The Sangha, residents, and teachers welcome you to our Center. Hopefully, the information in this section will go a long way in explaining what the Center is all about.

Please feel free to call with any questions. Our phone number is: 847-475-3015

While we may not be available to answer your call immediately, please leave a message and someone will contact you at the first opportunity (during sesshin the phones are checked frequently, but only emergency messages will be responded to).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

How Do I Begin

For new-comers we offer a monthly introduction to Zen practice (usually on the first Tuesday of each month). Even if you have practiced Zen elsewhere, we recommend this introductory evening so that you can become familiar with the style of our tradition.

You are also welcome to come to one of our formal sittings whether or not you have attended the introduction, but we ask that you inform us by phone at least a day in advance of the sitting and that you make every effort to arrive at the Center 30 minutes before the scheduled start. This will allow for a brief orientation before your first sitting with us.

Please be aware that there is no moving during formal sittings, and participants are asked to stay for the entire program. For this reason, beginners may want to consider coming on Tuesday evenings, when the meditation periods are shorter.

If you would like to learn more about our practice before coming to the Center, we recommend that you read The Three Pillars of Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau. It provides a thorough overview of our tradition, and a good description of zazen, our meditative practice.

Be sure to read through the information in the links to the left to get a better understanding of what Zen practice is about if you are unfamiliar with Zen.

How Do I Continue?

Most of our weekly activities are open to  non-members. Once you have attended an introduction or a formal sitting, you are welcome to come to any scheduled sitting, outside of sesshin (retreats). The program on any given day will include one to two hours of zazen and kinhin (walking meditation), and may also include chanting, a dharma talk, and an opportunity to meet privately with a teacher (dokusan).  More experienced practitioners can apply for the many sesshins held throughout the year, ranging in length from two to six days.