Welcome to Rhode Island Zen Dōjō
We are a Rinzai Zen Dōjō (禅道場), a place for lay people to sincerely study and practice Zen by immersing in deep spiritual training to realize their true selves. We enter the gate of Zen through the body, meaning the practice is experiential, not intellectual. We use our breath, posture, and senses to enter a deep meditative state of absorption (samadhi) where real breakthroughs can happen.
Spring Schedule - March 1st - May 31st
Monday & Wednesday - 6:00 am - 6:30 am Zazen (meditation)
Beat the Morning traffic and meditate for thirty minutes before starting your day! Join us on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:00 am for 30 minutes of Zazen. We will begin promptly at 6:00 am, so please arrive five minutes early to grab your cushion.
Sunday - 9:30 am - 10:30 am Zen Training
Thirty minutes of meditation followed by other practices in our tradition. These practices may include physical exercises to improve posture, abdominal breathing exercises to activate the tanden (the center of our energetic strength located in the lower abdomen), Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) to express our state of mind, and okyo (chanting) to learn energetic resonance. This class ends with sarei (formal group tea).
Intro to Zen Meditation - First Sunday of every month
This "crash course" will introduce you to Rinzai Zen practice. Participants will learn about Zen practice and meditation through instruction and discussion.
Limited Space Available. Please arrive early to secure a cushion.
Up Coming Events
All Are Welcome
Everyone is welcome to train. No experience is necessary.
There are no membership fees and training is offered to everyone free of charge. A suggested $10 donation after class will help support our efforts and maintenance of our space.
Zen training is available to any and all regardless of ability to pay. In a reciprocal spirit we hope people who train with us leave behind a donation to help support the expenses of our dojo.
You can make a one-time or recurring monthly donation using the link below.
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Location
We are located at Sage Healing Collaborative at 201 Waterman Ave. East Providence, RI, 02914.
The mission of the Sage Healing Collaborative is to bring accessible integrative health care to Rhode Island by combining conventional and holistic therapies. Sage is creating an integrative model of clinical care that combines modern medicine, healthy lifestyle practices, herbal medicine, and therapies emphasizing prevention, patient empowerment, and whole-person healing.
Ample parking is available in the back of the building. You may enter through the side door; the dōjō is located on the lower ground floor.
Information for New Students
There is not much required of new students besides a sincere desire to train. However, the following is some valuable information for first-time students:
Capacity:
Our space is limited, and we have a maximum capacity of 8 participants. We recommend arriving 10 minutes early to secure a spot to ensure you have a cushion.
When to arrive:
We ask new students to arrive at least 10 minutes earlier for a brief orientation on how to sit for meditation. We sit cross-legged on cushions. Let us know if you need to sit on a bench or chair, and we'll accommodate you. Everyone, regardless of physical condition, is welcome to train.
What to wear:
As a dōjō, we wear, for practical reasons, traditional Japanese martial arts training clothes: gi, hakama, and obi. However, beginners are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes, preferably loose-fitting pants. We remove our shoes upon entering the dōjō. When ready, we recommend this set for a training uniform.
About
Esteban Martinez Sensei leads all training at Rhode Island Zen Dōjō.
Martinez Sensei began Zen meditation in 1998, at age 17, while training in Aikido and Zen at Tenshinkan Dōjō in Chicago, IL under the late Fumio Toyoda Shihan. He continued training in Aikido and Zen at Zenshinkan Dōjō in Worcester, MA.
He is also a renowned Japanese calligrapher and is the founder of Gohitsu Shodō Kai, an independent western Japanese calligraphy (shodō) society with dozens of members worldwide. His shodō training integrates the technicality of writing Kanji with kiai (our spiritual power).
Today, Martinez Sensei continues his martial arts training in Aikido and Muay Thai. His Zen training is now under Gordon Hakuun Greene Roshi, abbot of Chōsei Zen and head priest of Spring Green Dojo in Wisconsin.
Chōsei Zen
Rhode Island Zen Dōjō is affiliated with Chōsei Zen, a vibrant community training rigorously using the traditional forms of Rinzai Zen, martial arts, and fine arts.
Chōsei Zen offers daily practice at Daikozen-ji in Madison, WI, intensive training periods at the Spring Green Dojo, online zen training through the Virtual Dojo, and leadership training worldwide through their sister organization Institute for Zen Leadership.
Students training at Rhode Island Zen Dōjō have the opportunity to become students of Chōsei Zen and take advantage of all these training opportunities.
Support our dojo
Ensō (円相) Zen Circle
We offer a limited first edition print capturing Martinez Sensei's version of the Ensō, drawn initially with a Japanese brush and sumi ink on Japanese artisan paper.
The Ensō (円相) or Zen Circle is considered the pinnacle of Zen. Empty yet full, infinite, luminous, and complete, the Zen calligrapher hand draws, in one breath, a circle, the simplest of all images to reveal the resolutions to the most complex dualities: the separation of mind and body, self, and others, life, and death.
Print Size: 13 x 19
Printed on Awagami Japanese Bamboo Archival Paper using archival inks.
First Run Edition.
Limited Edition of 50.
Each print is individually stamped with Martinez Sensei’s personal seals and numbered with a Certificate of Authenticity.