Detroit Zen Center is a community, founded in 1990.

We are the sole US branch of Sudeok-sa Temple, Korea, which is 1,500 years old, with an affiliation to over 400 temples and Zen Centers, and 12,000 monks, world-wide.  Our founder and teacher is Hwalson Sunim, a Zen monk who trained extensively in the US, Canada, and Korea for 20 years before opening the Center at the direction of his spiritual teacher.

Detroit Zen Center's mission is to provide a place for the study and practice of Zen in the West, as both a formal study and way of life, with a residential community at its core.  We have full time resident monks who live on site, working and guiding the Center and schedule daily, following a daily schedule of meditation, meal preparation and building/garden/caretaking projects.  We offer Sunday  public sessions, Intro to Zen Courses, monthly talks, and intensive zen retreats, all guided by monastics, supported by lay teachers and students.  Long and short term personal residency retreats are available.  A path to train as a Dharma student, teacher, or monastic is also available.

We foster urban ecological stewardship site-wide, including composting, green roofs & bioretention (rain) gardens.  Our public 'Peace Garden' is open daily, converted from a formerly vacant and polluted lot.  To explore the Center, please attend a 'Sunday Guided Zen', or another public event.  Details can be found on our 'Calendar' page.