Chico SRM meditation group is a lay Buddhist sangha in the Serene Reflection Meditation (Soto Zen) Tradition. Affiliated with the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, the Chico SRM Sangha works very closely with the Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery,  located near the town of Mt. Shasta, California.  The Order and the Abbey were founded by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett following her training at Sojiji, one of the two main Soto Zen training temples in Japan.  The meditation group benefits from monthly visits by Buddhist monks from Shasta Abbey who offer Dharma talks, spiritual counseling, and meditation instruction.

All are welcome. No one will try to sign you up for anything or solicit money. Meditation instruction is offered for those unfamiliar with our form of meditation practice.   

Weekly Meetings and Location

Chico SRM meditation group meets in person every Wednesday evening from 6:00-7:30 at the Sky Creek Dharma Center. If you are new to Serene Reflection meditation practice, please arrive at 5:45 for a brief orientation.  Typically, we practice a combination of sitting and walking meditation for 40 minutes followed by a Dharma discussion.  Once a month a monk from Shasta Abbey will join us and give a Dharma talk in lieu of our regular Dharma discussion. Please see “Meetings” for more detail. Masks are optional.

Sky Creek Dharma Center

The Chico SRM meditation group along with other area Buddhist groups came together in 2004 and created Sky Creek Dharma Center. The Center, located at 120 Three Oaks Court in north Chico, is a unique collaboration between various local meditation groups and is dedicated to creating a stable home for the practice of Buddhism in its many forms.  The various groups practice independently according to their own traditions (see schedule at www.skycreekdharmacenter.org). The Center is operated by these groups as a non-profit “community church.”

Donations:  (Dana or Generosity of Spirit)

The Dharma Center and the Chico SRM Sangha are supported entirely by donations or dana.  The donation you make to the Dharma Center goes to the physical upkeep, utilities, and mortgage of the Dharma Center.  The donations you give to Chico SRM help us pay the rent to the Center and purchase meditation supplies for the group.  Any surplus of funds accrued by Chico SRM, beyond a prudent reserve, will be donated to Shasta Abbey at the end of each year.   Half the donations received on the evening that a monk is visiting will go to help support Shasta Abbey.

 

There is no way that the Dharma can survive as a living principle unless it can be offered and received as a gift
in an atmosphere where mutual compassion and concern are the medium of exchange, and purity of heart is the bottom line.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu  The Economy of Gifts