Cold Mountain Sangha

Zen meditation at Rutgers is offered by the Cold Mountain Sangha, which is directed by Sensei (teacher) Kurt Spellmeyer.

The Cold Mountain lineage belongs to the Japanese Rinzai school of Zen, but it is a rather unusual lineage. It began in the Ming Dynasty the 17th century--when a group of monks from Mount Huangbo in China came to Japan and founded what is now called Obaku Zen. Obaku became the third Zen tradition in Japan, the other two being Rinzai and Soto Zen. At that time, the monks from China thought they were just bringing the latest form of Rinzai Zen, but in Japan it was treated as a separate school, Obaku.

Along with the Huangbo delegation to Japan there was one lone Rinzai monk who came from the Han Shan Si or "Cold Mountain Temple" in Suzhou. He went on to start a new temple in Japan, Kanko-ji, in what is now Kameoka. Since then, there has been an unbroken lineage of priests in this tradition.

For more about the Cold Mountain lineage, click here. To link to our blog, Warm News from Cold Mountain, click here.

The Cold Mountain Sangha is a member organization of the Rutgers Buddhist Community, a registered campus ministry.

We also meet for meditation in several locations outside of Rutgers University. Please see the Zazen Schedule for information.


January Sesshin 2007

January Sesshin 2011


May Sesshin 2010


August Sesshin 2008


Wedding 2004

Blessing Ceremony October 2005

Farewell Party 2005

Summer Picnic 2008



New Year's 2007

 

Updated 02.12.09