Our Locations

Berkeley, California

2200 Parker St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-845-8565

For general inquiries, please email us
Check out our practice schedule

1977 Dr. Ezra Clark met Zen Master Seung Sahn at a 7 day meditation retreat in Esalen, California. After the retreat, Ezra introduced his wife, Diana, to Zen Master Seung Sahn. These meetings led Diana and Ezra to begin Empty Gate Zen Center.

In 1978 a large house was purchased on Arch Street in Berkeley and Empty Gate Zen Center became a public, residential Zen Center. In 1979 Jeff Kitzes, our current Guiding Teacher, came for a 7 day meditation retreat with Zen Master Seung Sahn. After the retreat, Jeff moved into Empty Gate and remained in residence for almost 6 years.

Boise, Idaho

901 N 15th St
Boise, ID 83702

For general inquiries, please email us
Phone: 208-661-6277
Check out our practice schedule

Empty Gate Zen Center of Boise practices at the Boise Buddhist Center. With a great amount of help from members of the local community who volunteered their time and energy, Empty Gate Zen Center was able to remodel the building into a beautiful Zen center in 2018. Regular practice began in January 2019, and the center held its official opening ceremony in August 2019. In the spirit of expanding the Dharma, we rent space to the Boise Institute of Buddhist Studies, which allows the center to be shared with other Buddhist groups from a variety of lineages, supporting practitioners in the wider community in finding a path that fits their needs.

fairbanks, alaska

5110 Aeronca Ave
Fairbanks, AK 99709

For general inquiries, please email us
Practice schedule

The Cold Mountain Zen Center (the Fairbanks branch of EGZC) offers in-person and online meditation practice and teaching in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Center was founded as part of the Kwan Um School of Zen in 1999 by Senior Dharma Teacher Cary de Wit, with the support of Zen Master Dae Kwang, who served as Guiding Teacher until 2002. Zen Master Bon Soeng became our Guiding Teacher in 2002, and the Fairbanks sangha has grown closer to Empty Gate's Berkeley sangha in the years since. We ultimately merged to become a branch of Empty Gate in 2025.