CloudWater Zendo

This free open class is conducted at 11:00 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month by members of the Nienfo Chan Order. An online class on Zoom is conducted on the second Wednesday of each month. Reservations are required for all Introduction to Zen Meditation classes. The class provides a basic introduction to Zen meditative practice.  The casual format allows plenty of opportunity for questions and answers.

Group meditative practice is the beating heart of any Zen Center. Our group Zen practice, which begins at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, includes two periods of seated meditation interspersed with walking meditation practice. This is followed by chanting practice, a Dharma Talk and a discussion, followed by social tea and conversation.

Practice begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Following two periods of seated meditation interspersed with walking meditation we chant the Heart Sutra, after which participants are served tea. All drink their tea in silence as a form of meditative practice in the traditional style.

Every Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. we engage in the art of Internal Energy Practice, which includes Qigong and Tai Chi.  In Qigong we learn how to circulate the body’s vital energy (Qi) for purposes of health, longevity and spiritual awakening. In Tai Chi we concentrate on gentle motion and balance.

Our 1-hour Sunday morning practice begins with a period of walking meditation followed by 30 minutes of seated meditation. A short Chanting Service follows the seated meditation period. All are welcome.

The Atonement Service, usually held on the first Sunday of each month at 10:00 a.m., centers around the principle of Universal Compassion as represented by Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The service encourages us to examine those thoughts, words and actions which may have caused us to create suffering. We then make a series of vows which can assist us to improve our behavior for the benefit of all. The service includes the chanting of the Dharani of Great Compassion as well as some recitative meditation, an incense offering and a Dharma Talk by Venerable Shih Yingfa or senior monks over informal tea.

On the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. local time (Eastern, USA) members of our international Sangha gather online to practice Zen meditation which is led by members of the Nienfo Chan Order. All are welcome. Link is found on the Calendar page, or click the button below.

Led by Dharma Heir Venerable Shih Mingxing, the Bamboo Grove is an initiative which presents opportunities for learning and reflection through interactive lectures with members of the Nienfo Chan Order of Buddhist Monks.  With meditative concentration serving as the roots, learning and reflection as the stalk, and a dynamic life practice as the energy-giving leaves, people can cultivate a strong, bamboo-like spirituality which can help them to endure whatever life may present, and can drive the change which is so desperately needed in this age. Lectures are presented on Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. local time (Eastern, USA). Link is found on the Calendar page, or click the button below.

Led by Dharma Heir Venerable Shih Zhongxin, the Guanyin Service includes study of the teachings that are related to the Bodhisattva Guanyin through various workshops and Dharma Talks, formal meditation through which we can identify with the Bodhisattva Guanyin and embody the spirit of unconditional compassion she represents, and becoming involved in the community in order to benefit sentient beings. The service is conducted on Zoom on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. local time (Eastern, USA). Link is found on the Calendar page, or click the button below.

The 5 Elements path offers a number of different meditative forms including recitation, visualization, and the combined practice of Zen and Pure Land. Practice is conducted on Zoom on the 4th Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. local time (Eastern, USA). Link is found on the Calendar page or click the button below.

Led by Dharma Heir Venerable Shih Jingang, our affiliated Sangha in Tasmania, Australia conducts weekly gatherings on Zoom. Practices which are offered include Zen Meditation, Loving-Kindness Practice, Calming Light Recitation, an Atonement Service, Medicine Buddha Practice, Golden Amitabha Practice, Pebble Mindfulness Practice, Dharma Talks, and Discussion. Gatherings are held on Sunday mornings in Australia, which translates to Saturday evenings in North America. To find the correct time, go to the Calendar page or click the button below.

The walks are conducted on selected Sundays at 10:00 a.m. in various locations around Cleveland including the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and the Cleveland Metroparks, and usually last about 1 hour. Participants contemplate a topic for the first third of the walk, then discuss their observations with each other at the break. The rest of the walk may involve a different aspect of the original contemplation.

These quarterly events, conducted at the Zendo on Sundays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., include seated and walking meditation, Dharma Talks from members of the Nienfo Chan Order, group Qigong or Tai Chi, opportunities to speak privately with the Teacher, and a vegetarian/vegan lunch in the traditional style. An optional, nominal fee is requested. Sunday retreats will be held on March 24th, June 23rd, September 29th and December 8th. The December 8th retreat is the final day of our actual/virtual 7-day Bodhi Day observance. Registration is required for all Sunday retreats.

The Five Elements system presents a wide variety of meditative practices and exercises that can assist us in our quest to embody Compassion and Wisdom in daily life. The goal of Five Elements practice is to provide the meditative practitioner with a variety of methods that can be combined or done as stand-alone practices. This flexibility is of great benefit to meditators living in a rapidly-changing, information-oriented world.

Five Elements practices include:

-Recitation & Chanting (Water Element)
-Mindful Examination of One’s Behavior (Air Element)
-Visualization Meditation (Fire Element)
-Unified Zen/Pure Land-Style Meditation (Space Element)
-Examination of Key Pure Land Texts (Earth Element)