Hakone Zendo
Zazen Meditation Community in Saratoga, California
Embrace the Calmness Together
Find your peace in Silicon Valley
Free zazen every Sunday · 8:00 & 9:00 am · Upper House at Hakone Gardens, Saratoga
No walk-ins. Reservation required each week. How to reserve →
Simple to Start, a Lifetime to Practice
Zazen is simple: sit still, keep your back straight, and pay attention to your breath. You don’t need any experience to start. But the longer you sit, the deeper it goes, and there’s always more to discover. As a Zen saying goes, “We are always beginning again.”
First time here?
- Sign up once. Register as a student. It’s free.
- Reserve your seat. Each week we email a sign-up form. Reservations close Saturday at 5:30 pm. No walk-ins.
- Come early for orientation (first visit only):
- 8:00 session → 7:45 am at the Upper House
- 9:00 session → 8:50 am at the Office gate (top of the parking lot)
- Come sit. Take a look at our Dress Code and How We Meditate pages before your first Sunday.
Experience
Hakone Zendo was founded in 1998 by Rev. Enyu Ito, and we still sit in the Rinzai Zen tradition he taught us. Today it’s run entirely by volunteers, every Sunday morning in the Upper House at Hakone Gardens.
Calm
Feeling overwhelmed? Discover peace at our zazen-kai meditation session. Surrounded by the gentle chirps of birds and the soothing sounds of a waterfall, you’ll enter a serene environment perfect for meditation.
Unity
Sitting alone, it’s easy to fidget, cut the session short, or skip it altogether. Sitting together, the quiet of the room holds you, and everyone’s effort quietly supports your own. After the 8:00 session, we share what’s on our minds.
More than Sunday mornings
A few times a year, we sit together in special ways. These events are for registered students who sit with us on Sundays.
Moonlight Zazen-kai
Evening zazen in the Upper House as the moon rises over the garden.
Sesshin
Three hours of deeper practice, mostly in silence.
Guided Intro Session
A relaxed introduction to how we sit and breathe.
Year-End Dana
Since 1998, Hakone Zendo has offered free meditation, run entirely by volunteers. If our sittings have meant something to you this year, please consider a gift before December 31. Your gift also helps us restore the Upper House, just as Rev. Ito did when he opened Hakone Zendo. Gifts are tax-deductible, and many employers will match them.
From our student sharing blog
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A Brief History of Our Zendo
Aaron looks back at how our zendo grew from 10–15 people sitting with Rev. Ito to 50–60 each week, and thanks everyone who helps keep it going.
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Be Present
Dongmin shares how hard it was to stay present with a racing mind, even at a meditation retreat, and a few simple ways to get better at it.
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Sitting Still
Deepak compares a busy mind to a spinning top. Instead of forcing stillness, he suggests letting yourself settle into your center, the way a top does.
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The Bud Within
Inspired by a chrysanthemum bud about to bloom, Ann reflects on self-reliance, trust, and the potential each of us carries through life’s uncertainties.
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Observing the Stillness Between the Two Breaths – The Sacred Pause
Pushing his daughter on a swing, Deepak notices the brief stillness at the top of each arc, and what that pause can teach us about awareness.
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Watch Your Step
Shōko kyakka, a phrase often seen at Japanese temples, means “watch your step.” In Zen, it’s a reminder to pay attention to your own actions, right where you are.
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Reversing the Deep Dish Pizza Theory
After an agonizing long sitting, Meisam flips his own “Deep Dish Pizza Theory” and finds that peace arrives once he stops demanding it.
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Finding Rest in the Middle of Things: Bob’s Reflections on The Five Invitations
Bob shares how The Five Invitations helped him stay grounded after the sudden loss of his brother, and how to find rest in the hardest times.
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Finding Magic in the present
Claudia brings flowers to zazen-kai in memory of her late grandmother, and a hummingbird’s visit reminds her how much joy depends on how we look at things.
