Zen Center Regensburg e.V.

Thank you very much for your review. We recognize that you did not feel that your expectations were met. That is possible, especially if someone does not yet understand what is the mission and the training atmosphere of such a Center as ZCR. And that is OK.

The Zen Center Regensburg is a training temple guided (uniquely, for a city meditation center) by the deep training atmosphere of a traditional mountain temple. The resident Zen Master has trained in the mountains of Asia for 3 decades, and emphasizes in our life and our training the attitude and setting of the traditional monastic intensity. We emphasize this not for some form or blind tradition or arrogant pride, but because we know that this is the most optimal approach for delivering the power of the meditation experience which is emphasized in our meditation hall. Our regular visitors, residents, and teachers all are familiar with this.

One of the most helpful aspects of setting this attitude is that we "tone down" our normal social interactivity as we approach the hour of formal meditation (and we do have a LOT of social interactivity, as fellow humans like you). This "toning down" can happen anywhere from 30 minutes before the start of Evening Practice. We feel -- and we know from experience -- that the unique gift that we can offer our many visitors is to establish an atmosphere of calm and deep interiority ourselves FIRST, so that our guests -- coming from their hectic work environments, their challenging family situations, from this busy and chaotic world -- can feel the medicine of their own healing interiority from the very moment they walk in the door. We know that the greatest gift and balm we can offer to people is to manifest the calm and quieted attitude of Zen not just on the meditation cushion, in some "formal" setting, but from the very moment our guests encounter our very rare and specially-ordered environment. It is very clear from your review that you missed this quality.

Most nights, AFTER the meditation practice, residents and guests (and sometimes, the Teacher) gather naturally in the kitchen for tea and cake and cookies (and, when Nico is here, the most delicious protein shakes imaginable!). There is much sharing and laughter, storytelling and joking. There is love and appreciation for each other, for the practice we do together and for the lives we all lead as human beings in this world. We "save" our passionate expressions of love and appreciation for the time after the silent work of meditation has been deeply accomplished. To socialize before the silent meditation would just create ripples of thinking which would influence the depth of each person's meditation, and we know -- from lots of experience, and from this 2,500 year-old technology -- that such social "activation" is sub-optimal for the most essential work that we can all do: to look deeply into the heart of the matter of being human, in meditative silence. The work of silent meditation does not get activated only "on" the meditation cushion, but actually begins when we stop activating (and reacting TO) the synaptic impulses of the thinking, feeling, emotive socializing brain. Perhaps you missed this. We are sorry for that.

In your review, you used the word you used the phrase "recht nüchtern" (twice) to describe the atmosphere before the start of Evening Practice. That is correct. You hit the nail right on the head! In a world which is drunk and crazed with distraction, we know that the best help we can be is "recht nüchtern", at least as we prepare our attitude for the deep work of looking into our human nature. Thank you for seeing this. Maybe next time you visit, you will have the opportunity to get a little drunk on the laughter and love which follows. The Sufi mystic Rumi wrote, "Gratitude is the wine of the soul. Go ahead -- get drunk!" We hope that one day you might taste this exquisite wine of gratitude that comes from the true practice of meditation. Best wishes to you!