About The Living Dharma Center Roshi: Richard Clarke Sensei: Paul Gerstein The Living Dharma Center is a community of women and men from many backgrounds who are united in their commitment to discerning and practicing the Way of Zen, i.e., the path of awakening from illusion and realizing in all aspects of life one’s identity with what may provisionally be called ”Fundamental Reality.” We welcome any sincere person who wishes to practice with us.

The Living Dharma Center was founded in 1972 by Richard Clarke, who continues as the teacher of the Living Dharma Center. The Center, which began as a residential center in New York State, moved in 1980 to joint non-residential locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. We have recently moved our weekly sittings to Northampton, MA after being centered in Amherst, MA for over 30 years. Richard Clarke began in 1968 a thirteen year period of formal Zen training, including the traditional koan system, in the Harada-Yasutani-Kapleau lineage, in which he received Transmission (validation of Awakening to Fundamental Reality.

This lineage combines both Soto and Rinzai teachings. From his Zen practice as the root, and utilizing also his extensive explorations and training in other spiritual and psychological areas, Richard continues to evolve a teaching that preserves the essence of the ancient tradition of Zen, while developing and translating this into forms appropriate to our time and culture. We meet weekly in Northampton for zazen and a teisho. Three times a year we hold Sesshin (retreats from 3 to 7 days), and several times a year we have Zazenkai (one-day retreat).

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