What we’re about
The Three Jewels AKA The Binghamton Zen Buddhist Group. We meet every Thursday at the First Congregational Church in Binghamton at 6 : 30 p.m. Parking is located behind the church from the Front Street entrance. Come in through the back door, and you will find us on the second floor. Also, please remove your shoes before you enter the meeting room. The group is open to the newcomer as well as the more experienced. The meeting consists of chanting, meditation, and a teaching. The Three Jewels was formed for people of various backgrounds and faiths as a place to practice Zen. Through our commitment to the cultivation of wisdom and compassion, we offer an opportunity to practice Zen under the guidance of a teacher.
The Three Jewels and the Binghamton Zen Group is part of the Kwan Um School of Zen. The Kwan Um School of Zen is an international organization of more than a hundred centers and groups founded by Zen Master Seung Sahn, the first Korean Zen Master to live and teach in the West. The School's purpose is to make this practice of Zen Buddhism available to an ever-growing number of students throughout the world. The heart of the Kwan Um School of Zen is the daily practice which goes on in its Zen centers and groups. Students and visitors eat together, work together, and meditate together -- gradually attaining a clear compassionate mind which moment to moment is able to help all beings. We offer training in Zen meditation through meditation instruction, public talks, teaching interviews, sittings, retreats and workshops. Our programs are open to anyone regardless of previous experience and are offered at no cost.
