Letter from the Board President Regarding Status of Closure

At the last Board meeting the decision of whether to physically reopen the doors of the zendo was discussed. While we all miss being in the presence of our community members, we made the difficult decision to remain closed for now. The decision was based on the complexity and number of procedures that would need to be implemented before, during, and after each sit in order to comply with the state guidelines for safety and reopening. Additionally, we have concerns that the rate of infection will increase after the statewide reopening of businesses, holiday/summer gatherings, and large community gatherings, which albeit are helping raise awareness about a great injustice in this world. We take this decision very seriously as we have a number of sangha members that are in a higher risk population category and we feel a responsibility to do everything we can to take care of all beings as best as we can. At this point in time, we feel the best way to care for our sangha is to remain physically closed. We will re-evaluate reopening in mid July at the next Board meeting based on the current circumstances. When we do reopen, we intend to do so in a hybrid fashion with both online and in-person sitting available. Depending on the circumstances we may reopen with outdoor sitting and/or utilize chairs without cushions to make the sanitation and cleaning process easier. There are a number of ideas that the Practice Leaders and Board have been working on to make the Zen center as safe as possible. For now, please continue to join us online in the midst of your daily life and feel free to reach out to any of the Board members regarding this decision.

In Service,

Anais