Anchorage Zen Community

All beings by nature are Buddha...
— Hakuin Zenji

 

Schedule and Upcoming Events- all are welcome.

Every Sunday: Sitting & Service followed by dharma talk: 8:30-10:35am in person and via Zoom.  Please view NEW the sitting schedule using the SCHEDULE tab above.

Book discussion group: second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 5:45pm on Zoom.

  • August 9, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, dharma talk by Koun live on Zoom and discussion
  • August 16, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, dharma talk by Koun live on Zoom and discussion
  • August 23, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, recorded dharma talk by Koun and discussion
  • August 25, 2026: 6:30pm Deer Park Monastics Evening of Mindfullness in Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, at Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
  • August 27, 2026: Book Club @ 5:45pm via Zoom:  Compassionate Conversations, How to Speak and Listen from the Heart
  • August 30, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, recorded dharma talk by Koun and discussion
  • September 6, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, recorded dharma talk by Koun and discussion
  • September 10, 2026: Book Club @ 5:45pm via Zoom:  Compassionate Conversations, How to Speak and Listen from the Heart
  • September 13, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, recorded dharma talk by Koun and discussion
  • September 20, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, dharma talk by Koun live on Zoom and discussion
  • September 24, 2026: Book Club @ 5:45pm via Zoom:  Compassionate Conversations, How to Speak and Listen from the Heart
  • September 27, 2026: 9:35am following our sitting schedule, dharma talk by Koun live on Zoom and discussion

Learn more about Koun Franz, Soto Zen priest, here.         

Learn about events, workshops, and courses from Soto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA) here.

Listen to the story about AZC by Eliza Dunn on KSKA’s Alaska News Nightly here

AZC Location:  711 Barrow St., Anchorage, AK 99501 (Map programs may take people to the wrong address.  We are located on Barrow Street between 7th and 8th downtown.)                                                                                                                                         

In addition to in person, you may join us via zoom on Sundays; there is a new zoom meeting number, email zen@alaska-zen.org to get connected (rsvp on Meetup won’t automatically send the meeting number so please reach out by email).

Email zen@alaska-zen.org, for more information or if you have any questions.

 

Read More

What is Zen?

Many Westerners have misunderstandings about Zen and about Buddhism more broadly. Zen is a set of teachings and practices aimed at helping students minimize suffering in their lives and awaken to reality “just as it is.” As a school of Buddhism, Zen is generally considered a religion, but it is important to note that Zen is not concerned with whether or not gods exist, how the universe came to be, or what happens to us after we die.

Read More Practice Schedule