Meet a Member – Errol King

March 24, 2025

For Week 3 of Brooklyn Zen Center’s annual Membership Drive, we’re excited to introduce you to Errol King, a sangha member at Millerton Zendo!

Errol King

Name: Errol King
Member Since: April 2024
Place of Practice: Millerton Zendo / Ancestral Heart
Favorite BZC Program: Morning Program at Ancestral Heart
BZC Roles: Doan Ryo
Fun Fact: I scored a perfect game of 300 in bowling once.

My Story:
I’ve been meditating on and off since I was seven and exploring Buddhism in my own way since I was sixteen. Zen has always called to me, but I never felt drawn to joining a community of practice. As meaningful as my journey has been, it has often felt solitary.

When I moved to Millbrook, NY, I assumed I had landed in a spiritual desert. I searched, I listened, and I came across BZC and MZ. At first, I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if a community was what I needed. But as I read more of Thich Nhat Hanh, his words on the power of sangha stayed with me. I began to see the limits of practicing alone, and eventually, I found the courage to show up.

That first Sunday service was magical. Sitting in stillness, listening to the dharma talk—I felt something shift. It was exactly what I had been missing. The people I met were warm, open, and deeply present. A week or two later, I brought my family to the AH garden day, and it was there that I knew: this place, this community, would become an essential part of our lives.

Since then, I’ve become a member—sitting at MZ on Sundays, joining community events when I can, reading more about Soto and taking part in online courses. Many of these practices have shaped my life and the way I show up as a father, husband, creative, business person, etc. More than anything, I am profoundly grateful for this sangha and the way it continues to nourish my practice and my heart.

— Errol King

Support BZC’s Spring Membership Drive by signing up for a new membership, upgrading the value of your existing one, and promoting what it means to be a member to your friends!