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Universal Chan: International Zen Buddhist Center
Find peace and clarity through authentic Chan meditation in a serene Kensington sanctuary.
5(5 reviews)
doctor
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Find peace and clarity through authentic Chan meditation in a serene Kensington sanctuary.
Universal Chan Zen Center is a tranquil haven in Kensington, offering authentic Chan (Zen) Buddhist teachings and meditation practices. Led by Shifu Da Xing, a Western monk with deep training, we provide Zoom meditation classes, silent retreats, tea tastings, and upcoming Qi Gong and Tai Chi sessions. Our center fosters a supportive community for spiritual awakening, stress relief, and mental clarity, welcoming all seekers—from beginners to advanced practitioners—in a beautiful, serene setting.
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Multi-day immersive retreats with guided meditation, communal activities, and teachings to transform mental and physical well-being.
Regular online meditation sessions accessible from anywhere, led by Shifu for consistent practice and guidance.
Appointment-based experiences featuring rare teas, promoting mindfulness and community connection in a serene environment.
Authentic Mahayana Buddhism instruction adapted for modern life, helping apply ancient wisdom to everyday challenges.
Upcoming movement practices to enhance physical health and meditation, offered as the center fully reopens.
I recently attended silent 6 day Chan retreat led by Shifu Da Xing. I wanted to get away to have some silence as well as to practice way of living in ordinary daily activities. Few days before the retreat I started to have excruciating pain in my neck which was result of an accident in 2017 and I wasn’t very sure of making it. However having suffered the physical pain and as a result exhaustion in day to day life , I decided I wont let this stop me to go for this retreat. I went with some fears and worries in mind yet back in mind a resilience face my fears. I deliberately didn’t looked what it might entail as I wanted to go there without preconceived ideas. For me the first day was harder , second day was easier and then third day easier but after that physical pain and discomfort set it, yet it was so surprising that how I was able to find a little gap between those periods of pain and discomfort , especially when I would walk uphill on the way back from walk to the place we were staying, or after superspeed bowing practice or walking fast and suddenly Sifu would say “ stop” and there it was. My whole body would be tingling and I would feel alive like never before. Sifu knows how to meet where a student is in their practice and often would be bit flexible or sometimes firm in his teachings/instructions just so the student receive the right instruction. Firm and flexible can be clearly seen in Sifu Teachings and it was perfect for me. Not to mention all the other retreatants who were there and how we all were able to stay in silence to cook, clean , drink tea , walk and support each other. On my last day when we went to lake and how everyone made sure I am not behind and would make it to lake and sit 😊. It brings such a big smile to my face and I often find myself laughing so hard thinking about some of the moments during my outside walk, bowing practice and sitting. I am still unfolding and trying to bring that in my moment to moment life. Thank you, Universal Chan Center and Sifu for organizing such a wonderful Retreat to investigate and uncover our true self and learning the art of living.
The silent retreat was not at all like I expected, which was a mellow mindfulness experience. It was definitely different, dynamic, challenging and the process of this kind of experience yielded a different awareness and priceless moments. There were some difficult times. We would rise at 4am, eat breakfast lunch and dinner, an hour rest after lunch, but most of the rest of the time was stretching (after sitting meditation), walking meditation and sitting meditation in courses over the day. I didn’t have a watch most of the time and no phone but it was nearly 11p one night and I think most nights. These were long days, we were tired and sometimes worn out. Oddly, and unlike a mellow retreat, sometimes it was very stressful. Shifu clearly managed/navigated us through this challenging process in a way that brought us to an experience and kind of progress I didn’t expect, didn’t see coming. It’s not a linear progression to a kind of experience or progress and words cant capture it in a meaningful way. The experience that was so unexpected and most cherished was after a very (very) challenging day the day before. We went in the morning on a walking meditation. Overnight it had snowed 3”. The snow was undisturbed except by a truck, it was very crisp, the sky was cerulean blue and the sun shone so brightly reflecting off all the frozen surfaces and snow. We walked for about an hour and on the way back there was a moment, that perhaps was mine alone, where everyone was relaxed, Shifu was relaxed, and it was magical, like we were all meant to be there. That moment remains in my minds eye with an unexpected sweetness. Although I wrote that, I don’t really ever write something like that. A high risk of being too sugary, empty of meaning. But it’s true and without elaboration. That was the moment. Gpt Chat couldn’t have written that. Shifu has an impressive pedigree, he has led a lot of retreats, many with large numbers of people, in Taiwan and to a lesser extent the PRC. His experience is clear to be seen in the instinctive way he leads. It’s spontaneous, dynamic and unexpected. We couldn’t have hoped for better.
I had a transformative experience at the silent retreat organized by universal Chan at the end of March 2023. I went in the retreat, feeling overwhelmed, burned out and depressed with a lot of regrets, anxiety and stress. Six days later, I came out of the retreat feeling calm, joyful, grateful, and gained clarity on a lot of things in my life. During the retreat, I learned how to sit down and just meditate. I acquired a new mindset about meditation, dealing with my emotions and my thoughts and life in general. Comparing with another retreat, which was 10+ times more expensive than this one, the Universal Chan retreat is life-changing and I can tell it will have a long lasting impact on my mental and physical health. Besides meditation, we drank tea together, exercised together and cooked together and ate and rested together. This togetherness or communal support is very valuable. Cooking vegetarian food together was eye-opening for me, and also made me feel lighter and cleaner. The retreat not only benefited me myself, but also my family members as I came back and started implementing some of the routines/rituals I learned at the retreat. I have to say the first two days of the retreat were not easy but once you pass the first two days, the retreat was awesome, enlightening and inspiring. I am already missing it and hope to go back to another retreat in the near future. I highly recommend Universal Chan to anyone who is looking for some thing in life, who is open-minded for a spiritual awakening or just anyone who is overwhelmed in life or anyone who has brain fog and needs a few days unplugged from social media or the busyness of life.
Universal Chan Zen Center is tucked away on a quiet corner on the border of Kensington/Berkeley. Walking by during our 2020 pandemic, I noticed they were offering Zoom meditation classes. I signed up and have been attending regularly for months now. Shifu always runs the classes no matter how many participants show up. At the center which is starting to reopen, they offer tea tastings per appointment. The center is a beautiful serene place which is perfectly placed in a quiet neighborhood for meditation. Qi gong and Tai Chi will also be offered once the center fully reopens. Staff are very open and hospitable to anyone with questions so don't hesitate to ask.
Excellent center to practice meditation and learn about Mahayana Buddhism. Friendly group led by a Western monk who knows how to relate these teachings to a modern audience and apply them to everyday life. While there are many meditation opportunities in the Bay Area, it is rare to find a monk with this level of training in Chan (Zen). This is the real deal. If you are looking to find out about Buddhism or dive deep into a meditation practice, you can be confident you won't be cheated at this center. Check it out as there are also amazing rare teas served before and after most classes.
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