The Empty Field Zendo is a dedicated space to practice meditation and mindfulness in order to reconnect to our natural ground – our clear, bright and peaceful nature. In Zen, an Empty Field is not empty, it is a field of great potential, the ground of being that connects all things, and a place from which we discover how to move freely with wisdom and compassion in our daily lives.
Its particular mission on the farm is to provide guests and residents a supportive setting for Zen lay practice adapted to a Western context integrating ecological awareness, mindful body practices, and psychology that foster deepening our relationship to awakening. Important values for the community are naturalness and flexibility with traditional forms, honoring diversity, and accessibility for people of different faiths or levels of interest.
All are welcome. Please come visit during the season – we host weekly sittings, guest speakers and several retreats. The space is very simple – rustic, unheated, lit by oil lamps, positioned in a quiet grassy field on the edge of the farm. Over the years, practice here has taken on the flavor of naturalness and ease that echoes in the landscape and the day to day activities of a working organic farm. The rituals and retreat schedules we use have been adapted from Asian cultures to meet our Western values by integrating informal talks, body practices like yoga, mindfulness practices from other traditions, and an awareness of psychology and social responsibility.
