WELCOME
Visit
Everything you need to know become you come, onsite or online.
Come as you are. We’ll show you the rest.
You don’t need any experience with meditation or Buddhism. Most people who come to us have never meditated. Here are three easy ways to begin.
Sunday mornings
Orientation, 8:00 AM Central
A brief, friendly introduction to sitting, bowing, and the bells. Then stay for zazen at 9:00 and the dharma talk at 10:20.
Weekday mornings
Zazen, 6:30 or 7:05 AM Central
Join any morning sit, Monday through Friday. Come ten minutes early and let someone know it’s your first time.
From anywhere
Online, on Zoom
Most gatherings are on Zoom, and online participants are fully part of the sangha. Times are Central.
The calendar always has the current times, including holiday changes.
Good to know
Before you come
What to wear
Comfortable, modest clothing in muted colors. Loose pants or a skirt help, since we sit on the floor. Please skip perfume and noisy jewelry.
What to bring
Nothing. Cushions, benches, and chairs are provided, and the practice is the same in a chair as on a cushion. A sweater helps, since the zendo can be cool in the morning.
If you arrive late
Come in through the back door and wait in the side room. Enter the zendo between sitting periods.
Getting here
913 East 38th Street, just north of the UT campus. Street parking on 38th and nearby streets.
Directions →Cost
Daily zazen, dharma talks, and weekly programs are freely offered. Some Intensives and classes have a fee, but cost is never a barrier to practice. Appamada is sustained by the generosity of its community.
Ways to contribute →Bringing children
The zendo is a place of silence, which can be hard for young children. Write to us and we’ll help you find a way to practice as a family.
Send us a message →Once you’re here
Practicing with us
Inquiry
A group practice where someone brings a real question from their life and a teacher meets together with the sangha.
When it meets →Practice discussion
A private conversation with a teacher or mentor about how your practice meets your everyday life: relationships, work, difficulties, and questions.
Meet with a teacher →Teachers and Zen mentors
Senior teachers have received dharma transmission and carry the lineage. Entrusted teachers are authorized to teach within the sangha. Zen mentors are experienced students who offer support as spiritual friends.
Our teachers →Going deeper
Keep showing up. As your practice deepens, you might join an Intensive, receive the precepts, meet with a teacher, or serve on a council. There’s no formal membership.
Prefer to begin online?
We offer orientation on Zoom by request. Write to us and we’ll find a time.