Zen Mentorship
Mentorship is for people who want Zen-informed guidance without entering a formal apprenticeship. This might be where you begin if you are discerning, or where you remain if formal apprenticeship is not what you are seeking.
Mentorship involves periodic meetings with me — a conversation rooted in practice, in your life, in what is actually happening. A guided conversation rooted in Zen or Buddhism, periodic contact with a teacher, support for your practice without the full structure of formal training.
Mentorship has its own shape and value, and it is fundamentally different than apprenticeship.
What it does not include
It does not include the Shokenko ceremony, access to Dokusan at intensives, or eligibility for the RAPP training path. Those belong to formal apprenticeship.
This is not a withholding. It is honesty about what the relationship actually is. Dokusan requires the formal relationship to hold it properly — that is the actual structure of how Zen training works, not a restriction imposed arbitrarily.
The rate
$150 + GST per 45-minute meeting, booked as the relationship calls for it.
There is no monthly commitment and no minimum. Mentorship is not capped — there is always a way to be in relationship with this teacher and this practice, whether or not a formal apprenticeship spot is open.
If you are considering apprenticeship
If over time you find yourself wanting more — wanting the formal relationship, the ceremony, the full training path — that door is open. It is a door, not a wall.
Before Shokenko, three Zen Mentorship meetings are required. Not apprenticeship yet. Mentorship. These meetings give sufficient contact for me to assess genuine engagement before the formal relationship begins. If the fit is mutual, Shokenko follows.
Relationship is built through contact over time. Someone meeting me as a mentee is already building it.
Begin
Book a free 30-minute consultation to talk about where you are and what you are looking for. Nothing is decided in advance.
Teàrlach Eshū Kilgour, Oshō — Abbot, Zenwest Buddhist Society