Brooklyn Zen Center (BZC) operates two temples: Boundless Mind Temple (BMT) in Brooklyn and Ancestral Heart Temple (AHT) in Millerton, New York; Ancestral Heart offers public-facing programming at the Millerton Zendo, located in downtown Millerton. We also offer online programming that reaches practitioners nationally and internationally.
The two temples have overlapping yet distinct missions. BMT offers a home for a wide body of practitioners in Brooklyn, with programming that actualizes our vision of socially-engaged dharma. AHT offers the long-term, intimate residential training necessary to sustain a city temple and cultivate grounded awareness, as well as retreats and short-term stays that offer a taste of monastic life. Together, they create a dynamic cycle of deepening practice and expanding community.
For directions, please see the Contact page. For the event and meditation schedule at each location, please visit our Events page.
Boundless Mind Temple (our “city temple”) is located in the parish house of Christ Church Cobble Hilla community that seeks “to build and reveal the beloved community of justice, hope, and beauty here, for the life of the neighborhood and the world.” BMT, in addition to offering zazen and dharma talks, emphasizes community and social engagement, as well as lay practice. It’s both an entry point for newcomers and a home for long-term practitioners to face the myriad challenges of the world with compassion. See our upcoming events here.
Ancestral Heart Temple (our “mountain temple”) is located near the town of Millerton, two hours north of New York City. Between six and twelve residents live and practice at Ancestral Heart, following a full daily schedule of zazen, work, and study. AHT emphasizes long-term residential Zen practice, and trains priests who make lifelong vows to the sangha. AHT residents cultivate connection with the land, the body, and ancestry.
For the time being, visits to Ancestral Heart Temple are open to BZC’s members only and can last anywhere from just a few days to a whole month. For information on visits to Ancestral Heart Temple, please email us here.
The Millerton Zendo is Ancestral Heart’s public-facing zendo, or meditation hall. It is a space to build a local community and practice, since AHT is not yet open to the public. The Millerton Zendo is open to all in the local community and the surrounding areas, and offers weekly programming that serves as an introduction to Zen practice and a way to connect with AHT and its residents. See upcoming events here.
Brooklyn Zen Center greatly began its “Online Zendo” during the COVID-19 pandemic and saw that they not only helped the in-person community stay connected, but became an important practice area for sangha members in different locations, newcomers, and those who cannot access our in-person offerings.
We regularly broadcast dharma talks, offer classes, and hold meetings in the Online Zendo. See upcoming events here. In addition, we offer a podcast with audio from dharma talks from all our locations.