Reclaiming the World as Sacred

Spirit of Life, Umoya Ubomi-ji is a community of the Zen Garland Order, part of the Engaged Buddhist Movement, devoted to living life as service in our own personal and particular forms. Our mission is to “Reclaim the World as Sacred” and to develop and train ourselves to be “Fields of Benefaction for the Welfare of all Creation.” 

The Zen Garland Order at Spirit of Life,Umoya Ubomi-ji, offers skillful and caring guidance for spiritual development in a safe, structured, and nurturant environment. Our Order derives its authority through Taizan Maezumi Roshi and his Japanese Soto Zen Lineage that includes Rinzai koan training as well as Dogen Zenji’s teachings.and is led by Roshi Paul Genki Kahn, the Spiritual Director and co-founder of the Zen Garland Order and coordinated locally by David Ando Rosenstein, his senior student. 

Spirit of Life, Umoya Ubomi-ji transmits the Zen Garland Way and continues the venerable tradition of Zen while remaining responsive to the evolution of society, culture and science. Our approach to Zen training is holistic, involving all the ways a practitioner interacts with life and the world. We provide an open, welcoming community open to motivated students with varying goals and at different stages of their journey. Our Teachers  and community respect each practitioner as unique and worthy, helping them awaken and develop their individual character,  talents, and personal direction. 

Zen has adopted to its time and place throughout its history, we as an organisation will evolve to find expressions rooted within the South African milieu and reality. 

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