Protect the Jewel 2023

As we approach year-end 2022, we’d like to take a moment to thank you for all your support of the Cambridge Zen Center. Thanks to your generous donations, and a matching grant from the Historical Commission of Cambridge for $75,000, we have restored all three front entrances, stairways, vestibules, and gardens from 193 to 199 Auburn Street. This was a huge project that involved a lot of work and planning from the team at CZC. We hope you will be tempted to walk through these beautifully restored entryways to practice with us again in person because we are now open to the public!

Did you know this year marks the 50th anniversary of Zen Master Seung Sahn’s coming to the West? For most of those years, the Cambridge Zen Center has opened its doors every morning and evening, free of charge, offering the practices of sitting and walking meditation, bowing, chanting, classes, groups, dharma talks, and retreats. As one of the largest residential zen centers in the country, it’s awe-inspiring to think of the tens of thousands of people who have lived and practiced with our community. In addition to the daily programs, we have developed classes for younger students, created a monthly social justice diversity and inclusion program, college zen clubs, and offered an ongoing prison program.

Needless to say, the cost of maintaining the programs and the zen center itself (in addition to our two apartment buildings) is very high. In 2023, we are hoping to make the building more accessible, add to the outdoor lighting, repair the parking lot and the trash enclosure area, replace several more windows, repair the deck, and address some foundation and electrical issues. After three long years of mostly Zoom practice, we will again be inviting teachers from around the world to visit in person to lead retreats and give talks and interviews.

We welcome your continued support, whether that may be joining us for practice and sangha events, volunteering for projects, or any tax-deductible financial contributions you are able to make. Please help CZC continue to offer Zen Master Seung Sahn’s teachings for the next fifty years and hopefully beyond!

Yours in the Dharma,

Zen Master Bon Yeon and the CZC Family