Zen Buddhist Temple of Ann Arbor

06/16/2026

A warm welcome to Dharma Master of our Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom, Ven. Toan Sunim. He is resident priest and artist at our Mexico City Temple, and in residence here at our Temple from June 8-24th. Following are dharma opportunities with him.

Meditation workshop, Saturday, June 20th
Designed for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, who wish to study meditation and lead a life of simplicity and clarity. It includes practical instruction on meditation postures, mindful breathing, concentration and opening of one’s wisdom eye.
$100/$80 members. Scholarships available.

Please register online, or by calling/emailing the temple.

Membership Sittings: Toan Sunim will lead the following:
Wednesday evening, June 17th, 6:30-8:30
Early Sundays, June 14th and 21st, 6:30-8:00am
The sittings will consist of rounds of seated meditation, walking meditation, and individual meditation interviews.

Spend some time with Toan Sunim and our temple clergy and residents over a delicious lunch in the sangha house on weekdays throughout his stay. Please arrive by 12:50 for the meal. Advance notice is appreciated.

06/16/2026

Zen Meditation Workshop June 20 2026

Saturday, June 20, 9:00 am to 1:30 pm. A special Meditation Workshop will be offered by Dharma Master Toan Sunim, resident priest at our Mexico City Temple. The workshop is designed for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike who wish to study meditation and lead a life of simplicity and clarity. It includes practical instruction on meditation postures, mindful breathing, concentration and opening of one's wisdom eye.
$80members/$100non-members. Scholarships available.

https://annarborzentempleclassregistration.as.me/schedule/b9eda6e8

06/16/2026

Why learn Meditation?

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Meditation is the heart of Buddhism and the direct path to freedom and enlightenment.The prevailing spirit of Buddhist teachings and meditation practice is that one is always capable of helping oneself regardless of one's situation. It is the Buddhist belief that common, ordinary beings are Buddhas, that is, unattained Buddhas. However, we usually lack full trust in ourselves and as a result, all too easily relinquish our trust and willpower to outside agents. Meditation practice challenges this lack of trust and willpower from the very outset. Any sincere and serious practitioner of Buddhist meditation soon realizes that one cannot sit in meditation for long without both accepting one's life and the world, for meditation is a world-affirming and a life-renewing experience. Beginners follow the three guidelines: simplicity, clarity, and spiritual strength.

06/16/2026

Benefits of Meditation Practice

You learn how to be peaceful, content and happy and to develop a spiritual attitude to your life.

People living in the consumer society suffer from an excess of materialism and lack of spiritual values. The result is a lot of worry and a lack of peace of mind. Peace of mind is your single most important asset for it is the basis of a happy life. The most simple and wholesome way of attaining peace of mind is to learn to sit still and stop worrying through the cultivation of ocean mind and "let go" practice. At the same time, it is important to embrace spiritual values such as gratitude and reverence.

You learn to concentrate your mind and take care of this present moment.

Modern society is complex, fragmented and full of distractions. There is a general lack of purpose and moral integrity in people's lives. Many feel helpless and unhappy. There are two ways you can help yourself. One is awareness: you have to become fully aware of yourself and your own life by paying attention. The other is concentration: you have to stop running after distractions and start taking care of your present life for the sake of the world. The sooner the better. Focused attention and concentrated mind take care of this very moment of your life, which is the most precious thing in your life and contains both your past and future.

​You learn to strive for right livelihood and compassionate living and to become accountable for your actions.

Ahimsa or non-violence is the first Buddhist precept. First you must start to lead a harmless life of non-injury, not hurting, not wasting and not polluting. It requires attention and a mindful attitude. You learn to take good care of things at hand. Life lived fully in each moment is the end and purpose in itself and not the means for something else. Thus, each task you perform becomes an awakening of your heart and fulfillment of your life. Buddhist life, in short, is no other than a life of full heart and enlightenment.

06/16/2026

"Meditation practice can help bring peace and happiness to the world. No one is too sinful to do meditation,

no one is too wrong to meditate. It takes only willingness to begin meditation and a resolve to continue.

One should never underestimate what one's sincere commitment to meditation practice can do for the world."

—Venerable Samu Sunim

06/12/2026

All Beings One Body, I Vow to Liberate.
Liberation of Life Ceremony Sunday June 14th 10am-noon at the Temple.
All are welcome to this family friendly event.

05/19/2026

Dear Sangha, We have been preparing for weeks and now our Buddha's Birthday celebration is just around the corner! Baby/Child/Youth blessings on Saturday morning at 10am, Buddha's birthday service on Sunday morning at 10 followed by Sangha Parade and Vegetarian Potluck (bring a dish to share), Cake, and Ice Cream. Lantern Lighting Service on Sunday evening at 7:30. It's going to be a fun weekend of celebration, and it won't be the same without you there.
Call, text or email the temple for details, to sign-up for a Youth Blessing, or to make a lantern dedication.
(734) 761-6520, [email protected]

04/20/2026

Wednesday April 22nd 7pm, an interactive evening with Haju Sunim of the Ann Arbor Zen Buddhist Temple, with moderator Bill Zirinsky beloved owner of Crazy Wisdom.

This open conversation will take place at the Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, 114 South Main Street in Ann Arbor.
All are welcome. Free admission. No reservations required.
For more information contact Bill at [email protected]

Haju and Bill recently met to view the new mural, in the Buddha Hall of the Temple.

03/19/2026

Please Join us for Sangha Tea

This Sunday March 22 from 11:45 to 12:45, you are invited for tea and Sangha Discussion with Advisory Council members Lisa Fedina and Jajok Seema Saini.
Meet one of our new Dharma Teachers, Bhavana Sarah Addae who will join the meeting as a participant.
Explore what belonging to a sangha means to you.
Enjoy tea, treats and the beautiful new Mural that hangs over the altar
Hope to see you there!

03/17/2026

Dear Zen Buddhist Temple, -

These are unprecedented times, and the nonviolent voices for justice, compassion, and sanity have never been more important.

As you can see below, communities are coming together to voice their concerns for our country and each other....AND, they want to make sure this happens nonviolently. If you are able to join one or more of the Peace Teams requested below, that would be wonderful: You will be helping shore up these efforts toward positive social change.

If you're interested in joining a Team but haven't taken the Violence De-escalation Skills Training yet (or you'd like a skills refresher), we have a "live" training coming up this weekend in Muskegon (see below). The skills learned are important and useful to everyone, whether serving on a Team or not.

Finally, thank you for all you do, every day, to make people feel seen and heard. Every tiny act of kindness has a ripple effect and becomes invaluable.

With heart-felt and sincere appreciation for all of you in the heart of the struggle,

Mary Hanna
Operations Manager/Training Coordinator
on behalf of the MPT Core Community

Meta Peace Team offers education in the efficacy of nonviolence, violence de-escalation skills training, peace team placement locally and internationally, and supportive networking with other peace and justice organizations