Montreal Zen Center
Encyclopedia
Montreal Zen Center is a Sōtō
/Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha
located in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
in the Harada Tangen/Haku'un Yasutani
line . The community offers for members only intensive Zen
sesshin
retreats, of seven day, three day and two day duration. Introductory workshops are given for the general public, with follow –up and training programs for those wishing to become members. The Montreal Zen Centre was initially established in Montreal in 1975 as an affiliate of the Rochester Zen Center
. The Center moved to its current location in 1979. Since 1979 the teacher at the Montreal Zen Center has been Albert Low
, who received full transmission from Philip Kapleau
in 1986 and became a teacher in his own right. The Centre became fully autonomous in 1986 with Dr. Albert Low
as the teacher and director. The Montreal Zen Center currently has over 200 members. The members are directly involved in running the Center.
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
/Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
located in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the Harada Tangen/Haku'un Yasutani
Haku'un Yasutani
was a Sōtō Rōshi and the founder of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Buddhist organization.-Biography:Ryōkō Yasutani was born in Japan in Shizuoka Prefecture....
line . The community offers for members only intensive Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
sesshin
Sesshin
A sesshin , literally "touching the heart-mind" , is a period of intensive meditation in a Zen monastery....
retreats, of seven day, three day and two day duration. Introductory workshops are given for the general public, with follow –up and training programs for those wishing to become members. The Montreal Zen Centre was initially established in Montreal in 1975 as an affiliate of the Rochester Zen Center
Rochester Zen Center
The Rochester Zen Center is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. The history of the Rochester Zen Center begins overseas with the...
. The Center moved to its current location in 1979. Since 1979 the teacher at the Montreal Zen Center has been Albert Low
Albert Low
Albert William Low is an authorized Zen master, an internationally published author, and a former human resources executive. He has lived in England, South Africa, Canada, and the United States and has resided in Montreal since 1979. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy and Psychology, and is a...
, who received full transmission from Philip Kapleau
Philip Kapleau
Philip Kapleau was a teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools.-Early life:...
in 1986 and became a teacher in his own right. The Centre became fully autonomous in 1986 with Dr. Albert Low
Albert Low
Albert William Low is an authorized Zen master, an internationally published author, and a former human resources executive. He has lived in England, South Africa, Canada, and the United States and has resided in Montreal since 1979. He holds a BA degree in Philosophy and Psychology, and is a...
as the teacher and director. The Montreal Zen Center currently has over 200 members. The members are directly involved in running the Center.