Zen meditation in Paris 18th — Zazen with the Kosen sangha
Zen Paris, 50 rue Labat, Paris 18th — zazen sessions, retreats and introductions
Sunday morning · 9:50 am · Introduction 5 € · beginners welcome
Dojo closed
Upcoming sessions
Sunday morning · 50 rue Labat, Paris 18e
Duration: approx. 1 hour. Introduction 5 €. Subsequent sessions: 6 €.
Sunday · 9:50 am
Introduction 5 € · beginners welcome
Paris 18e
Metro Château-Rouge · Marcadet-Poissonniers
First visit — let us know the day before at the latest
The group is small and each new practitioner is welcomed individually. Email us the day before at dojo.zen.paris@gmail.com.
Whether you are a beginner or a regular practitioner, we will be glad to meet you and practise zazen together in this traditional zen dojo in the 18th arrondissement, founded by Josy Thibaut (1925–2017), disciple of Master Deshimaru and Master Kosen, and now led by her disciples.
The traditional nickname for a zen dojo in Japan is the "forest of dry trees". Just as it is not the forest that makes the trees, but the trees that make the forest, it is the practitioners who make the dojo — not the dojo that makes the practitioners.
Master Deshimaru taught that even in the heart of Paris, through meditation, one rediscovers this natural connection — as if one were at the summit of a mountain.
Zen Paris is a neighbourhood dojo: a dozen practitioners, a zen monk or nun, and zazen. Simple decor, minimal ritual — above all, the posture. This neighbourhood dojo is a gateway to the Kosen sangha, an international community present on two continents.
At the entrance of traditional dojos, a plaque reads: "Room where buddhas are made."
If you also wish to practise in a magnificent place entirely dedicated to zazen, simply travel to the Kosen Sangha’s zen temple, located in the Haut-Languedoc!
Since its founding as an association in 2014, the Paris dojo has organised 11 events, in addition to regular meditation sessions: 4 meditation days and 7 zen retreats, or sesshins.