In the 800 block of East Johnson Street, in the space above Flashback Denims formerly occupied by the Pangaea Coffee House, is a private apartment which also serves as the present meeting place for members of the Isthmus Zen Community. Instead of the usual couch or comfortable chairs and cable TV found in most living rooms, the spacious front room above East Johnson is furnished with a Buddhist altar, as well as with maroon mats and cushions and straightback chairs used for seated meditation.

Every Monday at 6:30 p.m. members of the Isthmus Zen Community, many of them drawn from the immediate neighborhood, meet to practice Zen Buddhism as taught by Zen Master Seung Sahn, the first Korean Zen Master to live and teach in the West. Evening practice is free of charge and consists of chanting, sitting meditation--anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the presence of beginners--and reading from the writings of Zen Master Seung Sahn.

Following evening practice, participants gather in the kitchen for tea, cookies, and conversation. Attendees make up a diverse group, including young and old, male and female. Among the occupations represented are professional advertiser, artist, teacher, student, social worker, medical student, legislative aide, cab driver, and insurance analyst.

Cate Pfeifer, a PhD candidate employed by the Hibbing Group on Wisconsin Avenue, currently serves as director of the Isthmus Zen Community. I asked Cate what Zen is. She answered, "Human beings spend most of their time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Zen points directly to 'what are you doing right now?' When you achieve this, you can begin helping others in this world."

On December 8 the IZC celebrated Buddha's Enlightenment Day at the East Johnson Street address with a ceremony in which participants placed carnations on the altar, read enlightenment poems, and chanted. Other IZC events in the immediate neighborhood have included one-day meditation retreats for beginners at Gates of Heaven synagogue and the Unitarian-Universalist lower meeting house; public talks by Zen Master Dae Kwang, Abbot of the Kwan Um School of Zen headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island; and a public talk by Dharma Master William Brown, a Zen teacher who lives and teaches in Iowa.

During the coming year members hope to bring Dharma Master William Brown to the Isthmus Zen Community on a monthly basis as their guiding teacher. They will also sponsor visits by other Zen teachers, as well as one-day meditation retreats at Gates of Heaven synagogue and the Unitarian-Universalist meeting house.

The Isthmus Zen Community is an affiliate of the Kwan Um School of Zen, whose head temple is the Providence Zen Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The Kwan Um School of Zen has established affiliate groups across the United States and internationally.

The IZC meets Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at 817 1/2 East Johnson Street. A warm welcome is extended to persons of all faiths and backgrounds. Please call (608) 257-7970 for more information.

Dave Peters