Location

400 Yakima Street, Wenatchee, Washington

Zen Tradition: Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji ("Choboji")
Tibetan Tradition: Katog Choling via Khentrul Lodrö Thayé Rinpoche

For Information on Zen contact Jeff at (509) 679-8424

For Information on Tibetan contact Karen at (509)433-1107

For Information on Silent Meditation/Listening contact Joss at (509)293-2460

History

Stone Blossom Sangha originated in 2002 as part of the Cascade Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (CUUF) in East Wenatchee.  Several members of the congregation interested in Buddhist meditation came together and formed a weekly meditation group which met within the church sanctuary.  Of the original members, Sharon and Todd Petit were the most instrumental in creating a strong foundation.  They eventually met their Rinzai teacher at Chobo-ji in Seattle and began serious study with resident Roshi, Genjo Marinello affectionately known as Genjo.  Eventually, Zen meditation expanded to include a Tibetan Vajrayana Nyingma group that met on the same night, led by Karen Poverny.  Her teachers include Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche and Khentrul Lodro Thaye’.  Both groups were mutually supportive of one another, many of us regularly attending both forms of meditation practice, and it was important to all of us to establish a Buddhist presence in our area.  Though the Unitarian Church was pleased to house us, they eventually needed the use of the Wednesday evening space, so the two groups moved and began using the smaller house connected to the Methodist Church at the invitation of the minister.  As the sangha grew it became apparent that it would be important to create a lasting legacy here in Wenatchee, to establish a non-profit organization, and thus Stone Blossom Sangha in 2017 was officially born.  We now meet at 400 Yakima Street at the ‘Little Dharma House’, a house purchased and renovated by sangha member Jeff Lau who generously offered us a more permanent space.  As the sangha continues to evolve, we’ve now added daily silent meditation practice and listening sessions, overseen by Joss Paddock, and other complementary offerings.  We continue to be inspired by the teachings of the Buddha and Buddhist adjacent practices, and welcome new members interested in exploring a more peaceful and insightful way of living.