We All Have Questions
We all have questions, deep questions, about who we are and what we're doing here. These are personal questions that can't be answered by searching the internet. We're often shy about asking them and these questions can go unanswered for years. So, we can stay stuck in old patterns, operating off the same old decisions we once made, that may have served us at the time but are no longer helpful and can become harmful and toxic.
Change is not easy. It takes courage and the ability to deal with our vulnerability. Every one of the hundreds of people Genpo Roshi has worked with over decades has felt this same way at first. Sometimes it's hard to even quite know what to ask. It's ok, you can just watch and listen until you are ready.
At Kanzeon Big Mind we provide a warm and friendly on-line atmosphere, and an interactive way for anyone to participate in working on their understanding of life. We're all in the same boat working together and supporting each other's journey with the guidance of experienced Zen Teachers.
A little about Kanzeon Big MindKanzeon Big Mind is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Salt Lake CIty, Utah for over 40 years. A few years ago, mainly because of Covid and also because we have students on different continents, we started offering almost all our classes and retreats online via Zoom. Occasionally we offer in-person retreats in Hawaii and on the West Coast of the US where we can all get together for a week. Our Founder, Genpo Roshi, born Dennis Paul Merzel, has been a monk and Zen Teacher for over 50 years and is the author of six books on Zen. His life's work has been to help people come to an understanding of the true nature of life, our purpose and responsibility, and to show how this understanding works to the benefit of ourselves, our families, communities and the world at large. Besides Genpo Roshi, you will meet and work with his successor teachers shown below. They are all very experienced Zen teachers in their own right. Our team approach gives you the benefit of hearing many different perspectives. Their wide range of both life and Zen practice experiences will help your Zen practice immensely. Mark Kanchi Esterman, Roshi Mary Ellen Jisho Sloan, Roshi Alexandra Mushin Gericke, Sensei | Can I participate without being a Member? Yes!No Worries! We understand that for some people Membership may not be the right option at first. In fact, we encourage people to try out a few classes, like Genpo Roshi's Sunday Sangha Talks, or one of our Tuesday and Thursday Living Zen classes. These classes last about an hour and only cost $10. It's a great way to start and all are open to the public. Some helpful links... If at some point you would like to become a member, you can try one of several levels, with options for Monthly, Semi Annual or Yearly memberships. You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel anytime from your My Profile page. |
The Kanzeon Big Mind Media ArchiveAlmost every Class and Event we offer is recorded live. These unedited recordings are held in our Media Archive. Certain ones of these are only viewable by the participants in a particular Class or Event but the vast majority are available to everyone. There are currently over 3,700 audio and video files stored there that go back to the 1970's starting at the Los Angeles Zen Center and continue through the years up to our current offerings. They include Zen teachings on a vast number of Zen topics by numerous different teachers. They are arranged by year and topic. See the Media Archive Index here Recordings of our current classes are posted within a day or so of the event so our students can go back and review or catch up on a class they missed. The Media Archive is one of our great treasures and a real benefit of having Kanzeon Big Mind Membership. Your Membership will allow you to review the vast majority of the historical files in the Archive as much as you like, and you will have access to the current schedule of classes you might attend according to your Membership level or participation as a non-member. However, we do not give access to current recordings of classes and events that are not a part of your particular Membership level. Kanzeon Big Mind Membership or participation in a class or event implies your permission to record and archive our classes. If you do not want to be identified on these recordings you may leave your zoom camera off or use an avatar with a different name. That being said, we have a warm and friendly membership group that is respectful and caring about your preferences. About Your My Profile PageWhether you are a member or a participant in a class or event, when you register for a paid event our website assigns you a My Profile page. Here you will have access to all the records of your participation with us. Here you can cancel, upgrade or downgrade your membership level anytime, and update your credit card, contact information and password. You will see all records of your payments for Membership, Events and Donations even if you are a non-member. You can choose to set up your profile with your picture or avatar. You can create a photo album to share with other members and contact others through the Membership Directory. Privacy You have complete control over your Privacy settings and only the things you wish to show will be shown in the Member Directory. All information on your My Profile Page is default set to show nothing until you allow it. | Priests, Monks and LaypeopleNot everyone wants to take the path of becoming a monk or a Zen priest such as a Sensei or Roshi. However, Genpo Roshi has ordained over 500 men and women as Zen monks, and a number of them have gone on to become a Sensei or Roshi and have established their own Zen Teaching Centers in North America and Europe and elsewhere. If this does interest and inspire you, we can definitely guide you through the process. For the vast majority of people, many thousands who have studied with Kanzeon Big Mind, Zen practice is something that they have incorporated into their lives as a way of better appreciating and supporting their lives as parents, co-workers, and members of their local communities. This is a very important way for Zen principles and practices to become embedded in the social fabric of modern Western life to the benefit of all. Our regular classes and events are therefore focused on showing how our practice is relevant to, and beneficial for, daily life and not so much on the formal procedures and ceremonies that accompany most Buddhist Monasteries and training centers. You will have opportunities to witness and participate in services and ceremonies if you wish but these are not required to bring Zen into your life as a useful tool. The Buddha is not a God and he is not worshipped but rather is honored for the insights of his enlightenment and for the teachings that have been passed down to us. The ceremonies and services we do are directed toward bringing peace and harmony to all beings through the efforts of all of us, individually and as a community, each day. Some of our Members over the years... |