Selfless Service

Enlightenment in our tradition is not a flash of insight or an object obtained from a mystical experience, but how we engage wholeheartedly with the simple activities that make up existence. Work practice is a kind of laboratory for these activities. Within the supportive container of the Zen Center, we extend zazen mind beyond seated meditation and into our daily lives.  

Work practice can be great or small: erecting new buildings or raking the gravel.  Whatever the task, it is our presence with the activity before us that extends the path of awakening for our self and for others.  Through dedicated work practice, practitioners can transform the center grounds into a piece of themselves and a spiritual sanctuary for generations to come.

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We strongly encourage members and anyone interested in strengthening their practice to engage in selfless service by volunteering with the Zen Center. Traditional temples rely on their community to uphold their grounds, and volunteering engages with an ancient practice of the Sangha. We organize our work at the center under the five administrator positions of Zen temples to reflect this tradition.

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Volunteering at SMZC

Since the task of maintaining the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center's 81 acres of land, hosting, and preparing for our busy schedule is considerable, we ask all members and interested non-members to actively participate and accept responsibility for some small part of the ongoing work. This, in itself, is Dharma practice. Whatever you can do will be deeply appreciated. Our Sangha is enriched by our efforts together.

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