Donations & Payments
Become a Member
Donations
Support CMZ with an annual membership payment. Your annual membership supports the entire Cold Mountain Zen sangha by ensuring that there are ongoing sits and sesshin.
When you make a tax-deductible donation, you will help to make sitting possible for anyone who is interested, whether they are new to the sangha or a long-time participant. Your support will defray the costs of rent for our practice venues and sesshin location, create a scholarship fund to subsidize sesshin for those who need support, and provide supplies for each sit, including incense and tea, and replace worn out zafu or zabuton.
As our grassroots efforts as a non-profit take shape, your contribution will help us achieve our mission to support and advance the practice of Rinzai Zen. Your donation entitles you to a one-year membership of the sangha, giving you the opportunity to vote on any proposals at our annual Board Meeting in the spring of each year.
While we suggest a donation of $150 for membership, any amount you are able to give is greatly appreciated. Donations can be made via Paypal, or if you prefer to pay by check, mail your check made payable to “Cold Mountain Zen” to:
Cold Mountain Zen
P.O. Box 66022
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Thank you for supporting CMZ!
Donations to Cold Mountain Zen, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, are tax deductible to the extent permitted by current IRS guidelines. Employer Identification Number: 27-2880773
Sesshin Payments
Sesshins are mulit-day meditation retreats that are considered to be the heart of Zen practice and is open to anyone including non-members. Cold Mountain Zen holds sesshin three times a year at the Murray Grove Retreat & Conference Center in Lanoka Harbor, NJ.
We offer 5-day sesshins in January and August, and a 7-day sesshin May. While we encourage full participation, we understand that life may not allow you to attend in person for the entire retreat. Participation for a few days or over a weekend is also possible. In addition, we now offer participation via zoom for added convenience. Whether you are able to join us in-person or via zoom, we ask that you pay for sesshin to help defray the costs of renting the venue.
Sesshin payments can be made via Paypal. Current Sesshin rates are as follows:
SEVEN Nights (non-student) = $350
SEVEN Nights (student) = $210
FIVE Nights (non-student) = $250
FIVE Nights (student) = $210
WEEKEND (non-student) = $150
WEEKEND (student) = $100
Full or partial scholarships are available for those who request them. Please do not allow the cost of sesshin to prevent you from attending. To request a scholarship, please contact Sandy Spina at coldmountainsangha@gmail.com.
Cold Mountain Zen is a meditation sangha dedicated to the practice of Rinzai Zen in New Jersey. The Rinzai lineage dates back to 9th century China and continues under the direction of Kankan Roshi Kurt Spellmeyer through Cold Mountain Zen’s weekly group practice, monthly half-day sits, and several week-long retreats (sesshin) each year.