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A Way of Service "When you realize the wholeness and interdependence of life, you have to take care of everyone, and to do that, you have to work with every ingredient of life." - Roshi Bernie Glassman, Founder
Our founder and Spiritual Director, Roshi Bernie Glassman, is internationally recognized as one of the pioneers and guiding spirits of socially engaged Buddhism. He has based his life's work on a commitment to service, born from his practice and mastery of the 2500-year-old tradition of Buddhist compassion and wisdom. Bernie created the Zen Peacemakers in 1980 to embody this commitment in a global network that integrates Zen practice, social service, and interfaith work to bring the experience of wholeness and interdependence into the context of daily life. Zen Peacemakers practice socially engaged Buddhism to transform individuals and communities, and have responded to some of the most difficult problems of our time - poverty, AIDS, homelessness, and a lack of skills necessary for employment.
The training of Zen Peacemakers is grounded in traditional Zen practice - meditation, retreats, liturgy, personal study-relationships with empowered teachers and the intimate recognition of mastery, which maintains the integrity of Zen lineages.
What characterizes the socially engaged practices of Zen Peacemakers is how they extend Dharma from the meditation hall to the worlds of business, social service, conflict resolution, and environmental stewardship. This work has engendered new models of practice, especially to address the needs of individuals and communities in disadvantaged areas. The Zen Peacemakers' way illuminates all life as a boundless meditation hall. Today, the Zen Peacemakers have a 34-acre campus in Montague, Massachusetts, as well as 54 affiliate centers, communities and circles worldwide. |
Bernie's Zen
The Dude Abides