Sangha Support
The European Contact Board and the Board of Directors
Ask for support and share ideas
The Kwan Um School of Zen /Europe is a registered non-profit organization and deals with matters going beyond local level and valid internationally. Below you will find information about communication and support regarding our shared European issues.
You are always encouraged to contact your Abbot, Director or Guiding Teacher first directly as most accessible resource for individual members. In all cases where you need spiritual support or wish to ask any personal questions, your first call should be to your Guiding Teacher, who is there to help you. They will forward your concerns to the European Teachers Group or the Contact Board if your request needs their attention.
The Board of Directors, supported by the European Office, consisting of students, is there for you any time you wish to share your ideas, views or concerns regarding practical or organisational matters, our European community, School administration, financial concerns and outreach. We are always open to hear from you throughout the whole year, if you want to discuss important topics and check if they are suitable for annual KUSZE Meeting of Members.
Here is the contact form for any inquiry.
Receive important information
If you wish to receive important information on events and current organizational announcements from Kwan Um School of Zen/Europe, subscribe to our newsletter.
We especially ask our Teachers, Sangha Leaders, Abbots and Directors to subscribe since this is the main communication channel between central administration and local members. Please communicate our announcements to regular members in your Sanghas in their national language. They count on you for information!
Subscribe here.
Financial support
Each year KUSZE makes funds available for Zen Center Support, Student Scholarships for Summer Retreat Program and Kyol Che and Monastic Support. If you are a local Sangha leader and your temple requires financial assistance, a KUSZE monastic staying in Europe, a School member with financial difficulties or a long term Sangha volunteer planning to sit a retreat, please write to: finance@kwanumeurope.org
The Structure of the Kwan Um School of Zen in Europe
The Kwan Um School of Zen /Europe e.V. (KUSZ/Eu) is a registered non-profit organization.
The Sangha in Europe is organized locally and nationally by students (with directors and abbots) under the guidance of Guiding Teachers who are members of the European Teachers Group.
The European Teachers Group (ETG) is the governing body of the KUSZ/Eu, with strategic and spiritual authority and functions; they meet annually.
The Head Teacher is the spiritual head of the KUSZ/Eu, elected by the European Teachers Group every three years.
The Board of Directors has a mandate from the members of our European school to govern and administrate the KUSZ/Eu. The Board of Directors consists of at least three members (either students or teachers) elected by the Meeting of Members every two years. The elected members choose one of them to head it.
The Board of Directors meets through online once a month or more often, as needed, and guides the actions and direction of the school as well of the European Office. Day-to-day matters of our KUSZ in Europe and Israel and management issues are considered, and courses of action chosen. The Board of Directors works together with the Contact Board and, if needed, refers matters to the European Teachers Group and to the Head Teacher.
The Contact Board is the liason between the Board of Directors and the ETG. It consists of 1 teacher who was elected by the ETG.
The European Office (EO) is composed of Sangha members who work closely with the Council and are guided by the Council.
The Sangha Convention of the Kwan Um School of Zen /Europe is a forum and a meeting of senior students and Sangha deputies who form the advisory board to the other bodies of the KUSZEu
Read the KUSZE Bylaws here.
Contact Board
council@kwanumeurope.org
Arne Schaefer JDPSN
Board of Directors
Boaz Franklin
Social Media Contributors and others
If you have experience or just enthusiasm EO is looking FOR YOU.
Want to join us? Any ideas?
Fill in the EO is looking FOR YOU survey clicking HERE.
For details write to: director@kwanumeurope.org
Ethics Statement
- Kwan Um School of Zen takes our precepts and ethics seriously and wishes to offer support to all Sangha members regarding these sensitive matters following the Ethics and Grievance Procedure below.
- If one of the parties is dissatisfied with the guiding teacher’s resolution, that party can ask the appropriate Regional Teacher’s Group to resolve the grievance. In most cases, the Regional Teacher’s Group will send the grievance to a standing or specially-formed ethical grievance committee. The standing committee can be contacted by (using email ) ethics@kwanumeurope.org This committee may attempt to mediate the grievance or it may propose a resolution. Possible resolutions may include, but are not limited to, dismissal of the grievance, apology, amends, suspension, or expulsion. The Regional Teacher’s Group may ratify the resolution proposed by the committee, or send the case back for further examination.
- Ethics in the Sangha: the Grievance Procedure
- Bylaws of the Kwan Um School of Zen Europe
Politics Statement
- This statement is a reminder about finding the right attitude as practitioners towards passionate feelings that arise from holding opinions such as political convictions. It is binding for all our Zen Centers and practicing places that belong to the Kwan Um School of Zen Europe (KUZSEU). Ethical conduct is the foundation of meditation practice. Personal political opinions are private and are not to be promoted or widespread neither offline nor online.
- Politics Statement
Reports from the Sangha and Teachers
Report archive of the meetings of the Teachers’ Group and KUSZE Sangha Meetings:
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw & Online, April 2023 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, April 2023 – PDF
- Meeting of Members / Kosice & Online, September 2022 – PDF
- Meeting of Members / Online, October 2021 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Online, May 2021 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Online, September 2020 – PDF
- Meeting of Members / Online, September 2020 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Online, April 2020 – PDF
- Meeting of Members / Borisa, September 2019 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Borisa, September 2019 – PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Vrazne, May 2019 PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, September 2018 – short version 167 kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, September 2018 – long version 283 kB PDF
- European Sangha Convention / Warsaw, September 2018 1MB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Vienna, May 2018 219kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, April 2017 – short version 168kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, April 2017 – long version 196kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, April 2017 441kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, September 2016 – short version 412kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, September 2016 – long version 632kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Lodz, April 2015 687kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, August 2014 – short version 42kB PDF
- Meeting of Members / Warsaw, August 2014 – long version 547kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, March 2013 76kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Paris, April 2012 227kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Potsdam, June 2011 72kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2010 250kB PDF
- Teachers’ Answers to Questions / Warsaw, September 2010 228kB PDF
- Students’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2010 200kB PDF
- Sanghas’ Reports / Warsaw, September 2010 4.8MB PDF
- Photo Report, Ukraine Sangha / Warsaw, September 2010 2.9MB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Won Kwang Sa, April 2010 440kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2009 1.6MB PDF
- Sangha Meeting / Warsaw, September 2009 2.9MB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Berlin, May 2009 1MB PDF
- Sangha Meeting / Berlin, May 2009 1.2MB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Berlin, May 2008 25kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2007 63kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Paris, April 2007 72kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2006 46kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Paris, April 2006 56kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2005 46kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Warsaw, September 2004 45kB PDF
- Teachers’ Meeting / Paris, April 2004 31kB PDF
