| Located in the San Jacinto
Mountains in Southern California, Zen Mountain
Center sits
at the head of Apple Canyon, on 160 acres of diverse
and relatively wild land. Religious and ecological
practice reinforce each other at Zen Mountain Center
as the traditional Zen Buddhist emphasis on limiting
harm fosters environmental land-use practices,
and the relatively undisturbed natural setting
of Apple
Canyon is conducive to meditation practice. Reflecting
a traditional Buddhist appreciation for both temple
and mountain as sacred space, Zen Mountain Center
generates a reverence for natural surroundings
in
its practitioners and this translates into concrete
environmental practices. One of the main goals
of the Center is to limit
anthropogenic disturbances in the life-webs of
its
land base through environmental impact assessments,
restricted development and fire prevention measures,
and ecological land management practices. As part
of its “greening” process, the Center
has undertaken various environmental initiatives,
including a revised mission statement, a six-year
land stewardship plan, and an environmental education
program. The Center’s newly devised educational
program aims to bring together religion—particularly
Buddhism—and ecology through retreats, workshops,
special events, publications, and outreach. |
| Buddhism |
United States of America
(Southern
California) |
| 1979–Present |
| Land for Zen Mountain
Center was purchased in 1979 and intensive practice
began in 1982 with
the Center’s first extended meditation retreat.
Although development has been minimal (approximately
ninety-eight percent of the Center’s property
is undeveloped), a number of buildings have been
constructed
over
the years, including a meditation hall, residence
structures, a workshop area, and a bathhouse.
In
1994, a biological impact report and species inventory
was conducted and a corresponding six-year land
stewardship plan was submitted the following year.
In 1996, Zen Mountain Center’s mission statement
was revised in order to reflect the Center’s
commitment to ecological principles and environmental
education. |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
| To integrate ecological principles into the mission,
development, and practice at Zen Mountain Center
through a variety of land stewardship and environmental
education programs, wilderness retreats, environmental
awareness workshops, and sustainability practices. |
| Jeff Yamauchi, “The Greening of Zen Mountain
Center: A Case Study” in Buddhism and Ecology:
The Interconnection of Dharma and Deeds, ed.
Mary Evelyn Tucker and Duncan Ryuken Williams (Cambridge,
Mass.: Center for the Study of World Religions;
Harvard University Press, 1997) 249–65. |
| Consult bibliography in "The Greening of
Zen Mountain Center" article listed above. |
Zen
Mountain Center
P.O. Box 43
Mountain Center, CA 92561
Ph: 909.659.5272
Fax: 909.659.3275 |
