Salem Zen Center

03/27/2026

At around 11:30 pm last night, the Tassajara zendo caught fire. No one was hurt, but the zendo burned down completely. Some of the library was also destroyed. Our gratitude to everyone who worked tirelessly to contain the flames, including local firefighters who were on the scene.

We will share more information as it comes in.

02/11/2026

Does a dog have Buddha nature?

Today marks a historic milestone—Day 108 - 2/10/2026! We have finally arrived at our final destination, Washington, DC. During the Interfaith Ceremony at the beautiful Washington National Cathedral, Aloka sat right in the middle of it all. He seemed so calm and dedicated, staying faithfully beside the venerable monks as he has done for every mile of this journey. It’s as if he knew exactly how special this moment was!

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace. 🙏

01/18/2026

"A dog does not know he is a dog. He only knows he is. If only man could be so fortunate." — Wu Hsin (aka Roy Melvin)

01/01/2026

Happy New Year 🙏🏻
Hope to see you January 4 at Miao Chung temple.
(Remember the book club resumes at 1:00 on January 18th)

11/01/2025

Doing nothing- has many interpretations.

Christopher Robin is a 2018 American live-action/animated fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Marc Forster and written by Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, an...

09/02/2025

Let them come to let them go, let them go to let them come.

09/01/2025

You can find our current calendar at:

Even in the worst of times, right here, “Singularly illuminating this bright awareness, Full of wonder is the pure illumination. The moon's appearance, a river of stars, Snow-clad pines, clouds hovering on mountain peaks.” — Zen Master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091-1157 CE)

08/30/2025

Nothing is impossumable, just keep sitting and observing.

07/23/2025

Have you washed your bowl?

A cartoon by Jeremy Nguyen, from 2024.

06/02/2025

The June events calendar is now available.
https://www.salemzencenter.org/calendar