Monday Night Book Club
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Samu (Facility workday) Saturday will occur on the 5th Saturday of each month. Your dedication to the ASZC Facility has kept the Zendo in great shape for many years. our continued dedication will help keep the Zendo available to those in the future. Each 5th Saturday of this year, join the sangha for a dedicated samu session. For more details, or to register, click on the button to send an email to the organizer.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fifth Sunday Elliston-roshi and/or Shinjin-sensei leads a lively exchange based on the ancient tradition of dharma combat (hossen), wherein individuals in the session are invited to step forward with challenging questions or comments about Zen, to which the leaders respond. This is known as a "crossing of swords" (mondo) and is the source of most of the koans recorded in history - anecdotal dialogs between students and teachers from the countries of origin.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each second Sunday we conduct a live interview with one of the long-time members of our community, and occasionally a relative newcomer, to share their wayfinding path, personal and professional background, and what makes them continue to practice Zen. VIP means "Very Interesting Person," but they are also very important to us.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
The Practice of Attention: Zen, Writing, and the Unfiltered Page
Please join us for our multi-day meditation retreat in the western North Carolina mountains. Watershed Retreat Center is located on 100 or so acres in a pastoral setting highly conducive to finding — or returning to — our true nature, all the while resting in the embrace of Mother Nature.
In Mountains and Waters Sutra, Dogen admonishes practitioners to “clearly examine blue mountains walking and your own walking.” Additionally, he says, “blue mountains are neither sentient nor insentient. You are neither sentient nor insentient.” At this Watershed Retreat, we will sit zazen, walk mountain paths, and enter into these same blue mountains Dogen spoke of over a millennia ago. We will try to hear with our eyes and see with our ears the teaching of the dharma from the mountains and waters that surround us. This requires us to tap into our creative energy, a flowing spring that runs throughout the natural world. Through various writing exercises, we will creatively examine the blue mountains walking and our own walking, which just means, practically speaking, our lives, our experience, our practice, and maybe touch that ineffable thing beyond insentience and sentience.
Bring your favorite writing tools, along with a camera if you would like to engage in nature photography. While writing is not required, we will alternate sitting meditation periods with writing, creative language exercises and sharing sessions.
Meet your hosts
Taiun-roshi will share poetry from the written record of Zen, introduce verbal design exercises, and offer opportunities for personal interviews (dokusan).
Shomōn Alan Rossi, a novelist, award-winning short story writer, and teacher of creative writing. He sees writing as another way to reflect on the dharma; contemplating Zen, and a way to study Buddhism as well as ourselves. During the retreat he plans to offer sessions to include the following:
· The Micro-Memoir: A small-scale writing project in which one “studies the self.” He will share techniques to help participants turn oneself into a character so you can help identify the self, and the actions they undertake from the perspective of others.
· Poetry Through Prose: During this session the participants will be invited to read something from the Zen cannon, and “reply” via poetry after a period of reflection. This is a way to put into words the Call-and-Response that happens internally during Zazen. It may also help participants see how they express the teachings of Zen in their daily life.
Keisei Andrew Dietz, is a writer, consultant, and author based in Atlanta. His work often explores creativity, attention, identity, and the rewards of following what is true but not always obvious. At the retreat, he will lead sessions on the relationship between zazen and writing, with a focus on how silence and stillness can help open a more honest path to the page.
He believes that a key idea in the day is the search for the first honest sentence — the sentence that arrives before performance, polish, or overthinking take over; the one that comes from genuine attention rather than from trying to sound a certain way.
Across meditation, dialog, and writing periods, he will invite participants to notice what arises from stillness and to write from that quieter, more honest place. The emphasis will be less on technique or performance and more on attention, listening, and allowing language to emerge from what is genuinely present — whether in fresh writing or in work already underway.
Registration limited to 5 to preserve intimacy and interactivity of the intensive.
Where: Watershed Retreat Center – 361 Albone Branch Road, Hayesville, NC 28904
Fees: Suggested Donation $240 (or pay what you can).
Questions Prior to Retreat Contact:
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each second Sunday we conduct a live interview with one of the long-time members of our community, and occasionally a relative newcomer, to share their wayfinding path, personal and professional background, and what makes them continue to practice Zen. VIP means "Very Interesting Person," but they are also very important to us.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
WATERSHED SILENT RETREAT
Overview:
Please join us for a multi-day Zen meditation retreat (Sesshin) in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Watershed Retreat Center is located on 94 forested acres at the foot of the Appalachian mountains.
Watershed Retreat Center is essentially Bryan Price and Kylie Brown’s home. There is a main house for meals, sleeping and showering, and a smaller cabin a short walk away, which is used as the meditation hall. Meals are informal and vegetarian (with optional dairy and eggs). Meditation is broken into 25 minutes of sitting meditation and 5 minutes of walking meditation over several blocks throughout the day, lasting from 2-3 hours. Additionally, Samu (simple working meditation tasks), will be assigned to all retreat participants to help the retreat run smoothly for all. Everyone is encouraged to attend all meditation sessions, but not required to attend all sessions. The retreat is silent from 8pm on Wednesday evening until mid-morning on Sunday.
Registration limited to 7 to preserve intimacy and interactivity of the intensive.
Where: Watershed Retreat Center – 361 Albone Branch Road, Hayesville, NC 28904
Fees: Suggested Donation $240 (or pay what you can).
Questions Prior to Retreat Contact:
CLICK HERE to download the schedule.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Samu (Facility workday) Saturday will occur on the 5th Saturday of each month. Your dedication to the ASZC Facility has kept the Zendo in great shape for many years. our continued dedication will help keep the Zendo available to those in the future. Each 5th Saturday of this year, join the sangha for a dedicated samu session. For more details, or to register, click on the button to send an email to the organizer.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each second Sunday we conduct a live interview with one of the long-time members of our community, and occasionally a relative newcomer, to share their wayfinding path, personal and professional background, and what makes them continue to practice Zen. VIP means "Very Interesting Person," but they are also very important to us.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
We will be closed for the Holidays
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each second Sunday we conduct a live interview with one of the long-time members of our community, and occasionally a relative newcomer, to share their wayfinding path, personal and professional background, and what makes them continue to practice Zen. VIP means "Very Interesting Person," but they are also very important to us.
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
We will be closed for the Holidays
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
"The Natural Way to Draw"
Training the Eye to See Reality
Please join us for our next multi-day meditation retreat of 2026 at our Zen center in "the Zone" — Zonolite Place, a close-in urban location adjacent to wooded green space, walking trails and pastoral park setting.
At ASZC, we gather to practice Zen together amidst the familiar terrain of the city and our daily routine, embarking on a journey into the intensity of Zen meditation, interspersed with Bauhaus-based training in the art of drawing.
Once the "retreat" — actually a Zen "attack" (we don't retreat from anything) — is over, we return to the fray, fully refreshed and reinvigorated.
Taiun-roshi will lead daily workshops featuring drawing studies loosely based on classic approaches to building an image on paper, supplemented with exercises from his professional design training at the Institute of Design at Illinois Tech, and his teaching career at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle Campus. He will facilitate a dialog around the implications of Art and Zen for the modern life of householders in America.
Meditation periods alternate with drawing sessions, meals, and personal time (bring your laptop or digital device if you need to stay in touch with office or family), as well as taking good care of the practice place during daily cleaning periods.
Meals will be vegetarian (lacto-ovo) but not vegan - Let us know of any special dietary needs.
Registration limited to 20 total participants, including a limit of four (4) sleepovers (additional $25 per night) to preserve the intimacy and interactivity of the intensive.
Where: Atlanta Soto Zen Center 1167 Zonolite Place Ste C Atlanta GA 30306
When: August 14 - 16th: Friday evening arrival; Sunday noon departure
Fees: Suggested Donation $100 or $50/day + plus $25 per night if sleeping over - hardship? pay what you can afford
(Fees do not include dana for teacher or tips to the cook. Be generous.)
Questions: Contact Elliston-roshi at: taiunmelliston@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each second Sunday we conduct a live interview with one of the long-time members of our community, and occasionally a relative newcomer, to share their wayfinding path, personal and professional background, and what makes them continue to practice Zen. VIP means "Very Interesting Person," but they are also very important to us.
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: TBA
Speaker: TBA
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
ROSHI SEMINAR 2026
Sharpening the Razorblade of Zen
Fourth Saturdays 9:00 AM-12:00 Noon
Read "The Razorblade of Zen" as background reference, following this reading schedule.. We will expand upon its content, and entertain any comments or questions you may have in the during the Q&A dialog.
Monthly interactive dialog will further expand upon the main thesis of the book, that Zen offers a third, middle way between the extremes of rationalism/science/secular reductionism on one end of the spectrum and theism/religion/fundamentalism on the other.
We will leverage the table below as a framework for comparative analysis in terms of eight dimensions of activities and attitudes across the three fields of endeavor, structuring the book.
QR code for purchase links
Hybrid Format Onsite/Online Participation
Individual Class (Per session): $40
Email: taiunmelliston@gmail.com for additional questions
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each third Sunday Shinji Mike Goldman-sansei, Vice-Abbot of ASZC, leads the dialog and discussion. His extensive background and historical research in Zen, combined with his polymath engagement in a wide range of professional and teaching activities as martial arts (black belt judo), hazard management, music performance (bsss, guitar and mandolin for starters). EMT training, venomous snake handling and rescue, scuba diving, schooling in entomology and nature photography, along with his style of presenting the material and connecting it to daily life make for interesting and challenging discussion.
Zen Jam Night
Monthly · 7:00–8:30 PM
Suggested $10 dāna donation to the center
Join us for a relaxed evening of music, presence, and community. No experience is required—professionals, hobbyists, total beginners, and first-timers are all welcome.
What to Expect:
All instruments welcome. We’ll also provide simple percussion for anyone without instruments
No set repertoire. Just show up and make sound—songs are welcome, but not required.
Beginner’s-mind approach. We’ll open with a short reflection and offer simple musical prompts to help everyone drop expectations and play freely.
Evening Flow
Opening House Band Set: 15–30 minutes
Open Jam: 45–60 minutes
Audience is welcome, but participation is encouraged.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Speaker: Jyozen
Jyozen is the current Jushoku of Kanzeonji. He is a descendent of Matsuoka Roshi through his teacher Ryugen Watanabe. Personal meditation began has a youth during martial arts practice. The change to a more spiritual practice came doing kyudo (zen archery) with Kaizan Kosaka Sensei. Kosaka Sensei is a Shingon Buddhist priest, his Buddhist training and traditional Japanese upbringing infused itself in all aspects of his life, which flowed into the life of some of his students. Then in 1996, to strengthen this aspect of his kyudo, jyozen found and joined the sangha at Kanzeonji.
Just Sit Saturday is your opportunity to enhance your daily practice and prepare for extended meditation in upcoming retreats offered during the year.
We will focus on just sitting zazen.
MORNING SESSIONS: 9 AM - NOON
(6) SESSIONS- 25 min sitting + 5 min walking
Suggested Program price: $25 or pay what you can afford.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each 1st Thursday of the month the workshop will feature exercises in creative combinations of 5 focal points:
1 - Natural Posture: Finding Your Center (zazen)
2 - Natural Breath: Following The Body (kyuki & koki)
3 - Mindful Attention: Nurturing Beginner’s Mind (shoshin)
4 - Walking & Chanting: Feeling Stillness in Motion (kinhin, mokurai)
5 - Healing & Sleeping: Promoting Wellbeing (ki)
Suggested donation $20.00 per session
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.
9:00-10:30 Zazen (Three twenty-five minutes sitting sessions with 5 minutes of kinhin after each sit)
Traditional Soto Zen Service 10:30 AM
Dharma Talk: 10:30 AM
Each fourth Sunday Roshi Taiun Elliston delivers a contemporary approach to approaching Zen from a design-thinking, problem-definition and -solving perspective, derived from his training in the Bauhaus method or graphic, industrial and communications design and based on his background in research for new product and program development and years in applied design for a variety of industries, as well as his teaching at university level. This is in keeping with the tradition of householder Zen adapting to the various countries and cultures over time, and continuing Matsuoka-roishi's mission in bringing Soto Zen to America in the 1940s.
INTRODUCTION to SOTO ZEN MEDITATION:
7:00 - 8:30 pm - Orientation and Instructions including 15-20 min meditation (ZAZEN) sessions with 5-min walking (kinhin)
The first 25 minutes is zazen(meditation) followed by an informal discussion on the book that ends at 9:00 PM.