Welcome to the Eugene Buddhist Priory website. The temple is a place for sincere and dedicated people of the Eugene-Springfield area to practice serene reflection meditation with the guidance of a monastic teacher. The focus of this tradition is silent meditation, or zazen, and is known in Japan as Soto Zen.
It is very helpful to attend an introductory session before coming to the priory for other activities. These introductions occur once a month on either a Saturday morning from 10:00 – 12:00 noon, or a Tuesday evening from 6:30 – 8:30pm. Please see dates for 2016 below.
The Eugene Buddhist Priory has its origin as a small temple founded in 1973 by monks from Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery in the name of their teacher, Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. The temple was located in several locations around the Eugene area for a time and then purchased property in 1989 in southeast Eugene to establish a permanent home for the Priory.
Led by the priest at that time, with help from many directions and the dedicated commitment of a small group of lay practitioners, the congregation over the next ten years built our first meditation hall, meeting room (library), kitchen, office, and facilities for a resident monk. This building was dedicated in 1989. Situated amidst an oak, fir, and pine forest, it has proven to be an excellent setting for Buddhist teaching and group meditation and activities. A second building was constructed in 2007 to provide more space for additional monks and occasional overnight guests.
We practice a form of Buddhist meditation known as Serene Reflection Meditation, called Soto Zen in Japan. To realize the depth of meditation practice requires personal effort and commitment. A qualified teacher and local community can be an invaluable resource and support. We hope the information given in our introduction will be helpful to you in deciding whether our approach is something you would like to explore further.
If you are intending to come to an introduction, please call or email the priory beforehand and let us know. In a small group of people, we show the various physical postures used for meditation and discuss the mind of meditation. We will also look at Zen ceremonial, at how meditation leads to the wish to live in an ethical way, and how to carry meditation into daily activities.
Please wear loose-fitting clothing when you attend the temple. We do not charge for the introduction or for any of our activities. We gratefully accept donations of money, food (the resident monk is vegan–no animal products–and does not use alcohol) or household goods. Please offer what is in accordance with your means.
Food offerings are a traditional way to support monks. If you wish to make an offering, you are welcome to call or email to learn our specific needs. Unsolicited donations are also welcome and enable us to keep the spirit of the alms bowl, which is accepting and being grateful for all gifts placed in the bowl, regardless of quantity or quality. Monks of our Order are vegetarian (eggs and dairy products are fine), we do not drink alcohol and we do not use garlic in cooking. Prepared meals or dishes are always welcome, and gift certificates at food stores can be useful.
From central Eugene: go south on Hilyard Street through 30th Avenue to the next stoplight (East Amazon) and turn left. Slightly less than a mile, turn left on Dillard Road. Go 2.2 miles and turn right on the second arm of Teague Loop. Our driveway is immediately on the right: 85415 Teague Loop. From the north on I-5: Take exit 188 for Goshen/Hwy 99 and Central Oregon/Hwy 58. Take right fork to Goshen. Turn right at stop sign, then left onto Hwy 99. Go approx. 2 miles and turn right on Dillard Rd. After crossing railroad tracks, Teague Loop is 3 miles: turn left. Priory driveway is on right: 85415 Teague Loop. From the south on I-5: Take exit 186 (northbound only) for Goshen. Turn left over the freeway, then turn left on Highway 99 (toward Creswell). After one block, turn right on Dillard Road. You will cross a railroad track: the Priory is exactly 3 miles. Turn left on Teague Loop. Our driveway is immediately on the right: 85415 Teague Loop.