
Dear Visitor,
At Open Door Zen, practice is direct and unembellished. It is a commitment to the living dharma. This living dharma is grounded in the non-dual Mahāyāna sūtras and informed by the Zen lineage we come through.
We sit in silence without ritual or performance. The work is to study experience as it arises—to see how perception constructs identity and reality. There is no separation between formal and informal training. What begins on the cushion continues in conversation, action, and relationship. Practice is not confined to meditation periods or framed teachings; it moves through the entirety of life.
This is not a space for belief, identity, or emotional reassurance. It is a structure for training in clarity, responsibility, respect, and freedom. Two quotes from my teacher, Jun Po, capture the essence of our practice:
“Because our ego is a wholly conditioned process and not a fixed entity, it can and must be reconditioned to become liberated.”
“What is most essential is the practice of Dhyāna, meditative mindfulness, which enables us to experience the Absolute Purity of our deepest nature and to hold that transpersonal truth in the complexity of our personal lives.”
See below for details on our next weekly session, or to schedule a conversation with me.
I look forward to practicing with you.
Umi Dan Rotnem
Weekly Practice Period (hybrid)
Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM ET
2144 W. Garfield Rd.
Columbiana, OH 44408
If you can’t make it in person or can only attend a portion of the practice…
Meeting ID: 969 7293 2557
Passcode: ODZ
View/Download the Sutra Book
(used for morning service)
We are in a training period centered on the Lankavatara Sutra.
You can follow along on the Lankavatara Sutra page
Practice Schedule:
6:00 – 6:25 Qigong
6:25 – 6:45 Reading from the Lankavatara Sutra
6:45 – 7:15 Zazen
7:15 – 7:55 Sutra Study
7:55 – 8:00 Closing Check-in
View/Download the Sutra Book
(needed for Ritual Service)
Daisan is a spiritual container where we discuss Zen practice in real and pragmatic terms. This 1:1 teacher/student relationship is essential to Zen training. I encourage you to schedule a time for us to connect.
There is no charge for daisan as an act of generosity on behalf of the teacher. Students are encouraged to practice acting generously in return, either through helping maintain the zendo and grounds, financial contributions, or otherwise. Mutual gratitude and respect is the actualization of interdependency and interconnection.
Please consider supporting our sangha. Your contributions help maintain the grounds and facilities of our practice.