The Bear River Meditation Group follows the Zen Buddhist practice of Serene Reflection Meditation (Silent Illumination). We are affiliated with Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery and the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. The order was founded by Houn Jiyu Kennett following her training at Sojiji Temple in Japan. Our meditation group has been meeting for over 30 years in the Auburn, California area. All are welcome to join our meetings and retreats. Meditation instruction is available for those unfamiliar with the Zen form of meditation, or who might have questions about their practice.
Applegate Civic Center
Location and Weekly Meetings
The meditation group is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. We meet regularly on Monday evenings. Please go to the Weekly Meetings for the upcoming schedule of online and in person meetings. Contact us if you would like to be included in regular emails which include information about the meetings, upcoming events, visiting Buddhist teachers, Dharma study,and links for our Zoom meetings. In person meetings take place at the Applegate Civic Center 18014 Applegate Road, Applegate, CA.
Visiting Monks
Rev Astor
Rev Daishin
The meditation group is directly affiliated with the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives and Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery. Reverend Daishin Yalon and Reverend Astor Douglas, Masters from Shasta Abbey, serve as the group’s Chaplains and join us from time to time online and in person meetings and retreats.
Rev Vivian Gruenenfelder
Resident Monk
Reverend Master Vivian Gruenenfelder of Still Flowing Water Hermitage, is currently residing in our area and serving as resident monk for the meditation group. She trained for over twenty years at Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery and is Master in the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. She offers regular Dharma talks, gives spiritual counseling and is available to perform various ceremonies including weddings, funerals and house blessings. Reverend Vivian regularly joins the meditation group for our weekly meetings. She lives in Dutch Flat at the Still Flowing Water Hermitage and is supported solely through the kindness of donations.
Advisory Board
The Bear River Meditation Group is overseen by an Advisory Board, made up of eight members of the sangha. Currently it is chaired by Pam Johnson. Sue Groghan is serving as secretary and Bill Baynes as Treasurer. Rev. Vivian Gruenenfelder serves as an Advisor to the board.
Donations/Dana
The meditation group exists on the ancient Buddhist tradition of dana, or what we know of as ‘generosity of spirit’, the giving and receiving from heart to heart. The practice of dana dates back 2,500 years to the time of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. The Buddha in His wisdom purposely set up a practice of direct interchange and interdependence between the monastic and lay Sangha. He foresaw that reciprocal respect and kindness would develop between members of the Sangha in following the practice of dana, which in turn would assist each one of them in bringing their training to fruition. Whether we live the homeless life of monks or the life of a householder, generosity makes the heart grow brighter. There is no charge for attending the weekly meetings or for the events we sponsor. Donations are greatly appreciated and help support the continued activities of the meditation group.
Lineage
The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives counts 85 Masters in our ancestral lineage, beginning with the historical Buddha whose teaching of the origin of suffering and the path to its cessation flourishes today in the West. This lineage includes Bodhidharma who brought “wall-sitting” to China and the Shao Lin Temple, the 6th Chinese Master Hui Neng, and Dogen, who journeyed to China in the 13th century and returned to Japan to found the Soto Zen practice and Eiheiji Monastery in 1246.
The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives was founded by the late Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett, an English woman, who was ordained in Malaysia in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. She went on to study in Japan where she eventually was certified as a roshi, and was authorized to teach and ordain men and women as monastics in the Soto Zen Tradition. This meditation group and those who practice with us follow the teachings of Soto Zen (Chinese: Ts’ao – Tung Ch’an) as passed on by Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett.
Ethics Statement
The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives is committed to providing a safe and ethical environment in which all may practice. We expect that we, and those who come through our doors, will treat others preceptually and with respect. We value the harmony of the sangha, and wish to address any concerns that may arise about possible unethical or inappropriate behavior. If you should have such a concern, please feel free to discuss it with the priest of your or any OBC temple, any senior member of the Order or lay minister. Temple contact information can be found on the OBC website.
Information Regarding Public Statement from the Order of Buddhist Contemplative – November, 2024
The Bear River Meditation Group is affiliated with the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. A statement has just been put out by the Head of the Order Council of the OBC concerning the recent retirement of Reverend Haryo Young from his position as Head of the Order. His resignation follows a months long investigation into an ethics complaint made by a female monk. You may read the public statement on the OBC website. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have concerning this recent news.