Northern Light Zen Center

Northern Light Zen Center NLZC is a meditation and retreat center with regular practice offerings. All are welcome to attend. Please contact us for details.

The Northern Light Zen Center hosts weekly meditation practice, orientation to zen, and bimonthly retreats. Those interested in learning about meditation or in search of a practice group are encouraged to join us.

01/11/2026

Question: How do you become a good Buddhist?
Zen Master Dae Kwang Sunim: Everybody wants to know that, “how to become a good Buddhist.” The best way to become a good Buddhist is not to become a Buddhist. In the Diamond Sutra the Buddha says, “I have no teaching to give.” Actually, the Buddha said that, “If you say I have a teaching to give, you teach against me." More important than Buddhism, or Zen, or anything, is waking up. The Buddha was not a Buddhist. He was a “wake up” person and what he woke up to is something everybody already has. Buddhism is not going to help you. But waking up is going to help the whole world.
We say, “How can I become a good Buddhist?” That has three mistakes. First of all, it has “I.” That is the biggest mistake. Then it has “become,” that means, "I want something." That is the source of suffering. Three mistakes. I. Want. Something. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble. That is the source of suffering. Don’t want to become a Buddhist, don’t want to become a Zen student. Wake up.
KATZ!
There. Everybody is a Buddhist.

12/31/2025

"Zen isn’t concerned very much about form. It’s not really concerned very much about ritual..."

12/30/2025

All, I hope you are well and have some time to rest during the holiday season.

-there will be practice this week as usual. Please join us online or in person.

-the Dharma Talk for January, on Wednesday January 7, will be given by our Guiding Teacher, Terry Cronin, about kong-an practice.

-consulting interviews will be available on January 7 for those who are interested.

-January's retreat, on the 31st, will be a full day. Details to follow.

In the Dharma,
Bill

Bill Robitzek, Abbot

Northern Light Zen Center

12/14/2025

Sunday Services held in person at 1 Middle Street, Brunswick, ME and livestream (http://uubrunswick.org/12-7-25-the-gritty-side-of-hope/)
Sunday, December 7 - 10:00 AM
The Gritty Side of Hope
Led by Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos
Music by Will Bristol and UUCB Choir
Hope is often talked about as something light and airy (Emily Dickinson famously called it a thing with feathers), but is hope always so tame and well-behaved? Today, we’ll think about the gritty side of hope, and what it means to make a choice day after day, in situation after situation, not to give in to despair.

12/14/2025

"When you really face the fact that there is nowhere to go and no choice, then you enter your situation completely." Quote by Zen Master Wu Kwang. See more quotes: https://bit.ly/4mNzvfZ

12/10/2025

All, I hope you are well.

Thanks to all who attended last Saturday's retreat! For future reference, we have decided to combine the Novermber and December retreats into one at the beginning of December to avoid the continual conflict with people's holiday schedules.

Practice this Wednesday evening will include interviews available to those attending online, and, if time permits, to those attending in person. We will be chanting the Homage to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) and Kwan Seum Bosal/Jijang Bosal for any intentions people suggest for those who are injured, unwell, suffering or have recently passed away.

I will be at the Center Wednesday at 6 pm for those interested in starting to learn the Moktak Master form or to get a refresher.

This coming Saturday there will be a Buddha's Enlightenment Day ceremony at Providence Zen Center and an inka ceremony as well. See the PZC website for details.

Pay attention
Perceive clearly
Respond compassionately

In the Dharma,
Bill

Bill Robitzek, Abbot

11/03/2025

"You start to look at: “What do I have to offer as a human being?” Not everybody will write a book, but they are the book. And people are looking at us. They're reading us. You're carrying your book around. And what are you going to put in that book? And are you going to reread it once in a while and go, 'Wow, does this need to be edited?'" - Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes, Head Zen Master of the Kwan Um School of Zen

10/11/2025

Deep down inside, each of us knows we have no idea what’s going on. We don’t know. We don’t know why we occupy this body. We don’t know when we are born, where we came from. Don’t know why we are on this planet. We don’t know. Nobody knows. So what we do very interestingly, is we pretend we know. Some people take it quite vigorously. They take on a set of beliefs. They are ready to fight over them or kill over them. Abuse other people over them. And that reinforces their beliefs. The question isn’t, "I need to figure this out." The question is actually here [pointing to his abdomen.] What am I? What is this? What is true nature? In asking this question we are opening ourselves up. Zen practices itself is actually a self actualization practice. It’s not dependent on anything else. It’s up to each one of us to self actualize. If deep down inside we don’t know, then really the self actualization is becoming completely comfortable with not knowing. That’s what human beings are. — Zen Master Bon Haeng (Photo by Sven Mahr.)

10/09/2025

How we use Zen Master Seung Sahn's teaching is very important. It's not just mimicking him, oh, the sky is blue, the tree is green. At the beginning our students make this mistake. They come to our Zen center, they learn about Zen and they learn about HIT. So when they go out, they are asked, "What did you learn from the Zen Master? What did the Su B**g Zen Monastery teach you?" They always say "Sky is blue, tree is green, who are you?" Then they HIT. People don't know how this teaching applies to their everyday life.
Zen Master Seung Sahn not only teaches that, he teaches how we apply this teaching in our everyday life. Actually teaching sutra is very easy. Teaching Hinayana school is very easy. You talk about the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path. But how does this HIT and our teaching function in our everyday life? Practice is very important. Do you understand the twelve dependent originations? Zen Master Seung Sahn always says, mind appears, thinking appears. So how do you cut off this thinking? Practice. —Zen Master Dae Kwan (Photo by Francis Lau.)

Address

202 Meadow Road
Topsham, ME
04086

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12:30pm - 1pm
Wednesday 6:30pm - 9pm

Telephone

+12078351480

Website

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