For the Beneficial Awakening of All Beings
​
At Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, we emphasize the importance of just sitting. We practice the ancient tradition of Zazen, seated meditation to deepen our original nature and extend clarity to everyday life.
​
​
​
Jakusho Kwong-roshi founded Sonoma Mountain Zen Center in 1973 to continue the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki - roshi, author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. He, his family, and a small community of students converted an old barn on Sonoma Mountain into Genjo-ji Temple (Manifesting Everyday Activity) which stands today. Kwong-roshi has served as Abbot for over forty years and founded affiliate centers in Poland and Iceland and sitting groups in the United States.
Sonoma Mountain Zen Center is an intimate community with a small residential program and a larger membership that joins in practice. Practitioners engage in an authentic Zen tradition through daily practice, retreats, special events, and solo hermitages.
The center is located high on Sonoma Mountain, on eighty acres of secluded oak woodland and redwood forest overlooking the Valley of the Moon. The center's handcrafted buildings are constructed from recycled materials taken from old barns in the area. SMZC is located in the heart of Northern California wine country, approximately an hour and a half from the San Francisco Bay Area.
