​​​​​​​Other Activities


In addition to in-person and online meditation instruction, sittings, retreats, chanting, and work practice, the Zen Center offers special ceremonies, celebrates Buddhist holidays, and other events. Below are more ways to engage with our Sangha and our broader community.


Buddhist Ceremonies

  • Bodhidharma Day - In October each year, we hold this traditional Zen ceremony honoring Bodhidharma, the legendary first ancestor of Zen in China. 
  • Buddha's Enlightenment - This is an annual December ceremony commemorating the Buddha’s Great Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, complete with incense offerings, chanting, and milk-rice.
  • Buddha's Birthday (Vesak) - Thanks to the generosity of Louisville Zen Center members, family, and friends, we gather in April to celebrate Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth with a special Buddha’s Birthday Dinner. This joyful event, often held alongside our Annual Sangha Meeting, brings our community together in gratitude, reflection, and renewed commitment to practice.
  • Founder's Day - Each August, we commemorate the birthday of Roshi Philip Kapleau, the founder of our Zen tradition in America, in recognition of his life, teachings, and enduring legacy.
  • Jukai: Taking the Precepts - Second only to ordination in significance, Jukai offers an opportunity to deepen our practice by renewing our commitment to live in harmony with the basic sixteen precepts of Mahayana Buddhism: the Three Treasures, the Three General Resolutions, and the Ten Cardinal Precepts. The ceremony is held in May and November each year.
  • Repentance - At the start of each year, you’re invited to sit zazen with the Sangha, followed by a heartfelt repentance ceremony. Since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, repentance has been central to Buddhist practice. As the Zen master Dogen taught, “Sincere repentance helps us to cleanse our minds of delusion, greed, and hostility, and thus the effects of past misdeeds loosen and dissolve.” During the ceremony, you may, if you wish, share anything you regret or that weighs heavily on your heart. 


Chanting

Chanting is an integral part of practice, included in nearly every meeting. With roots in centuries-old tradition, it helps center the mind, foster a sense of unity with others, and deepen our connection to the teachings.​
Chants & Recitations (Chant Book)
Tuesday Evening Seasonal Chanting Services
The Four Vows


Public Talk
Louisville Zen Center offers public talks on Zen Buddhism, and meditation and mindfulness. We can also bring our Introduction to Zen Meditation workshop to your school, workplace, religious group, or community organization.


Residential Training: Zen Immersion

Sensei returns each quarter to teach at the Rochester Zen Center. Louisville Zen Center members are warmly invited to join her for any part of this semi-monastic training, which includes daily meditation, instruction, Dharma talks, chanting, and work practice. Whether for a short stay or longer immersion, residential training at the Rochester Zen Center helps bring the clarity of zendo practice into everyday life. Here is RZC's daily training schedule. Heart of Perfect Wisdom Zendo follows a similar schedule.


​​​​​​​​​Volunteering

Louisville Zen Center operates on the Buddhist principle of dana, the practice of generosity. Volunteering supports the Center, deepens your practice, and strengthens connection with the Sangha.

You can help with zendo setup, cleanup, playing instruments, assisting with events, or offering behind-the-scenes support. Whatever your skills or availability, there's a way to contribute.