One River Zen

12/01/2025

Big news for ORZ! 🌟

One River Zen is planning an expansion into a new space in downtown Ottawa — the former Ottawa Times building on Jefferson Street!

This move, creating the One River Zen Community Center, will allow us to:

🧩 Launch David’s Clubhouse — a neurodiversity-affirming outreach supporting autistic children and their families, with a play & learning space open for all children to enjoy together
🍎 Expand Karuna Food Pantry to support local households
🙏 Create more room for connection, belonging, and the Dharma in everyday life

We’re so excited to deepen our roots here in the Illinois Valley ❤️

📖 Read more in the press release:
👉 https://world.einnews.com/article/871295709/one-river-zen-announces-pending-purchase-of-former-ottawa-times-facility-to-expand-community-programs-in-ottawa-il

11/28/2025

Saturday Morning Zen @ ORZ

Join us this weekend:

8:00 AM — Buddhist Service
9:00 AM — Meditation
9:45 AM — Dharma Talk

Join us in person at One River Zen in Ottawa, IL or online from anywhere.
Newcomers and experienced practitioners are always welcome.
Link in bio to learn more and join practice.

11/28/2025

“Your true nature begins where identities end.”

We do such a good job sometimes presenting ourselves as coherent and put together that we actually fall for ourselves. We walk around calling ourselves by our names, using our titles, and at some point, we start thinking these things are substantial. But when we take a deep step back and look within, we notice that we wear many different identities. We have many faces and jars we pull off the shelf for different reasons.

There’s the self we know as our self, the self we show at home, the self we show our employer or our teacher. All of these are different. When we come to sit, it’s important that we allow that cosmic parade of identities to continue to walk by — to be present — and that we take a clear look at each one we wear. Let them all sit on the cushion as well.

When we sit in this way — gathering all of those identities — we begin to recognize what it takes to become meta-aware of each of them rather than being seduced by or collapsing into them. Because we have a karmic-proclivity to fall into those identities at different times. And when we do, we become unavailable to our true nature — unavailable to manifest compassion in the world.

So when you sit on the cushion, make sure you bring your inner skeptic. Make sure you bring your inner critic. Bring all of the ones who are there. Allow them to come together and be seen. And as you do this clearly, begin to notice that the one who is aware of all of them is so much larger — and from there you can begin to assume your true identity.

11/20/2025

We’re putting on that little sparkle! It makes for a magical retreat experience December 5-7 or candlelight zazenkai December 19-20. Register today at oneriverzen.org ✨⭐️🎄❄️🧘🏼‍♂️

11/19/2025

✨ SILENT RADIANCE WEEKEND MEDITATION RETREAT

At the end of a long year, silence can feel like medicine.
Join us December 5–7 for the Silent Radiance Retreat at One River Zen — a warm, contemplative weekend where the noise falls away and your inner life has room to breathe.

🕯️ Over the weekend you’ll settle into:
• Sitting and walking meditation
• A spacious rhythm of practice that naturally supports you
• Time by the fire, shared presence, and gentle stillness
• A Dharma talk to deepen reflection without interrupting the quiet
• A community atmosphere that feels calm, steady, and real

Just a simple, steady space where clarity returns on its own.
If you’ve been running on empty…
If you’ve needed a reset you can actually feel…
This is your place to land.
Residential, commuter, and online options available.
👉 Reserve your spot: https://oneriverzen.org/silent

Explore transformative meditation retreats at One River Zen. Join us for guidance and practice, available online and in-person.

11/16/2025

Joy in the Leaves

Samu practice during Sesshin reminds us that awakening isn’t limited to the cushion.
Here, raking leaves becomes wholehearted practice—each stroke of the rake an expression of clarity, each shared smile a moment of effortless belonging.

Working side by side, we remember that simple tasks done with a clear mind can open the same gate as silent sitting.
Joy arises naturally when nothing is held back.

11/16/2025

Firelight Practice

Evening settles over the Illinois River, and we gather—bundled in blankets, warmed by the fire, and held by the quiet rhythm of practice.
Nothing to force, nothing to fix. Just breath, warmth, and the gentle reminder that awakening is not somewhere else. It’s right here in the glow of shared presence, in the simple joy of sitting together under an open sky.

Moments like this are why One River Zen exists.
A place to return, again and again, to the heart of things.

11/05/2025

Dwelling in Clarity | Weekend Meditation Retreat
November 14-16th, 2025
oneriverzen.org/retreats

As autumn deepens and the year prepares to turn, we are invited to pause — to set down the weight of busyness and return to the ground of clarity within.

Dwelling in Clarity is a weekend retreat of stillness, silence, and practice at One River Zen Center. From November 14–16th, join us for a rhythm of seated and walking meditation, chanting, Dharma talks, simple work practice, and quiet meals.

This retreat offers a space to see directly into the heart of things — to dwell, if only for a time, in clarity untouched by distraction.

No experience needed — open to beginners and seasoned practitioners alike
Attend residentially, as a commuter, or online
Step away from noise and return to what is real and alive in this very moment
🪷 Sit in stillness.
🪷 Discover clarity.
🪷 Dwell in what does not come or go.

Spots are limited. Register now to reserve your place.

Explore transformative meditation retreats at One River Zen. Join us for guidance and practice, available online and in-person.

11/05/2025

You can shop our Wish List to keep the pantry stocked for those in need. 🙏
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/315J0KHM628QK...

The Karuna Food Pantry in Ottawa is struggling to keep up with food demands due to falling temperatures and rising grocery prices.

11/02/2025

Please help us reduce food insecurity in our community. You can shop our Wish List to keep the pantry stocked for those in need. 🙏 You buy, Amazon delivers, ORZ restocks, and bellies get filled in a time of need. 🍽️

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/315J0KHM628QK?ref_=wl_share ii

10/20/2025

ENTERING THE WAY | FUNDAMENTALS OF ZEN PRACTICE
CLASSES BEGIN WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29th

Ready to begin your meditation practice — but don’t know where to start?

Join us for Entering the Way: Fundamentals of Zen Practice, a 4-week course designed to ground you in mindfulness, awareness, and self-discovery. https://oneriverzen.org/zen-basecamp-1

In just one class per week (online or in person), you’ll:
• Learn foundational meditation techniques
• Develop resilience to stress
• Cultivate clarity in daily life
• Connect more deeply with who you are

Next session begins Wednesday, October 29 at 7 pm CST
Register at https://oneriverzen.org/zen-basecamp-1

Begin your Zen journey with our four-week Fundamentals of Zen Practice. Accessible classes online and in-person to help you develop meditation skills and discover your true self.