Princeton Area Zen Group

Masking for in-person sitting is encouraged. For full health policy and other deatails please see Other information.

Beginners Night is held on the first Sunday of every month.
On those nights there will be instruction in seated meditation for newcomers from 6:30 to 7 pm, followed by a regular sitting from 7 to 9 pm. Please contact us in advance if you're planning on attending for the first time.

Affiliate members will be invited to join virtually on the last Sunday of every month. Please contact us for more information on the affiliate membership

Introduction

The Princeton Area Zen Group (PAZG) engages in lay meditation practice in the tradition of Yasutani-Yamada-Aitken. Founded in 1991 by teachers Manfred Steger and Perle Besserman, the Princeton Area Zen Group is a community-based, non-residential unaffiliated Zen center designed to introduce anyone with a sincere desire for self-realization to the formal practice of zazen (sitting meditation).

The group is not a religious organization, but a collection of committed, like-minded individuals responsible for maintaining and supporting a place of Zen practice. It emphasizes traditional elements of Zen Buddhist practice, such as sitting meditation, dharma talks, private interviews, and retreats, but within a framework of Western culture with an emphasis on democratically discussed and implemented community policies.

For more information, please contact Donald Dow at 609-510-3909, or email us at princetonzen@gmail.com.

Click here (Amazon.com) for information on the book Grassroots Zen: Community and Practice in the Twenty-First Century by Princeton Area Zen Group (PAZG) founding teachers Perle Besserman and Manfred Steger