ZEN in The Cloud 2026

What to Expect:

• Precise instructions and training in the psychophysical skills needed for meditation
• Practice days and times based on your registration responses
• A weekly 1.5-hour online class via Zoom for three months (including meditation, text study, and experience sharing), plus a Facebook group for information sharing
• Teaching from an authentic Korean Zen lineage
• The opportunity to learn and try several meditation methods to discover which best suits your beginner’s mind
• Fundamentals of Buddhist teachings and philosophy
• For some, an ideal starting point for connecting with the Kwan Um School of Zen community — meet the class of 2026!

START: approximately January 15th

LEADERS: Myong Hwa Sunim (Buddhist nun) and senior students of the Kwan Um School

REGISTRATION: ZEN in The Cloud 2026 – Google Forms, link below the post

During this course, we will explore the classification of meditation methods from the Dharma Mirror, the manual of forms of the Kwan Um School of Zen. We will focus on beginner-friendly methods based on selected texts from Zen Master Seung Sahn’s Compass of Zen.

PRACTICAL PART

Meditation methods for the following weeks:

1. Mindfulness of breathing
2. Counting breaths
3. Mantra “Clear Mind, Don’t Know…”
4. Mantra “Kwan Seum Bosal” and Zen chanting
5. The Great Question
6. Sonyu – breathing and movement exercises

THEORETICAL PART

Zen practice and the Don’t-Know mind cannot be grasped by thought or language and form an indivisible, holistic whole. To describe meditation techniques and insight, Zen Master Seung Sahn presented a map — the Zen Circle.

In his teachings, we find a progression of distinct meditation skills, subtle psychophysical experiences, and common obstacles. We will learn to recognize and train these so the foundational steps naturally support the advanced ones:

💡 0* – Lost mind

💡 Wandering / holding / loose mind

💡 Checking mind

💡 90* – Thinking mind

💡 Try-mind

💡 Mind of Great Love and Compassion

💡 Rest mind / “Enough” mind

💡 One-pointed mind

💡 Unmoving mind

💡 One  mind

💡 Moment mind

💡 Mind clear like space

💡 Mind-mirror

💡 Mind before thinking

💡 Mind of peace and bliss

💡 180* – No-mind / empty mind

💡 270* – Freedom mind

💡 360* – True mind 

💡 Mind of function / just like this

INSTRUCTORS:

Myong Hwa Sunim is a Polish Buddhist nun (Bhikkhuni Sunim) who has practiced Zen in the Kwan Um School for 30 years. She has attended meditation retreats in Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan, and lived and practiced in Kwan Um School temples in Asia. She is currently based in Warsaw at Wubongsa, the Head Temple of the Kwan Um School in Poland.

GUESTS:
Zen masters from the Kwan Um School

TIME AND FORMAT: 1.5 hours weekly online for 3 months, 12 live meetings, plus a Facebook group for communication

SPACE LIMIT: Approximately 12 people per group. No new participants can be accepted once the course has begun.

TRADITION: Kwan Um School of Zen

FEES / SLIDING SCALE: A one-time fee of 250 Euro for the full 3-month course. Those who choose to pay 300 Euro will become anonymous patrons supporting participants who may not be able to pay the full fee. Please indicate in the application form if you wish to be a patron or how much you are able to contribute.

SURVEY: Please apply and complete the application form by January 1st, indicating all your preferred days of the week.

 Register here!

After completing the form, you will be notified whether you have a place in the group or if you are on the waiting list, in case someone is unable to participate.

Our GDPR/personal data rules:

https://www.kwanumeurope.org/about-us/imprint/