Announcing: Tech Community Zen

Today I’m sharing something different: the launch of a new Zen meditation practice group for the online tech community. Tentatively, we’ll start practice sometime in the week of May 26, 2025.

If you’re only here for Quant UX discussion, you can skip the rest of this newsletter. However, I’ve heard from some readers interested in Zen. If you are one, keep reading. Or visit Tech Community Zen!

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Brief Background

Apart from my work and writing, I’m an ordained Zen teacher (aka “priest”). I started Zen practice in 2001, was ordained as a Dharma Teacher in 2015, and received additional teaching authorization (“Inka”) in 2023.

I’m starting Tech Community Zen for a simple reason: the tech community can benefit from Zen. I see the tech community experiencing chaos, with many people hoping for something stable and fulfilling. Zen practice can be part of an answer to that chaos. Its benefits extend to our colleagues, families, communities, and the world around us.

Zen teaches deep attention, helping others, compassion, and counteracting destructive desire and anger. In these times, the tech community — and the whole world — needs those.

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What is Tech Community Zen?

Tech Community Zen practices authentic Zen online as a community … and will develop from there. This includes group practice (Zazen; meditation) and, for those interested, individual koan practice (if that doesn’t mean anything to you, don’t worry; I’m mentioning it for anyone who wonders).

Depending on interest over time, we might add other online or in-person events such as intensive retreats. We’ll see!

Why does this focus on the tech community? Attention to the tech community is beneficial for two reasons: the community needs it, and the focus helps with teaching, programming, expectations, and community interaction. At the same time, everyone is welcomed and no one is excluded.

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Interested? Help with the Planning!

You can find out more — and help plan the schedule and activities — in two ways:

1. Share your preferences, especially for days & times for online practice, in this short survey:
   Tech Community Zen Interest Survey

2. Sign up for the Tech Community Zen newsletter:
   https://tech-community-zen-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe

More Questions?

Visit the FAQ and other information pages at tczen.org (== techcommunityzen.org). Or email and ask: techcommunityzen@gmail.com

Cheers, and I’ll return to Quant UX specific topics in the next post :)