Clouds In Water Zen Center

A vibrant urban community in the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition dedicated to awakening the heart of great wisdom and compassion. We welcome people of all backgrounds and faiths.

Clouds in Water Zen Center seeks an Executive Director at 24 hours per week to lead us into a new phase of development as a religious non-profit organization. The Executive Director stewards the financial, facilities, and human resources of Clouds in Water Zen Center in a responsible, transparent, and life-affirming manner. The Executive Director is a collaborative, diversity & equity-focused leader who supports myriad efforts to move Clouds in Water from surviving to thriving.

 

If you or someone you know might be interested in the role of executive director, please use and/or share this APPLICATION LINK. The full job description and the link to the application can also be found on the MN COUNCIL OF NONPROFITS JOB BOARD.

 

COVID-19 Community Care Practice 

Masking is currently optional for our Sunday Public Program as well as classes, gatherings and private events unless specified by the teacher. Clouds in Water will continue to offer Zoom/In-person hybrid options for nearly all of our classes and gatherings. We respectfully request that in-person participants are vaccinated/boosted for COVID-19. We will not require proof of vaccination. Thank you for your flexibility and care.

 

Council Practice at Clouds

Clouds in Water offers regular talking circles where sangha members can share thoughts and feelings on various topics. In these circles we will invite you to speak from a zazen place, opening to spaciousness, ease and not-knowing. Our community will be stronger as we listen to more voices. Councils will be in person and on Zoom. Zoom Link.  Meeting ID: 889 6825 9373  Passcode: 628788

 

Questions: Contact andrea@cloudsinwater.org

Classes

Getting Started in Zen – Dec. 14

Getting Started in ZenThursday, December 147 – 9pm CTIn-person and on ZoomValue: $25 In this 2 hour workshop you receive all the tools you’ll need to get started on your personal journey in Zen practice. Instruction will be given in zazen meditation, basic Buddhist philosophy, developing a home practice, as well as practicing as part of…

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Rohatsu Sesshin – Dec. 1

Rohatsu SesshinWeekend Option: Friday evening, December 1, 6:30 pm through Sunday evening, December 3, 6 pm.Weeklong Option: Friday evening, December 1, 7 pm through Friday morning, December 8, 11 am.Partial Participation and Zoom options are also available. Please see “registration options below” for more detailsLed by Sosan Theresa Flynn, Myoshin Diane Benjamin, Koji Acquaviva, and…

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Nourish Yourself: Healing Sound Bath – December 9 (Registration Closed)

This autumn, Clouds in Water is gently feeling into what it means to nourish our bodies, hearts, practice, and community. To cap a season of deep self-care, we’ll be hosting a sound bath. This beautiful, relaxing, and utterly unique experience is our final Fall Appeal fundraiser, and we hope you’ll join us for an evening of healing and meditative arts.

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Relaxing into the River of Joy Daylong Retreat – Dec. 9

Relaxing into the River of Joy: a Daylong Retreatwith Koji AcquavivaSaturday, December 9, 9am – 5pm CTIn-person only this daylong retreat we will forge a connection with the joy and ease which must fuel our practice if we’re to awaken to wisdom and compassion. Practices will be tailored to increase relaxation which in turn helps…

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Intention and Vow Workshop – Dec. 30

Intention and Vow Workshopwith Koji AcquavivaSaturday, December 30, 9am – 1pm CT Set the tone for the coming year! Instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions, this workshop is a chance to clarify our heart’s desire, and align our lives with our deepest intention. Questions we’ll consider:  Join together with other sangha members on December 30…

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Ringing in the New Year – Dec. 31

Ringing in the New Year Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, 8 pm through Midnight, January 1, 2024With Sosan Theresa Flynn, Koji Acquaviva, and Taizan AlfordDinner ProvidedIn-Person Only A fun alternative New Year’s Eve celebration. Sosan, Koji and Taizan will lead us as we thoroughly and joyfully clean the temple, making things “shiny and new” for the…

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Next Steps on the Path – begins Jan. 4

Next Steps on the Pathwith Sosan FlynnThursdays, 7 – 8:30 pm, January 4 – February 8, 2024 The Eightfold Path is the “how to” of the Buddha Way.It provides a map for how we can practice wisdom, concentration and ethics, some of the most important teachings of 21st century Buddhism. Understanding and practicing the Eightfold…

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Zen Practice and Liberation for All – Jan. 6th

Zen Practice and Liberation for Allwith Sosan Flynn and the White Awakening Group at Clouds in WaterSaturday, January 6, 9 am – 1 pm. Include potluck lunch – please bring food to share. Free (donations gratefully accepted). Registration required. Note: to register online, a nominal amount must be paid. Alternatively, you can register with no…

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January Retreat at Ryumonji – Jan. 12-14

January Retreat at RyumonjiFriday, January 12, 5 pm through Sunday, January 14, 4 pmwith Sosan Flynn and Shoken WinecoffIn-person only Join us for our first-ever Clouds in Water retreat at Ryumonji Zen Monastery in northeastern Iowa (about 3 hours from the Twin Cities). Ryumonji Monastery is designed from a blueprint of a classic Zen monastery…

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Overview of 2023-2024 Offerings

Click below for an overview of upcoming classes, sesshin, retreats, workshops and more. 2023-2024

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Dharma Talks

Touching the Teachings: Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Dharma talk by Jinzu Minna Jain on Sunday, October 8, 2023. Following Jinzu’s talk there was a stream of a dharma talk from the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, Giving Life to Zen Forms by Victoria Austin. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Don’t be a Hero: How Ease Begets Ease in Zen Practice

Dharma talk by Koji Acquaviva on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Devotion and Practice in the Whole of Space and Time

Dharma talk by Sosan Theresa Flynn on Sunday, September 24, 2023. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

The Community of Young and Old Practicing Together: Youth Practice at Clouds in Water Zen Center

Dharma talk by Sosan Flynn, Andrea Farley Spangler, Myoshin Diane Benjamin, and Keika Karin San Juan on Sunday, September 17, 2023. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Understanding Our Minds

Dharma talk by Myoshin Diane Benjamin on Sunday, September 10, 2023. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Becoming the Ancestors We Need

Dharma talk by Jinzu Minna Jain on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

New To Zen Buddhism?

Learn about practicing at Clouds in Water and read some basic advice on meditation.

Member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association