Welcome To
New Paltz Zen Center
All Are Welcome
NPZC is an open and affirming space. We invite people of different cultures, colors, abilities, ages, identifications, and beliefs who choose to join us. We appreciate and explore our differences in order to build understanding, harmony, and openness for the whole community.
Weekly Zazen
We offer a space for people to learn and practice Zen meditation, foster and build community and appreciate our lives together. We offer seating on cushions, kneeling benches, and chairs. Practice involves seated meditation (zazen) and walking meditation (kinhin).
If you would like meditation instruction, please arrive fifteen minutes prior to the start of practice.
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- 6:00 pm – 7:45 pm
- Thursday
- Closed
- Friday
- Closed
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Interview is offered Wednesdays.
Please contact us for the address.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
We send occasional updates about our events
Donate
Donate on Venmo or PayPal. New Paltz Zen Center, Inc. is a New York State nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible.
Membership
We offer several ways to express your commitment to Zen practice: learn how to become a member or formal student, or take the Zen Buddhist precepts.
Our Lineage
We are an associate temple of The Village Zendo in NYC. Our broader lineage is of the White Plum Asanga. Jo An Sensei received Dharma Transmission from Enkyo O’Hara Roshi of the Village Zendo.
We welcome all backgrounds and traditions to practice with us.
Past Dharma Talks
Jiryu explains how LLMs work, why the AI boom is happening now, and discusses whether LLMs are conscious.
The Narrow Path Beneath Our Feet
Jo An Sensei reflects on the difficulty of moving forward when the path feels dangerous or unclear.
Speak Up If You’re Stuck in a Zazen Rut
Some topics seem off-limits in Zen: What’s the goal of meditation? How do I get better at it? Jiryu talks about his doubts and breaks some silences.
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Jo An Sensei talks about wasps, meetings, and home improvement projects.
Jo An Sensei describes how to work with unexpected, difficult, or unwanted parts of our lives.
Jo An Sensei is interviewed on Radio Kingston about his life. As a professional dancer at the peak of the AIDS crisis, Jo An experienced illness, loss, and a brutal gay-bashing. These events led him to a new career as a nurse and Zen priest.
Jiryu reviews the philosopher Jonathan Birch’s book “The Edge of Sentience” and shares good news about humanity’s moral progress regarding animal welfare.
Is an Enlightened Person Afraid of Illness and Death?
Jiryu talks about his mother’s scary brain surgery, and whether an enlightened person is afraid.
Jo An Sensei discusses how karma, ancestral influence, and the three poisons shape our views and choices.
Are You Prepared to Save a Life?
Jiryu says you can find yourself in a life-or-death situation without warning. Is your Zen practice preparing you to respond, or not?
Jo An Sensei discusses recent empowerments at the Village Zendo, and asks us what brought us to practice.
Jiryu asks, is the world really in crisis, or is that just how the media shows it? How can we be both happy and compassionate, like a Bodhisattva?
Jo An Sensei shares his experience of not having enough time. He encourages us to closely examine the present moment with complete effort.
Nothing To Say And That’s Okay
Kansho looks at the Eighth Precept, “Not Sparing the Dharma Assets.”
Jo An Sensei shares the koan “Nansan Kills the Cat”, pointing to the dangers of getting caught by our ideas and theories.
Jo An Sensei speaks of hopelessness when we feel under-resourced. He brings up the enormity of wildfires in Canada and how this can leave us feeling overwhelmed.
Jo An Sensei reminds us that beings are without pause expounding the dharma. Retiling his kitchen floor offered a deep teaching.
Jo An Sensei speaks about imposter syndrome and the famous koan “Gutei’s Finger”.