A new Zen Buddhist residential practice center, Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji, has opened on South Horton Street in the Golf Court apartment building. To mark the center’s arrival in the neighborhood, the group is holding an Open House this Saturday, October 8, from 1-3:30 p.m. at the center, 1733 S. Horton St. All neighbors are invited.

Genjo Marinello, the group’s abbot, sent us a bit about the history of the the Chobo-Ji group:

“We are a Zen Meditation group that got started with the Seattle Zen Center in the early 70’s sponsored by the then UW Art History Professor Dr. Glenn Webb. Our founding abbot, Genki Takabayashi Roshi, was invited by Dr. Webb to become the resident teacher from Japan in 1979. The group that formed around his teaching in 1983 became the current temple called DaiBaiZan ChoBoZen Temple or Chobo-Ji for short. It means ‘The Listening to the Dharma Zen Temple on Great Plum Mountain.’ Genki Roshi retired in 1997 and in 1999, Genjo Marinello Osho became the second abbot. In 2008 Genjo Osho became one of only a handful of American’s to receive full Dharma transmission in a Japanese line of Rinzai Zen Buddhism.

“For the last dozen years the group has held meditation in a triplex on Capitol Hill. Two years ago the apartment building called ‘Golf Court’ between Lafayette Ave. S. and Alamo Pl. S. was purchased by the group to be the site of its new Residential Practice Center, where people will be able to live in a city setting and strongly practice Zen Buddhism. The new Meditation Hall has been completed and the house on Capital Hill sold. There are meditation periods open to the public daily at this new site. Anyone is welcome to attend—doors open 30 minutes before each scheduled meditation period. There is a $5 introduction to our practice each Thursday from 7:30-8:30 p.m.”