Entering the Gate of Zen

Maybe you've been reading about Buddhism and Zen for a while now.

Perhaps you've been experimenting with meditation on your own — or with groups that just aren't the right "fit" for you — and you're seeking guidance toward a stable practice that's clear, direct, and no-nonsense.

This is a way in.

Four evenings

Over four Wednesday evenings, a small group of us — no more than eight — meets online to engage together. Each evening is held by the same simple container. We review the material as a community of practice. Each person brings whatever the week of practice has stirred up — the challenges as much as the openings. And then we sit, together, embodying the form. Little by little, Zen practice shifts from being ideas you've read about — into experiences you're integrating into your body, heart, and mind — and can manifest in your life.

The core self-study resources are freely available through Zenwest's online Orientation to Zen. What Entering the Gate of Zen offers is companionship along the way, an experienced, living guide and teacher to respond to questions as they arise — and the accountability, motivation, and support of sharing the journey with a group, week after week. It's not uncommon for people who start together to develop life-long connections.

Successfully completing the four-week Entering the Gate of Zen also qualifies you for Sandō (zendo entering) and membership in Zenwest, if you'd like to join the sangha and access more training opportunities.*

The journey of four evenings is intended to be experienced as a cohort — sangha is a fundamental support. That said, sometimes life happens. With notice, a missed evening can be made up in a private session, with a check-in and a shortened sit, booked separately. The shape of the teaching and practice holds. The one thing it can't replace is the group energy and interconnection — which is a core element of Zen practice.

Next Cohort

Wednesday Evenings · October 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2026 · 7–9 pm Pacific · online via Zoom · $416.85 (incl. GST)

* You can also qualify for Sandō another way: by working through the free online Orientation to Zen on your own and completing a separate Practice Assessment, if you'd prefer.

Image: "Gate and farm tracks close to Gartur Stitich Farm, Scotland" by Michal Klajban, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons — cropped.