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Soto Zen Buddhist Meditation in Chicago

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Ancient Dragon Zen Gate is a community of practitioners committed to Soto Zen Buddhist meditation practice in Chicago, and now online to many distant practitioners. 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 many others. Sunday mornings we welcome brand new visitors to attend our online zendo to learn meditation before our regular program. Please email info@ancientdragon.org 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 mailbox. Lay Teacher Douglas Floyd and Practice Leaders Hogetsu Laurie Belzer, Gyoshin Laurel Ross, and Shudo Paula Lazarz also are available for practice interviews and can be reached through info@ancientdragon.org. Finally, Sangha member Sara Lytle is available to offer support to Sangha members who are experiencing stress and anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic. You may contact her directly at sslytle@gmail.com.

Entering the Online Zendo

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 Online Zendo page for instructions on accessing the room.

Latest Dharma Podcast Episodes

Suzuki Roshi’s Yes

ADZG 897 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by Hogetsu Laurie Belzer

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.
More Dharma Podcast Episodes

Featured Events

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: SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN THE AGE OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS – 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.

Featured News

 NEW ARTICLE BY HOZAN ALAN SENAUKE

Click here to read a new article by Hozan Alan Senauke, entitled “Is This Buddhism? The Oneness of Spiritual Liberation and Social Justice”. Hozan Senauke will be speaking again at Ancient Dragon on Sunday, June 13. The article will also available on our Dharma Articles and Teachings page. 

1000 Kannons 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

As Ancient Dragon Zen Gate activates as an online sangha for an undetermined amount of time, we will be providing selections of podcasts to all on a periodic basis to provide dharma steadily. Please refer to our Archival Talks page for past collections and commentary on the collections of talks, including the current collection which is focused on opening the self with compassion.
Myogen Steve Stucky 9/13/10 (ADZG 74) – Nirvana-Samsara: What’s the Difference?
Zoketsu Norman Fischer 6/3/13 (ADZG 234) – Training in Compassion
Taigen Dan Leighton 10/22/12 (ADZG 190) – People Worrying About People Worrying

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.

 

Entering the Online Zendo

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 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 mailbox. Lay Teacher Douglas Floyd and Practice Leaders Hogetsu Laurie Belzer, Gyoshin Laurel Ross, and Shudo Paula Lazarz also are available for practice interviews and can be reached through info@ancientdragon.org. Finally, Sangha member Sara Lytle is available to offer support to Sangha members who are experiencing stress and anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic. You may contact her directly at sslytle@gmail.com.

Latest Dharma Podcast Episodes

Suzuki Roshi’s Yes

ADZG 897 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by Hogetsu Laurie Belzer

More Dharma Podcast Episodes

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.

Featured Events

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: SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN THE AGE OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS – 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.

Featured News

 NEW ARTICLE BY HOZAN ALAN SENAUKE

Click here to read a new article by Hozan Alan Senauke, entitled “Is This Buddhism? The Oneness of Spiritual Liberation and Social Justice”. Hozan Senauke will be speaking again at Ancient Dragon on Sunday, June 13. The article will also available on our Dharma Articles and Teachings page. 

1000 Kannons 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

As Ancient Dragon Zen Gate activates as an online sangha for an undetermined amount of time, we will be providing selections of podcasts to all on a periodic basis to provide dharma steadily. Please refer to our Archival Talks page for past collections and commentary on the collections of talks, including the current collection which is focused on opening the self with compassion.
Myogen Steve Stucky 9/13/10 (ADZG 74) – Nirvana-Samsara: What’s the Difference?
Zoketsu Norman Fischer 6/3/13 (ADZG 234) – Training in Compassion
Taigen Dan Leighton 10/22/12 (ADZG 190) – People Worrying About People Worrying

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.