Experience Ring of Moss Zendo
An Urban Zen Buddhist Community in Portland, Oregon.
Ring of Moss is a Diamond Sangha affiliate with roots in both the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen. We have close ties to Ring of Bone Zendo in California.
Gathering in Portland, Oregon since 1996.
Ring of Moss has roots in both the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen (Ch’an), as developed in the Diamond Sangha, with close ties to Ring of Bone Zendo on California’s rural San Juan Ridge. Meditation in community is central to our practice.
The Diamond Sangha tradition emphasizes koan practice.
Koans present vivid examples of the Great Matter of life and death and serve as windows into awakening to the Way. We study koans from many sources, focusing on the Gateless Barrier, Blue Cliff Record, Record of Ease, and the Transmission of the Lamp.
Year-around instruction.
Year-around instruction at Ring of Moss is available from Andrew Mason, authorized to teach by Nelson Foster in 2018. Andrew began Zen training with Robert Aitken in 1988.
First Timers
We welcome visitors, with or without prior experience in Zen practice. Join us for one of our weekly sittings.
“I follow my impulsive feet wherever they might go my body is a pine tree surrounded by the snow sometimes I simply stand beside a flowing stream sometimes I chase a drifting cloud past another peak.”
- Han-shan
