The Founding Circle

Every Zen center begins the same way: a few people who care enough to set out the cushions and keep a steady place for others to sit. We are at that beginning now, and we are looking for a small circle of people to help us start well.

We would be glad to hear from anyone with sustained experience of zazen, or ordination in any lineage, who feels drawn to help shape a young group with care. We would be just as glad to hear from people who simply have time, a warm welcome, and the willingness to show up. There is room for both, and the work is plain and real.

Ways to help

• Arriving early to set out cushions, and staying to put them away.
• Welcoming newcomers and helping them feel at ease on a first morning.
• Learning the simple forms, and in time sounding the han and keeping the morning's time.
• Helping us find and ready a space to sit in Greenville.
• Lending a skill, whether that is hospitality, writing, design, or quiet organizing.
• Holding, in time, the deeper roles of teaching and leadership, should your practice and path lead there.

What being a founding member means

Founding members help shape the group's forms and customs in its first year, when so much is still taking its shape. You will be the first to know everything, from our first date and place to the small decisions that give a sangha its character. And with your blessing, we would be honored to name you here, with a line of thanks, as one of the people who helped this begin.

This is a quiet honor, not a volunteer sign-up sheet. If it speaks to something in you, please write to us below, and tell us a little about your practice or how you would like to help. We read every note with care.