Madison Rinzai Zen - Ryugenji 龍源寺

04/28/2026

At Cho'onji in San Juan. Cho'onji was established many years ago as the first Rinzai Zen temple in Puerto Rico. Today it continues as a direct affiliate of Korinji and member of our larger community: Rinzai Zen International. Please see Centro Zen de Puerto Rico for information.

Otro zazenkai de tres noches.

¿Practicarás con nosotros?

04/27/2026

Aside from functioning as a Rinzai Zen temple, Korinji carries a stream of Shugendo practice. Some notes from this past weekend's events...

04/26/2026

04/24/2026

Note to our page followers:

This page is mainly for Korinji updates and announcements.

We’re not able to host much discussion here. But for questions or conversation, please join the Rinzai Zen Discussion group, where almost everything here is cross-posted:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rinzaizen/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

Comments that move off topic, or are made without first reading or listening to what was shared, may be removed. Commenting may also be turned off when moderation is beyond our capacity.

Especially for online talks and teachings referenced here, please listen first before commenting: patreon.com/korinji

This page is intended to support those practicing with us, or interested in doing so. See the events calendar at korinji.org and come participate.

Thank you for helping keep this space clear and focused. Please take good care of yourselves.

04/23/2026

New MP3 dharma talk released on Korinji's Patreon, our constantly growing online library of instructional videos, talks, and othe resources supporting your home Zen practice. We invite you to join!

www.patreon.com/korinji

"Why Do We Have Minimal Sleep in Zen Training?"

Responding to recent inquiries from students, Meido Roshi here addresses a reasonable question: why, during sesshin and in Zen monastic training, are the sleep hours much less than what we might prefer to have in "normal" life?

Though it may not be much explained, the truth is that this is an intentional aspect of practice, allowing us to cultivate our strength, clarity, and usefulness in powerful ways. Grasping the reasons behind it will help us understand that our Zen practice is not needlessly or mindlessly harsh, but in fact ingenious and deeply compassionate. It causes our usual delusion and egoistic fixation to be less rigidly binding. It prepares us to bring true meditation - the unity of meditative absorption and liberative wisdom described in the Platform Sutra - to a more complete fruition. It prepares us to extend that true meditation more seamlessly, even into the sleep state. And finally, it prepares us for our own ends: to die well, with clarity, even when all strength has utterly left the body.

04/22/2026

New jinku dan.

Here in North America, we often have to make ritual utensils ourselves: there aren't many people with the knowledge to do it for us. And even if there were, we often lack the funds to commission something.

There are also small adjustments. Shikimi cannot survive the winter here, so we grow it indoors and the leaves are limited. The rope is not rice straw, but another material. And so on.

It has always been this way for us at Korinji. Even our main butsudan was made from scraps of wood leftover after construction. This item completed today also includes leftover wood.

Although it may be a little rough, I think there is a beauty in things like this made by our own hands, which lends power to our practice when they are used. Recently in Japan, I saw a small gomado that one of my teachers also made with his own hands. I found that deeply moving.

04/22/2026

Stay connected with Korinji through this month’s updates! Catch up on our new Patreon offerings, join the latest Discourse discussions, and consider supporting Korinji through membership or donation—links at the bottom!

04/22/2026

KORINJI CONSTRUCTION & FUNDRAISING ANNOUNCEMENT

Korinji is excited to announce that we are on track to break ground next month for the monastery’s final structure: the Hojo (方丈), or abbot’s quarters.

The term Hojo literally means “one jō square,” referring to a small room about three meters on a side. In Buddhist tradition, it recalls the Vimalakīrti Sutra, in which Vimalakīrti miraculously receives the bodhisattva Monju and a great assembly within such a space. Zen later adopted the term for the abbot’s quarters, placing special emphasis on the living transmission of the Dharma directly from teacher to student.

This new Hojo will serve not only our present abbot, but the abbots who come after him, helping to secure Korinji’s future for generations.

Extraordinary support has already shown for this project. More than $200,000 has been raised so far. Even so, we expect to borrow up to $100,000 to complete the work. Any additional support will help bring this final stage of Korinji’s construction across the finish line.

In less than twenty years, through the generosity of many, a Rinzai Zen s**o (training monastery) has arisen here in our quiet Wisconsin valley. We are deeply grateful.

Stay tuned for the fundraiser kick-off and groundbreaking ceremony announcement! In the meantime, donations may always be sent to Korinji here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YKN6FJSJELCWG

04/22/2026

Korinji's project manager is in town. This is the person with whom I cleared the zendo building site in 2008. We have a lot of old stories together, both here and in Japan.

We are working now on the new hojo...abbot's residence. More news soon on this final construction project at Korinji.

04/22/2026