Open Door Zen Community

A Zen Practice Community in Madison, Wisconsin

“What we call ‘I’ is just a swinging door which moves when we inhale and when we exhale.” – Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Zazen – upright sitting in stillness and silence – is the foundation of our practice. At the heart of our practice community is our shared commitment to compassionate inquiry, mutual care, and deep gratitude, demonstrated through our everyday actions, words and thoughts. Through this practice we support our aspiration to hold open the door to the timeless wisdom of Buddha’s Way.

Our Statement on Healing Oppression and Ending Injustice

As Zen practitioners, we are keenly aware of the disproportionate racial violence and social injustice committed by institutions and individuals, both consciously and unconsciously, against people across the United States and the world. At this juncture in our history, there is an urgency for us – individually and collectively – to stay awake to the fact that, while the cornerstones of our democracy were lofty ideals regarding justice and equality, the harsh reality is that oppression and violence have been part of our country’s culture from its birth.

By taking a stand against oppression and violence in any form, we commit to speaking out and taking action on behalf of all beings, aligning ourselves with actions that end suffering for all.