Important Details
Membership and Fees: In order to maintain itself, the Zen group must be financed by its members (including the teachers) through regular monthly dues. Teachers are exempt from retreat fees. We strongly appreciate contributions from non-members at our weekly sittings. The non-member suggested donation for students is $3, $5 for all others, or whatever you can give us to help defray our rent and the cost of cushions and other supplies. Lack of a donation, though, will not be a barrier for anyone wishing to come sit with us.
The monthly donation for members is $30. Membership is encouraged for anyone wishing to make a commitment to a regular meditation practice. Please discuss the possibility of membership with one of our teachers.
We maintain an "affiliate" level of membership for members who cannot sustain a regular commitment to the group yet wish to stay connected and join us remotely. Affiliate members will be invited to join us virtually on the last Sunday of each month. Donation for this level of membership is $15 a month, and is free for students. If this would suit your situation, please discuss the possibility with one of our teachers.
Meeting Location: We meet at Fellowship in Prayer, 291 Witherspoon St., Princeton, NJ. Please enter through the rear door. In the event the door is locked on a Sunday evening, someone will be along shortly to let you in.
Meeting Times: Meditation is from 7 to 9 pm on Sundays except on weekends when the sangha is on retreat. Please arrive early to allow time to arrange your cushions, since ceremonies start promptly at 7 pm. If you arrive after the service begins, please sit in zazen outside the zendo until the bell rings for meditation or kinhin, at which point you may quickly enter and select your seat.
Newcomers should arrive at 6:30 for a brief introduction to Zen meditation, followed by the opportunity to join us for regular meditation. Advance notice of your arrival is appreciated but not necessary.
Parking: There are a handful of parking spots in the lot behind the Fellowship in Prayer building. There is a municipal parking lot down and across Witherspoon St., and there is on-street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.
Cushions: Meditation cushions are a necessary acquisition for anyone committing to a regular meditation practice. We have limited storage space currently, and while we can offer cushions to those who have not yet acquired a set, we recommend purchasing cushions to use at home and to bring with you on Sunday evenings. Following are some links to online vendors who sell complete cushion sets (zafu and zabuton) and other meditation supplies: Zafu Store, Dharmacrafts, Carolina Morning, and the Monastery Store. Feel free to ask sangha members about their own experiences and preferences.
Clothing and Personal Effects: Dress comfortably and sedately. Please remove your shoes on entering the Fellowship in Prayer. There are hooks to hang jackets, coats, and bags inside the doorway. Please silence electronic devices and place small personal items you wish to keep with you behind or beneath your sitting area.
Masking: Masking is not required currently in the zendo. If you would prefer the teacher be masked for dokusan, please alert one of the zendo leaders.
Contacts: By phone, Donald 609-510-3909 and Paul 908-809-3400; by email,
Leadership Roles in the Zen Community: While the responsibilities regarding matters of Zen practice rest with the teachers, all administrative responsibilities rotate among the membership. The leadership roles necessary to run the Zen group are created and voluntarily taken on by members of the Zen community.
Meditation Retreats: We hold several 3- to 5-day meditation retreats (sesshin) throughout the year in addition to frequent 1 day retreats (zazenkai).Consult with a teacher if you're interested in joining a planned retreat. We prefer that you join us for at least a few Sunday sittings before committing to the rigor of an extended retreat.
Additional Activities: Time, energy, and resources permitting, the Princeton Area Zen Group seeks to provide additional Zen-related activities, like introductions to newcomers, monthly membership meetings, discussions of Zen topics and informal social get-togethers. Members are encouraged to take the initiative in these activities. The "democratic" organization of Zen practice is an ongoing experiment. Students are expected to let teachers perform their function, and teachers are expected to let students administer the Zen center.
