Bright Cloud Zen is an affiliate of the Empty Moon Zen Sanghas and a member sangha of the UU Buddhist Fellowship.
Bright Cloud is also a program of the University Unitarian Church (UUC) in Seattle. Practice groups meet at the church and/or via Zoom. Drop-in attendance is welcome. Come when you can! You do not have to be a Zen practitioner, a Buddhist, an experienced meditator, or a Unitarian Universalist (UU) to attend. There is no charge to participate.
Bright Cloud Zen practice groups are supported by Rev. Janine Seitetsu Larsen as Resident Priest and a Denkai transmitted Teacher with Empty Moon Zen. Janine is also UUC’s Director of Ministries. Dinah Seishin Hartley serves as a Practice Leader and Assistant Practice Leaders are Teresa Kodo Hansen and Marla Murdock. Contact Janine for Zoom links for any practice session.
The Bright Cloud Zen practice groups regularly offer precept study for those who wish to receive the first five precepts (sewing the Wagessa and vowing to live ethically), or Jukai (sewing the Rakusu and committing to the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts and the Empty Moon lineage). Talk to Janine to learn more about receiving the precepts.
Opportunities to sit with Bright Cloud Zen Sangha (virtually or in-person):
Tuesdays and Fridays, 10 am – noon (on-site & online) – Zazen, dokusan, study & discussion. Current Dharma text is The Vow-Powered Life: A Simple Method for Living with Purpose, by Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi. Our next Dharma text will be James Myoun Ford’s newly published book, The Intimate Way of Zen: Effort, Surrender, and Awakening.
Early Morning Zen Tuesday through Sunday, 6:30 -7:00 am or Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7:30 – 8:00 am (online only) – Zazen, robe verse, Four Vows
Sunday evenings, 7-8 pm (online only) – Zazen & recorded Dharma Talk
First Saturday Zazenkai – We join the Empty Moon Zen Sanghas for monthly Zazenkai via Zoom. On occasion, we join as a group from UUC. Full day participation is encouraged; drop-in attendance is also welcome.
Multi-day retreats (Sesshin) – One or more times a year, we engage multi-day retreat with the Empty Moon Zen Sanghas. These may be online, residential (locations vary), or “commuter” (daytime attendance only; usually at UUC). See the Empty Moon Zen Sesshin page for more details.
A note on meeting in-person at University Unitarian Church:
PLEASE STAY HOME if you have symptoms of respiratory illness including colds, flu, or COVID-19. Follow Public Health Seattle-King County protocols for COVID-19. Facemasks are welcome for those who wish to wear them.