Zen Meditation Community, LA (Thursdays)

All things are as empty as the enso

For years, Zen came to Pasadena through PasaDharma -- under the auspices of Founder Roshi Jeff Albrizze (aka Rev. Lotus Peace) and successor Meditation Guide Seven and PasaDharma's friends at:

• Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
• Pasadena Library (Rose Bowl branch)
• Ahiah Center for Spiritual Living in Pasadena
• Mindfulness Meditation Center
• Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara, Pasadena,
• Vipassana Meditation Center (Tha Bar Wa) until the Panda from Wuhan stopped our weekly sangha ("spiritual community") from meeting in person.

Art by Rev. Seigaku Amato

But there's a new Pasadena Zen Sangha, a practice community (affiliated with Dharma Buddhist Meditation (Disclosure Project, Nature Center, and PasaDharma), Long Beach Buddhist Church, Yokoji Zen Mountain Center of Idyllwild, and Angel City Zen Center (now free of bothersome Brad Warner), to serve Los Angeles at the Foothills of the Angeles National Forest, and all of the San Gabriel Valley:

• Weekly Zen Meditation
• Pasadena Zen Sangha (free or by donation)
• Every Thursday from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
• Orange Grove Friends Meeting House
• 520 E. Orange Grove Bl., Pasadena, 91104

The Bodhisattva of Compassion: Kanzeon

TEACHER: Sensei Seigaku Amato

Seigaku Amato, Hossenshiki ceremony, Japan

Sensei or Reverend Seigaku Amato, who was educated in a Sōtō-Rinzai Zen blend, leads us every Thursday in:

• shikantaza or "just sitting" (zazen),
• mindful walking (kinhin),
• perplexing riddles to help us overcome rigid and limiting habits of mind and get us thinking outside the box (koans),
• questions and answers, and
• an open group discussion.

Sensei completed his Hossenshiki ceremony in Japan, a necessary step for a Sotoshu novice to take toward becoming a full-fledged Zen Buddhist priest, as he became Zagen (pictured above), then Osho. He is also the author of a very helpful Guide to Zen:

• PHOTO GALLERY (Facebook)

HIS BOOK: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen

With 4.3 out of 5 stars (38 reviews), this 2021 Simon & Schuster introduction to Zen is unlike any readers have ever seen — inspired by manga and graphic novels. It offers a comprehensive overview of Soto Zen Buddhism in a delightfully captivating way.

Complete with dynamic, detailed illustrations, American Soto Zen Priest Seigaku Amato uses a semi-narrative style to take readers on a visual tour of Buddhism and, using specifics to illuminate universals, dives deeply into the practices and forms of Soto Zen.

In honor of our teacher the Buddha Shakyamuni

Whether we are just taking our first step or have been practicing Zen for years, this creative and profound book can serve as a constant companion and guide on the journey as it explores topics such as:

• a brief history of Buddhism
• an iconographic overview of various buddhas and bodhisattvas
• an introduction to the various practices of Zen, including
• meditation (zazen)
• work practice (samu)
• meditative eating (oryoki)
• a what’s-what of:
• holidays
• ceremonies
• temple instruments
• religious vestments
• a how-to guide for setting up a home altar.
• BOOK: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Zen (Simon & Schuster)
• Seigaku Amato's ART — Pasadena Zen Sangha

OTHER LOCAL PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES

• Zenshuji Soto Misson, in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, the first Soto Zen temple in North America, established in 1922
• Taichi (Calendar - Neighborhood UU Church) Feb. 7, 2026, 8:00- 9:15 am
• (Japanese) Pasadena Buddhist Temple (of Altadena)
• New Science of Spirituality Meditation Center opens in Pasadena (former home of the LA Buddhist Vihara)| Science of Spirituality
• Buddhist groups increasingly taking root in Latinx communities | Lion’s Roar
• Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradshaw, Wisdom Quarterly