Year-Round Buddhist Training on the North Coast of The Netherlands
Zen River Temple is an international Buddhist monastery on a beautiful property on the outskirts of Uithuizen, a small village on the northern edge of The Netherlands close to the Wadden Sea. It enjoys the spaciousness and tranquillity of the countryside and yet is easily accessible by public transport.
Zen River’s founders and head teachers are abbot Tenkei Coppens Roshi and Myoho Gabrysch Roshi, both qualified representatives of the America-based White Plum Lineage and the Japanese Soto School. They are assisted by several of Tenkei Roshi’s Dharma successors. Moreover, teachers of other Buddhist organizations are often invited to give lectures.
Zen River is officially registered in Japan as a Tokubetsu Jiin (international missionary temple) and plays an active role in the development of the European department of the Soto School. That means that there is a lively exchange between Zen River and other temples abroad. Due to its international orientation, classes are usually held in English. All meals are vegetarian.
The temple aspires to keep the Zen tradition alive for future generations and is set up as a place where men and women, monastics and laypeople can practice together under one roof. Together, they follow a training program that includes meditation, ritual, study classes and work. The continuity of the practice is ensured by a team of residential monastics, and everyone is welcome to join for longer or shorter periods. The maximum number of participants is forty-two in total. Zen River offers monthly sesshins (silent retreats), Gyoji (continuous practice) weeks, and special events. Please consult the calendar for more information.
Over the years, Zen River has branched out to Keiryuji (a mountain hermitage in the Spanish Pyrenees), the Zen Boat in Groningen, and meditation groups Madrid, Lima, Zutphen, Haarlem, and Hengelo, all under the guidance of certified Dharma teachers.
Timeless Calling, Timely Response
In this book, Tenkei Roshi provides guidelines for Zen Buddhist practice based on the “Four Modes of Meditation” that he developed over recent years at Zen River Temple. He also addresses how these modes can be extended to koan training, ritual, study, work, and social interaction. Timeless Calling, Timely Response aims to inspire anyone interested in hearing their life’s calling and finding their own way to respond to it.
The book is for sale in the webshop. If you are outside Europe it may be more economical to buy the paperback edition or the digital edition from the Amazon store in your region, e.g. at amazon.com.
Zen River Cookbook Vol. 1 & 2
Zen River Cookbook Volumes 1 (2015) and 2 (2022): Two compilations of illustrated recipes cooked in the Zen River kitchen. Tamara Myoho Gabrysch, the head tenzo at Zen River Temple, wrote them. The first volume is for sale on the webshop. If you are outside Europe it may be more economical to buy the paperback editions or digital editions from the Amazon store in your region, e.g. at amazon.com.
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