禪Chan / Zen
Meditation at
Gold Summit
Free meditation classes on Saturdays at 9:30 AM. Click here to find out more.
Chan/Zen sits every Sunday at 11:00 AM. Click here for more…
Located in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle.
Begin
Free meditation classes on Saturdays at 9:30 AM. Click here to find out more.
Chan/Zen sits every Sunday at 11:00 AM. Click here for more…
Located in Lower Queen Anne in Seattle.
Paul Hopp has practiced meditation for over forty years, twenty of them as a Buddhist monk under the eminent Chan Master Hsuan Hua. Under his teacher's guidance, he trained in the Chan practice of hua tou, along with other traditional forms of meditation. During his practice as a monk he spent four years meditating in complete seclusion.
Ven. Hsuan Hua received the transmission of the Chan lineage from Great Master Hsu Yun, "Empty Cloud", who was the undisputed leading Chan master of the previous generation in China. Master Hua came to America in 1959 and founded the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, which now includes twenty-two associated monasteries around the world — Gold Summit Monastery among them.
Our meditation hall features a beautiful carving of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Chairs are available for those who cannot sit cross-legged. Note that this meditation hall is not in the main building of the monastery — when you email to register, you'll receive instructions on how to access it.
You're welcome to join one or both.
Informal and open-ended — welcoming to anyone with an interest, especially beginners.
Find out more →One hour of silent sitting, with optional walking meditation and time for discussion.
Find out more →This class is free of charge and open-ended in spirit — accommodating anyone with an interest in meditation, and especially welcoming to beginners. This class is intended for people of any religion, or none.
Instruction begins with mindfulness of the breathing, a foundational practice for building single-minded concentration and reducing unhealthy habits of thought. Each class will have two short periods of meditation practice. There are multiple opportunities during the session to ask questions and get help with whatever challenges arise along the way.
Tea is served before class, so meditators are encouraged to arrive a little early.
To register, simply send an email to paul.meditationclass@gmail.com with a brief account of your interest in meditation and any experience you may have. I'll reply with a few instructions and let you know how to access the meditation hall.
Some notes about mindfulness of the breath
Sign Up for SaturdayThis sit is focused on the sitting practice itself. It runs for a full hour, with the option to sit the whole time or to break it into two half-hour periods with a short walking meditation in between.
This sit is aspirational toward the Chan practice of the hua tou. Beginners will still focus on mindfulness of the breath, but with a longer-term goal of entering the Chan practice.
The sit opens with a brief traditional gesture — palms together, an offering of incense, and a few words spoken together — before settling into silence, and closes with a short dedication of merit. There is ample time afterward for questions or discussion.
Notes on the Sunday Sit More on the hua tou practice
Sign Up for SundayGold Summit Monastery
233 1st Ave W, Seattle
The meditation hall is in an adjacent building. Access instructions are sent when you email to register.
Emailpaul.meditationclass@gmail.com
Questions about meditation are welcome any time at this address.