Soto Zen Buddhist Meditation in Chicago
Ancient Dragon Zen Gate is a community of practitioners committed to Soto Zen Buddhist meditation practice in Chicago. Please join us on the path of beneficial compassion and wisdom inspired by Shakyamuni Buddha.
Our guiding teacher is Taigen Dan Leighton, author, scholar, and Dharma teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. We invite you to read his teachings or listen to audio recordings of Dharma talks by Taigen and others.
Under the guidance of Dharma Teacher Taigen Dan Leighton, Ancient Dragon Zen Gate evolved from a small meditation group that began meeting once weekly in 2003 and now we offer many meditation and Zen practice opportunities.
On Sunday mornings, we welcome brand new visitors to visit our online zendo to learn meditation before the regularly scheduled period of meditation. Please email info@ancientdragon.org in order to arrange for meditation instruction.
ANCIENT DRAGON ZEN GATE CLOSED; ACTIVE ONLINE ZEN PROGRAM CONTINUES
Due to the ongoing pandemic and safety concerns, we made the difficult decision to shut the doors to our temple. The Irving Park Road temple will no longer serve the community as a practice place. Instead, meetings have moved online. Our many active Ancient Dragon programs will now meet through Zoom in our online Zendo. We look forward to locating a suitable new space for our Chicago temple when safety from the pandemic allows.
While the Ancient Dragon temple is closed, Guiding Dharma Teacher Taigen Dan Leighton will be available for dokusan by telephone or zoom, as will Dharma Teachers Nyozan Eric Shutt, Eishin Nancy Easton, and Visiting Dharma Teacher Zengyu Paul Discoe. Please send requests for dokusan to our info@ancientdragon.org
ARCHIVAL TALKS
Featured News
HAIKU NATURE WALK – Monday, May 24, 2021 @ 7:00 AM – 8:15 AM
Gyoshin Laurel Ross is leading nature walks to introduce people to writing haiku, a Japanese form of poetry that is drawn from direct experience with nature. For this upcoming walk, we will meet at the corner of Lawrence and California and will walk along the Chicago River Walk. Registration is required to limit the group size to 12. To register, email Gyoshin at laurelmross@gmail.com.
FLOWER ORNAMENT SUTRA READING GROUP – Friday, June 4, 2021 @ 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Monthly group reading of the classic expansive and psychedelic Mahayana Buddhist text, Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Sutra). Participants are not expected to purchase this text and are welcome to drop in for any reading group gathering. There is no registration or fee to attend, but donations are welcome. Email info@ancientdragon.org with questions.
ZAZEN AND DHARMA TALK BY JUAN PABLO RESTREPO – Sunday, June 6, 2021 @ 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Dharma talk by Juan Pablo Restrepo, Ancient Dragon participant from Patagonia in Argentina, Juan Pablo is an environmental activist finishing a doctorate in Anthropology. Sunday Morning Public Program in our online Zendo via ZOOM.
SEMINAR ON BEING TIME AND DEEP TIME WITH TAIGEN DAN LEIGHTON – Saturday, June 19, 2020 @ 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Taigen will present a seminar on Being Time and Deep Time on Saturday June 19th about Being Time (via Dogen) and Deep Time (via Joanna Macy). The seminar will be in part based on Taigen’s article “Being Time and Deep Time” from the book A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time (Shambhala). To register please email info@ancientdragon.org. Suggested donation is $35, but is sliding scale. People can donate on our donate page any time before June 19th.
RECENT BOARD MEETING MINUTES AVAILABLE
The minutes from our April 2021 board meeting, as well as a working budget document, are now posted on our board meeting notes page.
STATEMENTS ON THE ATTACKS OF JANUARY 6
Click the links below to read statements from San Francisco Zen Center and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association regarding the attacks on the Capitol Building on January 6.
San Francisco Zen Center Statement
Soto Zen Buddhist Association Statement
Check out our Sangha News page to look at older news items previously featured here.
Click the button above to enter our online zendo via ZOOM. Please bow to the camera when entering or becoming visible on Zoom, but then do not face the screen directly during zazen.
Please refer to our calendar for a complete schedule of services and events in our online zendo. As well, please refer to our Online Zendo page for instructions on accessing the room.
Latest Dharma Podcast Episodes
Mother Earth, Gary Snyder, and Natural Miracles
ADZG 893 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by Gyoshin Laurel Ross
Featured Podcasts: Buddhism in Kamakura Japan
Click here to learn more about some recent dharma talks given by our guiding teacher, Taigen Dan Leighton, about key buddhist figures in Kamakura-era Japan.
Online Video Dharma Talks
As our sangha moves online while our physical zendo is closed, we have been able to record many of our dharma talks on video. Below is our latest video dharma talk; others can be found on our Online Video Dharma Talks page.
Visit us on Facebook
For our very latest news, please like our page on Facebook.
Visit Us on Instagram
To see our latest images, please follow us on Instagram.
Donate when shopping at AmazonSmile!
Every little bit helps! Amazon will contribute a small percentage of your purchase when choose us, Ancient Dragon Zen Gate NFP, when you shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/41-2219998.
Click the button above to enter our online zendo via ZOOM. Please bow to the camera when entering or becoming visible on Zoom, but then do not face the screen directly during zazen.
Please refer to our calendar for a complete schedule of services and events in our online zendo. As well, please refer to our Online Zendo page for instructions on accessing the room.
ANCIENT DRAGON ZEN GATE CLOSED; ACTIVE ONLINE ZEN PROGRAM CONTINUES
Due to the ongoing pandemic and safety concerns, we made the difficult decision to shut the doors to our temple. The Irving Park Road temple will no longer serve the community as a practice place. Instead, meetings have moved online. Our many active Ancient Dragon programs will now meet through Zoom in our online Zendo. We look forward to locating a suitable new space for our Chicago temple when safety from the pandemic allows.
While the Ancient Dragon temple is closed, Guiding Dharma Teacher Taigen Dan Leighton will be available for dokusan by telephone or zoom, as will Dharma Teachers Nyozan Eric Shutt, Eishin Nancy Easton, and Visiting Dharma Teacher Zengyu Paul Discoe. Please send requests for dokusan to our info@ancientdragon.org
Featured News
HAIKU NATURE WALK – Monday, May 24, 2021 @ 7:00 AM – 8:15 AM
Gyoshin Laurel Ross is leading nature walks to introduce people to writing haiku, a Japanese form of poetry that is drawn from direct experience with nature. For this upcoming walk, we will meet at the corner of Lawrence and California and will walk along the Chicago River Walk. Registration is required to limit the group size to 12. To register, email Gyoshin at laurelmross@gmail.com.
FLOWER ORNAMENT SUTRA READING GROUP – Friday, June 4, 2021 @ 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Monthly group reading of the classic expansive and psychedelic Mahayana Buddhist text, Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Ornament Sutra). Participants are not expected to purchase this text and are welcome to drop in for any reading group gathering. There is no registration or fee to attend, but donations are welcome. Email info@ancientdragon.org with questions.
ZAZEN AND DHARMA TALK BY JUAN PABLO RESTREPO – Sunday, June 6, 2021 @ 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Dharma talk by Juan Pablo Restrepo, Ancient Dragon participant from Patagonia in Argentina, Juan Pablo is an environmental activist finishing a doctorate in Anthropology. Sunday Morning Public Program in our online Zendo via ZOOM.
SEMINAR ON BEING TIME AND DEEP TIME WITH TAIGEN DAN LEIGHTON – Saturday, June 19, 2020 @ 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Taigen will present a seminar on Being Time and Deep Time on Saturday June 19th about Being Time (via Dogen) and Deep Time (via Joanna Macy). The seminar will be in part based on Taigen’s article “Being Time and Deep Time” from the book A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time (Shambhala). To register please email info@ancientdragon.org. Suggested donation is $35, but is sliding scale. People can donate on our donate page any time before June 19th.
RECENT BOARD MEETING MINUTES AVAILABLE
The minutes from our April 2021 board meeting, as well as a working budget document, are now posted on our board meeting notes page.
STATEMENTS ON THE ATTACKS OF JANUARY 6
Click the links below to read statements from San Francisco Zen Center and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association regarding the attacks on the Capitol Building on January 6.
San Francisco Zen Center Statement
Soto Zen Buddhist Association Statement
Check out our Sangha News page to look at older news items previously featured here.
ARCHIVAL TALKS
Latest Dharma Podcast Episodes
Mother Earth, Gary Snyder, and Natural Miracles
ADZG 893 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by Gyoshin Laurel Ross
Featured Podcasts: Buddhism in Kamakura Japan
Click here to learn more about some recent dharma talks given by our guiding teacher, Taigen Dan Leighton, about key buddhist figures in Kamakura-era Japan.
Online Video Dharma Talks
As our sangha moves online while our physical zendo is closed, we have been able to record many of our dharma talks on video. Below is our latest video dharma talk; others can be found on our Online Video Dharma Talks page.
Visit us on Facebook
For our very latest news, please like our page on Facebook.
Visit Us on Instagram
To see our latest images, please follow us on Instagram.
Donate when shopping at AmazonSmile!
Every little bit helps! Amazon will contribute a small percentage of your purchase when choose us, Ancient Dragon Zen Gate NFP, when you shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/41-2219998.
