Soto Zen Buddhist Meditation in Chicago
Ancient Dragon Zen Gate is a community of zen buddhist practitioners in the American Soto Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. Our sangha is a Branching Stream of San Francisco Zen Center. Our zen meditation practice, zazen (just sitting meditation), is cultivated for the benefit of all life and for our great earth. Our collective practice is offered as a refuge and support for showing up in our lives with the awakened awareness, wise compassion, and creative vitality that flow from zen meditation.
We endeavor to create a welcoming practice community in Chicago and online.
COME SIT WITH US!
Everyone is welcome to attend any of our onsite, online, and hybrid regular meditation practice events.
To get acquainted, you are warmly invited to request personal meditation instruction and temple orientation, or if you wish, just drop in for zazen.
Explore the Path: MEDITATION INSTRUCTION & TEMPLE ORIENTATION
Onsite – To register: email info@ancientdragon.org
Sunday, June 14, 2026 @ 8:30am – 9:00am
Monday, June 15, 2026 @ 6:15pm – 6:45pm
Featured Events
LGBTQIA+ DHARMA GROUP – Thursday, May 21, 2026 @ 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM (Hybrid)
Monthly meeting of our Queer Dharma group, held online in our Online Zendo and in-person at our Lincoln Square Zendo. This month’s meeting has been pushed back a week to accommodate our three-day sesshin. Please email info@ancientdragon.org for more information.
SEMINAR BY TAIGEN DAN LEIGHTON: DOGEN’S EXTENSIVE RECORD, PART 1 – Saturday, May 23, 2026 @ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Online)
Part 1 of a 2-part seminar series on Dogen’s Extensive Record (Eihei Koroku), led by our guiding teacher emeritus, Taigen. This is a collection of Dogen’s mostly short Dharma Hall Discourses, one volume from when he was in Kyoto, displaying Dogen’s personality, warmth, and sense of humor. They include talks about ceremonial days in the Zen monastic calendar, and particular students. Other excerpts range from Dogen’s verses when studying in China to verses from his final days, longer meetings with his students, and a collection of 90 koans with his verse comments. It is possible to attend one or both seminars, and recordings will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Suggested donation $25, but sliding scale for all; nobody excluded for lack of funds. Please click here for more information and to register for part 1; click here to also register for Part 2 on Saturday, June 13.
TEMPLE CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
Ancient Dragon’s regular Sunday morning and Monday evening programs will be cancelled this coming weekend on May 24 and 25; as we have just finished our 8-week Spring Practice Commitment Period and 3-Day Sesshin. Rest well, bodhisattvas!
Latest Dharma Podcast Episode
Shuso: Leadership as a caring practice
1284 ADZG Sunday Morning Dharma Talk by Rev. Hōgetsu Laurie Belzer
Featured News
SAVE THE DATE – SANGHA MEETING AND POTLUCK
Sunday, June 7 @ 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 7; we will have a sangha meeting led by our Board President Yana and new Business Admin Mike in lieu of our normal dharma talk. Following, we will have a potluck – all are welcome to bring a dish! Hope to see you there.
SIGN UP OPEN: SANGHA WEEK AT SFZC’s GREEN GULCH FARM
August 19 – 23, 2026
Ancient Dragon has been given the opportunity to return to Green Gulch Farm near San Francisco for a sangha week this summer. Please click here for more information. If you are interested, please speak to Hogetsu or email info@ancientdragon.org as soon as possible as the trip requires some planning.
TAIGEN’S TEACHINGS
Our guiding teacher emeritus, Taigen, continues to offer his dharma.
Click here to see Taigen’s page and his many dharma offerings.
ANCIENT DRAGON PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS
Flu and respiratory virus season is here! If you think you are ill or have a recent exposure to virus, please attend online. Germs spread easily in group settings and when in doubt, join online, In the zendo, we will be opening windows, so please dress in layers and follow CDC protocol in this infographic (click to enlarge).
