Matt Piotrowsky
The Clear Mountain Zen Center is located in Montclair, New Jersey and was founded in 1998 when it was known as the Metro Zen Community. At this time, individuals gathered in the home of one of the founding members, John Flynn, and had the goal of providing the Montclair area with Zen sitting and teaching. Some of the other founding members included Carl Bachmann, Deb Bartez, and Ray Cicetti. They moved to the Montclair Co-Op School which was not being used on Sunday mornings. By 2003, many of the founders had left to create other communities or to train in the rituals of Zen priesthood. But, Carl Bachmann stayed to organize the Clear Mountain Zen Center and together with Jeff Kuschner, it found a new home in Montclair’s downtown in a former store. In 2017, it moved to The Mill At Walnut Street professional center which is also in Montclair and is a former knitting mill. Nowadays, The Clear Mountain Zen Center is led by Bachmann, who is a Sensei or well respected Zen teacher, and Robert Kennedy, who is a Roshi or a senior Zen teacher. Everyone is welcome at the center including those who have faith affiliation and those who do not and members come from various backgrounds, professions, and ages. The center is affiliated with several other Zen communities in New Jersey where members support and work with the other Sanghas.
Clear Mountain Zen Center is part of the White Plum Asanga Lineage. It was created in the 1970s by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, Roshi who was a Japanese Buddhist priest. He founded the Zen Center of Los Angeles a decade earlier. Maezumi Roshi was able to express the teachings of Zen and the Buddha in a wide variety of ways because he was a successor in both the Rinzai and Soto lineages. The first president of the White Plum Asanga was Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Roshi, who promoted and solidified the idea of White Plum. Numerous White Plum communities can be found today around the United States and Europe. There is an emphasis on the teachings that are commonly found in American Zen such as activism within the community, support for the family, secular diversity, the arts, and preserving the rituals and teachings of Eastern Buddhism.
Zen Buddhism is the type of Buddhism that is practiced here. At Clear Mountain, they are respectful of the traditions and rituals of Eastern Zen Buddhism, but also incorporate modern and dynamic applications of Western Zen. The path of attaining mindfulness and awareness is offered at the center. It incorporates both the mind and the body as well as the person and their community. While the teacher has authority, the role of the student is respected and sacred. The ancient is preserved and the modern is embraced. Japanese culture is significant at Clear Mountain and many features of the decor and practice come from Japan.
The main teacher, Sensei Carl Bachmann, was introduced to Zen in the 1970s when he joined the Zen Studies Society in New York City. He joined the Zen Community of New York and was taught by the Roshi, Bernard Glassman. In the 1990s, Bachmann studied with the Roshi, Robert Kennedy, and began to have greater teaching and leadership responsibilities once Clear Mountain was created. Beyond the community, he has a private practice where he helps people dealing with trauma and grief. In 2010, he became Sensei of Clear Mountain after Roshi Kennedy gave authority to him. Robert Kennedy is currently the guiding teacher of Clear Mountain and helps with many Zen communities in the area. He became a Roshi in 1997.
The focus of the practices are mainly around meditation. Every Sunday, members of the community gather in zazen. Zazen is formal quiet meditation and is the primary type of group meditation at Clear Mountain. It begins at 9 AM and goes on until 11 AM. When practitioners enter the zendo, or meditation hall, people remove their shoes and are respectful towards the sacred space. People are advised to wear comfortable clothing and to turn off cell phones and any other distractions. Flashy and distracting clothing are advised against so that others will not be distracted. Sometimes, Sensei Bachmann and other students who have obtained jukai, or a dedication to Buddhist precepts, will wear a traditional Japanese prayer bib. Gassho, or a standing bow with hands folded, is performed before entering the meditation room. Then, individuals will find a cushion or seat. There are a total of four sittings within this period and they each last for twenty five minutes. After the first three, a five minute walking meditation, or kinhin, is performed. During kinhin, a bell rings twice to determine the end of a sitting period and practitioners will stand up in gassho. They will then line up and slowly walk around the hall in a circle. During zazen, breath is supposed to be normal with a focus on awareness and concentration with the stress of modern life being left behind. Posture is another important aspect of meditation. There should be a balance between slouching and being stiff where awareness can be promoted. Zazen begins and ends with chanting. The chants usually include the Heart Sutra, which is recalled during the last sitting. The Altar includes a candle burning next to the Buddha image to show the eternal light of the teachings of the Buddha. In addition, there is incense, flowers, and a bowl of water present. Informal practice is offered during Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7 AM to 7:45 AM to allow for a few minutes of quiet awareness before heading to work. On Wednesday evenings from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM, a slightly more formal version is offered where kinhin, bowing, and chanting occurs. As of September 2021, the center uses a hybrid system where attendance in person and remote participation on Zoom are both offered.
Another aspect of Clear Mountain Zen Center is teaching. Teachings are meant to enhance the body and mind and to foster the community with the idea of the individual and the group. The second sitting includes a short dharma talk that is usually taught by Sensei Bachmann. Daisan is offered on most Sundays where Sensei Bachmann will have a short interview with the student to discuss practices and the Zen path. Appointments can be made for daisan and students can sign up during kinhin. The koans are optional to discuss during daisan. The koans are stories from ancient Zen leaders that are meant to challenge the mind and make the individual think outside the box. The teacher and the student will meet in a room next to the main meditation room. A practice circle is offered on two Sundays every month where a topic is discussed between community members and the teachers. Some of the topics discussed include the koans, Buddhist precepts, and other traditions.
One of the special events that Clear Mountain holds is the Rohatsu Sesshin. This is a traditional retreat during the winter where the enlightenment of the Buddha is celebrated. It occurs in Zen communities around the world and is a very significant event in Zen Buddhism. During the Rohatsu Sesshin, silence, zazen, and support for each other are practiced. There is silence during all times other than during daisan and dharma talks. Any other conversations should not occur once inside of the center. Before the COVID pandemic, other retreats and events were held and they hope to restore them at some point. One of these was Zazenkai, where the Sunday schedule was expanded to 8 AM to 1 PM once a month. They also hope to offer householder retreats in the future where thirty minute sitting and kinhin sessions were held on Thursday and Friday evenings as well as on Saturday and Sunday. There is a calendar on the center’s website showing the daily events that the community has. Some of the events this month include the zazen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays as well as Qigong classes on Mondays and SpiritDoodle on Fridays.
The community appears to be made up of a majority of convert and white members, from the pictures that are shown on the center’s website. The center presents Buddhism in a modern way and has an emphasis on meditation and Zen. It is made up of people who come from many different backgrounds and faiths and is open to everyone, including those who believe in God and those who do not. Community members have a variety of experience levels, are of many different ages, and have various professions and talents. Clear Mountain appears to be funded by donations and there is a donation link on the center’s website.