Cochise Zen Center

Cochise Zen Center was founded in 2003 by Suzanne and Joel Carp, in loose affiliation with Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson. For the first 14 years, the group was known as Bisbee Lotus Sangha. We were self-sustaining, without a teacher, and depended on steady Zen practice to do its work.

In 2017, an authorized teacher from the Kwan Um School of Zen, Zen Master Hye Mun (Barry Briggs), retired to Bisbee and began practicing with the community. In 2018, we asked Zen Master Hye Mun to serve as guiding teacher and evolved our practice to the forms of the Kwan Um School.

Although many of us train in the Zen tradition, we welcome practitioners from all Buddhist traditions, as well as those experienced in other spiritual paths. We know the value of practicing in community, regardless of background or experience.

Cochise Zen Center serves the borderlands region of Southeastern Arizona with weekly meditation practice, workshops and discussion groups, and retreats.

The center is a non-profit organization incorporated in Arizona and is recognized as a tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service. We are governed by a board of directors comprised of senior practitioners.