Blue Cliff Zen Center

10/22/2025

We'll be out in Dorena next weekend for our Breakthrough to Zen retreat. It's a lovely campus right on the Row River. Please join us. Full details here: https://www.bluecliffzen.org/breakthrough-to-zen-retreats/

09/28/2025

Join us for a Fall Meditation Day out at Big Bear in Walton. It's a wonderful opportunity to get into the woods and do some practice. We still have a few spaces available. Bring a packed lunch.

09/03/2025

Our teacher on our Rinzai Zen side, Zen master Shinzan, ran all the time. He talked about the practices of "zazen" (sitting meditation) and "dozen" (moving meditation). Because running is a repetitive, rhythmic movement it functions like a bridge for bringing meditation into your daily, non-sitting life. Roshi would often talk about "narikiru", being one with whatever you're doing. Running practice is fantastic way to do this.

08/20/2025

Our annual yard sale fundraiser is this weekend! Hope you can join us. If you'd like to donate goods for sale, please bring them by between 12-3pm on Friday 8/22.

3485 Mill Street, Eugene
Saturday, August 23rd 9am-5pm
Sunday, August 24th 10am-2pm

Yard Sale Fundraiser for Blue Cliff Zen Center 3485 Mill Street in Eugene Saturday, August 23rd from 9-5 Sunday August 24th from 10-2 An amazing collection of unique and quality goods priced to...

07/08/2025

Congratulations to the folks who received the Zen Precepts last weekend! It's always so inspiring to witness such sincerity to practice and walking the Zen path of awakening.

05/16/2025

We had a wonderful Breakthrough to Zen Retreat last weekend. Daizan Roshi came out to lead it from Zenways. We were on the McKenzie River, beautiful nights and sunny warm days. Very inspirational!

04/29/2025

Our spring meditation day was this past weekend out at Big Bear. The apple blossoms were full and everything felt so alive! Thank you to everyone who came. Wonderful day of meditation and zen yoga practice.

04/24/2025

Our summer retreat this year is called "There Be Dragons". Dragons show up in the Zen tradition in many ways. Great meditators and bodhissatvas are sometimes depicted as riding them; dragons are viewed as the keepers of wisdom; carp transform into dragons; there are koans about dragons. Also, the inherent powerful dragon energy within can challenge you greatly and result in an integration of your whole being. During this retreat we'll focus on how dragons show up in so many ways and how to connect with them.

Dates: 3 or 5 days. Longer version: Friday, July 25 (dinner) – Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (lunch). Shorter version: Friday evening - Sunday afternoon. Led by Shinkai Roshi.

04/22/2025

We just finished our spring Melting the Ice retreat out on the Oregon coast. Plenty of meditation, hiking, and zen yoga practice oriented towards aligning with the springtime ☀️🪴🌷

04/16/2025

A statue of a 1000 armed Avalokitesvara (Kannon), the bodhissatva of compassion from the 17th century in China. Her many arms depict that impulse to support and look after others and the world. On display at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

04/14/2025

Our Spring Zen Yoga Retreat (Melting the Ice) is this coming weekend out on the Oregon coast. It’s a wonderful way to spend some time nurturing your own inner new growth and allowing it to manifest in fun, creative ways.

03/30/2025

A picture of the Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, Japan. It's a huge bronze statue of the Buddha Amida. The Amida sutra talks about how "the streams, the birds, the trees, the groves, are all chanting the name of the Buddha" - they're alive with the nature of true reality.

We're heading to Japan in May this year. Still a few places left on the trip.