Clouds in Water Zen Center follows in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri-roshi, a Soto Zen monk who came to this country in the early 1960's, worked with Shunryu Suzuki-roshi for ten years at Zen Center in San Francisco, and came to Minnesota in 1972.
The Zendo between activities.
Clouds in Water Zen Center offers the opportunity for people to practice Zen Buddhism, whatever their background or faith may be. Zen Buddhism is about awakening the heart-mind to its own inherent wisdom and compassion. To facilitate this awakening, we offer classes and workshops, sesshin and retreats, individual meetings with the teachers, community meditation and chanting, and support for practice in daily life. We believe that guidance from experienced teachers and the support of a warm and open community are essential elements on the journey.
Clouds in Water was founded by Dosho Mike Port Sensei who was the guiding teacher and executive director of Clouds in Water from 1994 to 2004. In October of 1992, he started with a small sitting group at the First Unitarian Society in Minneapolis. This group met weekly on Sunday mornings. In the summer of 1997 Clouds in Water moved to its current location at 308 Prince Street, in the Northern Warehouse, in St. Paul near the Farmers' Market. Directions.
On Sunday, October 1, 2006 forty-four sangha members attended the Guiding Teacher selection council and voted unaminously to ask Byakuren Judith Ragir to serve as Guiding Teacher for Clouds in Water. Judith accepted and began her tenure November 1, 2006. Byakuren studied with Dainin Katagiri-roshi for 17 years at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Following his death in 1990, Judith began working as a teacher at Clouds in Water. She was instrumental in the development of the center and was a senior teacher at Clouds for nine years. She is currently approaching her Dharma Transmission—permission to teach independently and transmit the Soto Zen Lineage—from Joen Snyder O'Neal, a Katagiri-Roshi lineage holder, which will take place in December of 2007. Byakuren has an eclectic teaching style, using various teachings from Zen, Vipassana, Tibetan Buddhism, and 12-Step Recovery. She has a background in bodywork and healing which includes having been a professional modern dancer and a doctor of Oriental Medicine. Judith's White Lotus Web site: http://www.judithragir.org/. (Opens in a new window.)
Our facility includes 3800 square feet of the Northern Warehouse building's first floor. We have a large zendo (meditation hall), kitchen, library/lounge, auxiliary zendo, offices, and interview room. The Northern Warehouse building also houses other nonprofit and commercial organizations (galleries, arts support groups, etc.) and 52 units of housing for artists. Parking is available in the nearby parking lots (for about $2.75) or on the street.