About Daiyuzenji

Welcome...

Daiyuzenji is a Zen Buddhist temple in the Rinzai lineage, located on Chicago's North Side. We are an open community from diverse backgrounds, joined together to support one another in our Zen training. Our mission is simple: to make this transformative practice available to all, and to ensure its transmission to future generations.

If you are interested in visiting us or beginning Zen practice, we welcome you: please see our Activities page to learn more about Zen and the forms of Zen training we do.  Beginners are always welcome, and are given introductory meditation instruction enabling them to participate in any activity here. If you'd like to come in, see our Getting Started page.

Our abbot is So'zan Miller Roshi, a Zen priest who has received Rinzai dharma transmission (inka shomei) and who guides our practice.  He and several other teachers are available to discuss your training with you at any time. Formal practice under the guidance of a teacher is offered to persons feeling such an affinity with our path, and who are deemed suited to it after a period of foundational training.  Our special events such as sesshin (intensive meditation retreats), lectures and seminars are generally open to anyone. 

One interesting aspect of our particular line of Zen is that it has historically stressed the use of various complementary activities, such as fine arts and physical culture, to deepen and refine the insight gained from formal Zen training.  Activities like calligraphy are thus practiced here, and we share our facility with the Japanese Martial Arts Society (Shinjinkai), which provides training in Aikido and other traditional martial arts.   In short, there are many opportunities for training both body and mind at Daiyuzenji.

Daiyuzenji is a not-for-profit organization. Donations (tax-deductible) are thankfully accepted.  All are welcome as members, however, regardless of ability to donate