About Us
We are a small group of zen practitioners dedicated to providing each other with mutual support in zen practice.
The group was formed in 1985 by a handful of people who had attended zen retreats with Robert Aitken Roshi, founder of the Diamond Sangha Zen lineage in Hawaii. The Diamond Sangha has roots in both the Rinzai and Soto schools of Zen Buddhism.
We do not have a resident teacher, however in 1999 we formally invited Subhana Barzaghi Roshi (based in Sydney) to act as our primary visiting teacher. In 2002 we invited Susan Murphy Roshi (also based in Sydney) to share this commitment with Subhana. Subhana and Susan lead Melbourne Zen Group retreats and workshops, and provide guidance and support in matters relating to group practice. Subhana and Susan are both teachers in the Diamond Sangha lineage.
We have a steady membership of around thirty people. Most of our members have had some kind of hands on involvement in running the group at different points in time. We have a committee that meets on a monthly basis to attend to the group’s administrative needs, however all significant group decisions are made through a consensus process in forums that are open to all members. We also have a small group of practitioners who meet on roughly a quarterly basis to reflect on ways in which the group can better work to support both established members and newcomers in zen practice.
