Cultivating an awakened world that transforms suffering into compassion and delusion into wisdom

Circles of Joy Gift Initiative

This holiday season (2024), ZLMC is partnering with community organizations to spread some holiday cheer!

Check out our Gift Initiative to sponsor a family of 8 and to buy gift items for children. These gifts need to be completed by Monday, Dec. 2nd, so act now.

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The Joy of Zen Gift Card

This holiday season give someone you love the gift of Zen. This Gift Card gives the holder free attendance to all four class classes in any one of our Foundation of Mindfulness courses. A $149 value, the gift card can be purchased at our front desk for just $100.

Upcoming Programs

January 9, 2025
Thursdays, 7:00–8:30 pm | Hybrid

DISCOVER INNER PEACE

FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS

In just four weeks, transform your relationship with stress, anxiety, and life’s challenges through our time-tested Zen mindfulness practices. Join us at the Zen Life & Meditation Center, where for over 10 years we’ve guided thousands to find clarity and calm in the heart of Chicago.

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Welcome to the Zen Center

Every day, people just like you step through our doors – CEOs and students, believers and skeptics, all searching for clarity. We understand the burdens you may carry: the depression that colors your world gray, the stress that tightens your shoulders, and the burnout that dims your spark. We’ve walked this path before and we’ve found something worth sharing.

1. First Steps on the Path

Imagine standing at the threshold of a new world – one filled with peace, wisdom, and connection. Join our Zen family by attending any of our free events, such as our Sunday Morning Zen program or our weekly morning online meditation.

2. Getting Started

Zen meditation and the cultivation of mindful awareness form the core of our practice, offering profound benefits such as stress management, deeper relationships, and a richer life experience. Begin your journey with our four-part Foundations of Mindfulness course.

3. Embrace the Zen Journey

Our Sangha welcomes all, from curious newcomers to dedicated practitioners. To help you understand better the nature of the Zen Spiritual Path, we suggest you take our course, the Path of Zen. The next step is to consider joining the Center as a member. There are two kinds of membership at the center.There are several ways to participate as a member. You may become a supporting member paying monthly dues to help support our mission You may also choose to embark on a serious Zen path of training.

4. Finding Your True North

As you delve into your Zen practice, a world of self-discovery unfolds before you. The ordinary is extraordinary–each moment a revelation, each breath a miracle. Your journey may lead you to take the Jukai ceremony, where you embrace the sixteen precepts under your teacher’s guidance.