Dharma Training Fund

At the Zen Center of Los Angeles, we encourage everyone to awaken, because we know that sincere practice yields wisdom, compassion, equanimity, and generosity – it yields good human beings and a better world. Over the past year, 357 new seekers of the way registered for the Zen Center’s Introduction to Meditation classes. These new students are then invited to begin practicing in the Zendo. After that, our welcoming, joyful Sangha takes good care of the new people, encouraging them in their practice.

Roshi Egyoku often taught: “Don’t forget about the people.” We all do our best to take good care of each other by offering our generous gifts of kindness, teaching, listening and helpfulness. Many of our new people that have begun to have a regular practice with us, in addition some seasoned practitioners want to take part in Zazenkai, Sesshin and our other offerings, but can’t afford to pay the fees. This is why it is so important that the Zen Center policy is to turn no one away for lack of funds. We encourage everyone to practice Zazen every day and to participate in as many of our offerings as possible. The Dharma Training Fund helps to make this possible by providing Zen students who can’t afford to participate in some of our offerings with financial assistance. The student pays as much as they can and the Dharma Training Fund provides assistance for the rest.

Our goal this year is to raise $28,000. This amount is needed to take care of our Sangha and the programs that we offer. We are so blessed to have a Sangha where compassion flows freely and everyone is encouraged to awaken. Please join the Development Circle in giving as generous a gift as possible to the Dharma Training Fund. We can only continue to make all of our offerings accessible to everyone with your help.

Thank you in advance for your support and your generosity.

With deep gratitude,

The Development Circle:

Sensei Dharma-Joy, Sensei Myoho, Muso, Kaizen, Meiho, Butsugen, Mike Salerno