New Buddhist Temple opens in Bellingham, offering meditation retreat
A Zen Buddhist Temple has opened its doors in Bellingham after three years of renovation on its new facility.
The Red Cedar Zen Community has offered meditation-based practice since it was founded in Bellingham in 1991. Now the group has a fully renovated building for the practice.
The Sansui-ji Mountains and Rivers Temple at 2509 Cedarwood Ave. features a dedicated meditation hall as well as a separate gathering space for community groups, classes, lectures and other events.
A regular meditation practice is meant to help one “develop the capacity to experience life, with all of its ups and downs, while staying rooted in a place of stillness,” according to the Red Cedar Zen Community website.
“Over time this can lead to more acceptance and less fear and clinging around the ever-changing process of life. As our insight into the workings of our own mind deepens, wisdom and compassion naturally arise,” the website states.
Rev. Nomon Tim Burnett is the group’s guiding teacher, offering meditation practice known as Soto Zen, which is based on the teachings of Shunryu Suzuki, the founding teacher of the San Francisco Zen Center.
Red Cedar Zen is affiliated with The Everyday Zen Foundation (EDZ), whose mission is to “share the Zen attitude, spirit, and practice with the world,” according to the organization’s website.
Red Cedar Zen offers practice at various times and locations.
- Morning meditation on Zoom from 7 to 7:40 a.m. Monday through Friday.
- Evening Reading Dogen Study Group on Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays.
- Sitting meditation, walking meditation, bowing and chanting service, and a Dharma talk in-person at the Sansui-ji Temple and on Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
