Confluence Zen Center STL (CZC) is a small Zen center that formed because a group of practitioners saw the need for a place in St. Louis where people could practice Zazen (meditation) together at least several times a week in a quiet, welcoming environment.
We practice in the Japanese Soto tradition that honors Shakyamuni Buddha as the original teacher, and Dogen Zenji and Keizan Zenji as its founders. Our teacher, Rev. Daigaku Rummé, is accredited within that lineage. CZC is a member of the Buddhist Council of St. Louis. Our teacher is a member of three Zen teacher organizations: the SZBA, the ASZB, and the AZTA. Rummé is also a Board member of the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis.
Our Sangha (community) is dedicated to awakening to the Way of Buddha by first listening to the Buddha’s teaching (Buddhadharma), by studying and reflecting on that teaching, and finally by putting this teaching into practice in our everyday lives. Our objective is to realize the Way of Buddha for ourselves and thereby be able to pass it on to others.
Zen is to eliminate the separation between self and others. Yet rather than eliminating this separation, it is to notice that from the beginning, there never has been such a separation. This is to realize that our present condition is always the result. To accept this without resistance is the objective of our practice. For lay people, this is particularly important because Zen isn’t only a matter of sitting quietly. Zen practice is to acquire the habit in our everyday lives of being one with whatever we are doing.
The practice of Zazen will always be at the heart of our mission. The various activities that we engage in are to support the heart of our practice. Whether it be ongoing classes, sesshin and one-day sittings, or the other activities we do, CZC has a vision for the practitioners we have yet to meet. These programs and practices are focused on enriching the lives of those who walk through our doors seeking a tranquil refuge no matter their circumstances. Our mission includes the continued formation of a diverse, supportive Sangha.
The city of St. Louis faces many challenges. We believe that by making the Buddhadharma accessible to the public that the entire St. Louis region benefits when even a few people are engaged in Zen practice.
Confluence Zen Center
7112 St. James Square, St. Louis, MO 63143
Email: confluencezen@gmail.com
Tel: 314-669-4465
Instagram: confluencezen