Zen Centre

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The Zen Centre is the active arm of the Zen Trust, whose object is to promote the Zen Buddhist religion for the benefit of the public. The public attend its meetings at the premises of the Buddhist Society. Attendance at Zen Centre premises is for select invitees only. It was founded by Christmas Humphreys and is led by the ageing Venerable Myokyo-ni. The Zen Centre has two freehold properties, Shobo-an ('Hermitage of the True Dharma') in St John's Wood, London, and Fairlight in Luton, together valued at £2,240,000 in the Zen Trust's 2005 accounts lodged with the Charity Commission [1].

The promotional activities include classes, courses, and talks at the Buddhist Society. Shobo-an was formerly Christmas Humphreys' home and left by him to the Zen Centre on his death in 1983. It was inaugurated as temple on 23 July 1984 under the leadership of a revered Japanese teacher. Since his death in 1995 and with several recent English ordinations it is now run solely by Myokyo ni.

The purchase of Fairlight as a place of retirement for Myokyo-ni was financed largely using a single legacy from a lay devotee. It was in a state of considerable disrepair from Luton District Council in 1995, and was improved by volunteers of the Zen Centre. After ordaining various new Zen Centre monks at Fairlight, Venerable Myokyo-ni now calls herself Anju San, meaning female head of hermitage. In 2002 she moved in leaving the newly created Sochu in charge in London in 2003.