # 1 & 2

Join us. https://www.louisvillezen.org/sittings.html