Boundless Way Zen Temple (“Boundless Way”) is an emerging Western Zen sangha, with lineage roots in Japanese Soto and Korean Linji. From co-founder James Myoun Ford, Roshi, in a December 2016 article detailing the evolution of this “project of awakening”:
Our project as Boundless Way was to create an authentic Zen transmission within a Western expression. Along the way our understanding of the critical practices gradually matured. Today we principally offer the ancient Zen disciplines of just sitting, called shikantaza by Dogen, and koan introspection.
And here just a pause. While this reflection is largely about the institution and particularly leadership and teaching, the purpose of this project is awakening. And those other things are all about supporting our full exploration of who we are as we are. To come into Zen is not about the leadership aspect. It is about practicing, opening ourselves, digging deep, diving deep, and with that living lives of care and respect and possibility.
You can learn more about the Boundless Way mission and ideals at the sangha’s main website: http://www.boundlesswayzen.org/
The Boundless Way Zen Temple consists of the physical building in Worcester, MA, and following centers and sanghas:
- Boundless Way Zen Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Boundless Way Zen Northampton, Northampton, MA
- Boundless Way Zen Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Fierce Lotus (online only, LGBTQ+ oriented)
- Sky Flower Zen (online only)
- Snow Mountain Zen, Wilmington, VT
What Is Boundless Way Zen?
Boundless Way Zen Temple is a religious organization dedicated to the creation and growth of local Zen practice groups in addition to the physical Temple building in Worcester, MA. As a distinct school of Zen, BoWZ provides all of the groups with shared forms of Zen practice and a shared liturgy (as determined by its Guiding Teachers Council), with important overarching policies such as its widely emulated Ethics Policy, and with coordination of its various subgroups through the work of its Leadership Council.
In legal terms, Boundless Way is a corporation established under Massachusetts law – which means that it can own property, and can be bound by contract to pay money for services or property. It is also a religious organization under federal tax law, which means that donations to Boundless Way are tax deductible.
Boundless Way Zen has authorized several Zen practice groups to study Zen with its teachers. These “Practice Groups” are composed of individuals who come and go from time to time, and who are not legally bound to give financial support to any group or to Boundless Way Zen Temple.
Boundless Way Zen Temple pays the rent and other expenses of its practice groups. Money contributed by individuals to Boundless Way Zen Temple practice groups goes into a single fund maintained by the corporation, which then uses the funds to pay the expenses of the practice groups, the physical temple building, and of other Boundless Way Zen Temple operations.