Jizo-an Zen Community
Meditation - Mindfulness - Benevolent Service - Community
Jizo-an Zen Community now makes its home in Cherry Hill, NJ, offering all our events at the new Zendo. Please see below for the latest information on In-Person and Livestreamed Zendo Events, and other ways to connect. You can also keep up with us through our Newsletter, our podcast, as well as Patreon and social media. If you are not currently receiving our Newsletter, you can add your name to our mailing list.
All of the following programs are offered at low cost or without a fee requirement. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so through the registration process, or via our Donation Page. Thank you for your support!
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Please note that if you are planning on attending any program in person, you can pay the program registration fee in person at the door. Registration online is only required if you will be attending the program online via Zoom. In-person registration can be paid by cash, or check made out to The Zen Society.
Upcoming In-Person & Online Zendo Programs (Zoom) for January 2026
THE EASE AND JOY OF MORNING MEDITATION: Online Only
Every day (7 Days/week, at 5:30am Online)
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​Zazen is the dharma gate of great ease and joy
— this is the standard that Master Dogen lays down.
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Join us for a morning of meditation where we sit with ease and intimacy. We spend this time together in self-exploration and investigation. It is ideal for beginners, intermediate, and experienced meditators who wish to deepen their practice. The Ease and Joy of Mornings is open to everyone.
We come together as community to sit Zazen, or silent illumination, for 25-30 minutes. On some mornings, Zazen is followed by a short reading and reflection, and we close with a recitation of the Four Great Vows and the Benefit for All. ​
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REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED. DONATIONS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED.
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THE EASE AND JOY OF EVENING MEDITATION
Meditation and a brief Evening Dharma Discussion: Online Only​
Every Tuesday & Thursday Evening, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
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Practice and enlightenment, the masters have long said, are both solitary and social endeavors. We need each other for reflection, encouragement and inspiration. Though some may have a strong capacity for seclusion, Sangha is one of the three precious gems for a very good reason—we depend on each other to wake up. "We Are More Together Than Alone."
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Guidelines for Participating (Zazen) Meditation Over Zoom:
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Please join sittings a few minutes before the scheduled time, so as to be seated and settled in place before the period of zazen begins.
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Please keep your microphone muted until the very end.
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The group leader will ring three bells to begin zazen & one bell to signal the end of zazen.
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​​​REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED. DONATIONS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED.
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​CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE 7:00PM MEDITATION
ZEN STUDIES PROGRAM: ONLINE and *IN-PERSON
Wednesday January 7th 2026, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Join the Monks of Jizo-an for a presentation by one of our formal students, Mónica Coughlin:
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​Mónica will offer her presentation, titled Zen and the Japanese Garden
Zen philosophy and principles as applied to Japanese landscaping
Zen philosophy, principles, and teachings have influenced the art of Japanese gardens and landscaping for centuries, and can be seen throughout Japan and all over the world. I will be sharing Inspirations from Zen temple abbot and landscape architect Shunmyo Masuno.
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Join us for an evening of Zazen, (seated meditation) Kinhin (walking mediation) chanting of Sutras and a Dharma discussion...both in-person and online.
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REGISTER FOR ONLINE EVENT (click here)
*IN PERSON NEED NOT REGISTER
​​HALF-DAY ZAZENKAI: ONLINE and *IN-PERSON
Saturday, January 10th, 2026 9:00am - 12pm
Join the Monks of Jizo-an Zen Community for an extended period of sitting meditation and sutra service
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​Zazenkai & Sutra Service
You are invited to sit with the community for a half-day of zazen and chanting of the sutras.
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Please arrive 10-15 mins early so we can all begin together on time...cushions and chairs are provided.
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JOIN THE ONLINE EVENT (CLICK HERE)​
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*IN PERSON NEED NOT REGISTER
​​​ZEN STUDIES PROGRAM: ONLINE and *IN-PERSON
Wednesday January 14th 2026, 7:00PM- 9:00PM
Join Reverend Orlando Donen Nieves for one of our monthly Dharma talks...
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An Appropriate Response - Living with Skillful Means
Upaya, or skillful means, is a hallmark of not only Zen practice and training, but of the entirety of the Buddha's teachings. How do we live skillfully, moment by moment, in a world on fire, a world with so much division, injustice, and strife? The Buddha's teachings are a prescription for how to liberate ourselves from this pervasive suffering. However, it is not a blanket, one-size-fits-all prescription, but a way of living skillfully with the ever changing circumstances, causes and conditions of life.
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Join us for an evening of Zazen, (seated meditation) Kinhin (walking mediation) chanting of the Sutras and a Dharma discussion...both in-person and online.
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JOIN THE ONLINE EVENT (CLICK HERE)
*IN-PERSON NEED NOT REGISTER
​SUNDAY MORNING ZAZEN: ONLINE and *IN-PERSON
Sunday, January 18th 2026 9:00am - 10:30am
Join the Monks of Jizo-an Zen Community for a morning of silent meditation
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Zen Meditation
Zazen is at the core of Soto Zen Buddhism. It has been refined and well honed over thousands of years and because of these endless offerings down through the ages, we are invited to a way to show up to ourselves that actually works. It has been said that a Zendo (meditation hall) is a conducive space for enlightenment and so we come together in community, for community, for that very purpose.​
Open to both beginners and experienced practitioners.
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Please arrive 10-15 mins early so we can all begin together on time...cushions and chairs are provided.
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PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.
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*IN PERSON NEED NOT REGISTER
​​​ZEN STUDIES PROGRAM: ONLINE and *IN-PERSON
Wednesday January 21st 2026, 7:00PM- 9:00PM
Join Reverend Richard Daiko Smykla for one of our monthly Dharma talks...
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Acknowledging Our Silent Metamorphosis
How can we let go of judgments and self-judgments, living only in the present moment? Can we see this moment as sacred, accepting ourselves and others as they are, accepting and letting go of the past? We're both separate and together, perfect and complete, revealing right here, right now. What are we waiting for? We will examine these questions, these koans together.
Join us for an evening of Zazen, (seated meditation) Kinhin (walking mediation) chanting of the Sutras and a Dharma discussion...both in-person and online.
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JOIN THE ONLINE EVENT (CLICK HERE)
*IN-PERSON NEED NOT REGISTER