The Zen Centre is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, and the active arm of the Zen Trust, whose object is to promote the

Zen Buddhist Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

religion for the benefit of the public. Members generally attend its meetings at the premises of the

Buddhist Society The Buddhist Society is a UK registered charity which aims to encourage the study and practice of Buddhist principles. The Buddhist Society is an inter-denominational and non-sectarian lay organization. It offers talks and classes on the teach ...

. Attendance at Zen Centre premises is for select invitees only. The Zen Centre was founded by

Christmas Humphreys Travers Christmas Humphreys, QC (15 February 1901 – 13 April 1983) was a British barrister who prosecuted several controversial cases in the 1940s and 1950s, and who later became a judge at the Old Bailey. He also wrote a number of works on M ...

, who also founded The

and was led by the

Venerable Myokyo-ni Ven. Myokyo-ni (born Irmgard Schlögl; 29 January 1921 – 29 March 2007) was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist nun and head of the Zen Centre in London. Biography Raised in Leitersdorf im Raabtal, Styria, Austria, Schlögl obtained a Ph.D. degree in geo ...

until her death in 2007. It has two

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

properties: Shobo-an ('Hermitage of the True Dharma') at 58 Marlborough Place,

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

; and Fairlight in

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...

, together valued at £2,240,000 in the Zen Trust's 2005 accounts lodged with the

Charity Commission , type = Non-ministerial government department , seal = , seal_caption = , logo = Charity Commission for England and Wales logo.svg , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , ...

. Shobo-an was formerly Christmas Humphreys' home and was left by him to the Zen Centre on his death in 1983. It was inaugurated as temple on 23 July 1984. The purchase of Fairlight was financed largely using a single legacy from a lay devotee. It was acquired in a state of considerable disrepair from Luton District Council in 1995, and was improved by volunteers of the Zen Centre. The Venerable Myokyo-ni moved to Fairlight in 2002 and lived there until her death in 2007.

References

External links

Web site of The Zen Centre
Buddhist monasteries in England Zen centers Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster Religious buildings and structures in London St John's Wood {{London-stub

See also

References

External links