Meditation: Listening to the Heart with Buddhist Monks
Monday, July 7, 2025 | 6-7pm
Location: Minnesota Street Project Lounge (1275 Minnesota St, San Francisco, CA)
Free event | Register here
On the occasion of As Long as the Earth Endures, an exhibition of paintings by Nancy Nguyen in /room/, we invite you to a guided meditation with Venerable Jin Chuan and Venerable Jin Wei. The two Buddhist monks are currently based at Redwood Vihara, a forest monastery in the Santa Cruz mountains that weaves together Theravada and Mahayana teachings.
The meditation at Slash will open with an introduction to meditation as a way to listen more deeply. We will then explore four dimensions of listening: somatic listening—observing what is arising in the body and staying grounded in conversations with others; empathic listening—accepting our emotions and feelings as they are and extending this open-heartedness to others; panoramic listening—tuning into the interconnected field of our environment; and sacred listening—discovering the highest potential in ourselves and others.
This event is open to everyone, regardless of experience with meditation. Please bring your own cushion or yoga mat to sit on. You may also sit on a chair (provided by Slash) if you prefer.
Venerable Jin Chuan was born in New Jersey and grew up in the Silicon Valley. In high school, he began exploring Christianity and Buddhism, and discovered his “calling” to be a monk–to the surprise of his family (and himself). While studying physics and religious studies at Stanford, he joined Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth and frequented Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. In 2005, he became a resident at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. He became a novice in 2011 and a bhikshu in 2013. In 2016, he received an M.A. in Buddhist Classics at DRBU where he now serves as an assistant professor and chaplain.
Venerable Jin Wei was born in Poland and began his meditation practice in 1999. After living a fun but unfulfilling bohemian lifestyle, he encountered a Polish translation of the Sixth Patriarch Sūtra that inspired him to dedicate himself to Dharma practice and service. He volunteered in various hospitals and helped organize DRBA Delegations to Europe. In 2013, he came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a Sangha and Laity Training Program student. In 2015, he took novice ordination, and in 2017, full ordination. In 2020, he graduated from the DRBU M.A. in Buddhist Classics.
*For inquiries about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please email ana@slashart.org.
This event is generously supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.