NEWCOMERS

Darwin Zen Buddhist Meditation Group (DZG) offers Orientation for those who have already learnt how to meditate with the breath as the focus to their meditation and those experienced meditators new to the zen tradition.

Everyone who is interested in establishing an effortless daily meditation practice, working with an experienced teacher, attending weekly meditation and longer retreats, and being part of a spiritual and ethical community are very welcome. The focus of Darwin Zen Group is Zen Buddhism, Nondual inquiry and Koan introspection, in order to deepen meditation practice for insight and spiritual awakening. Although the science and evidence for meditation and Buddhist practices are discussed, there is less focus on meditation for mental and physical well-being because well-being and ethical lifestyle naturally follow insight.

Zen inherits its ritual and form from ancient Buddhist cultures.  Ritual is shared by all cultures and all spiritual traditions. Zen ritual supports mindfulness, gratitude and community. It is a container for our meditation practice and our spiritual awakening. Ritual supports everyone to simply be in the moment. Like dance, the zen form is a shared mindfulness that results in much more than the physical aspects of learning the steps. The ritual and form of zen are an invitation to mindfulness and inquiry. The invitation is to just follow along, copy others and see what is here. There is no right and wrong in zen and no judgement. The invitation is to trust and enjoy this exploration of structure and time to enter that which is structureless and timeless.