Frequently Asked Questions

We sit together on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom and in-person on Wednesday nights at 5:30 p.m. at SerenityMe in Portland. We also host a day-long retreat (in-person and over Zoom) every other month at the SerenityMe in Portland.

Open Door operates on a Dana (or generosity) basis; there are no fees charged for any programs offered. Operating in this way allows equal access to the Buddha’s teachings and aligns Open Door with the foundational Buddhist principle and practice of generosity—which may take the form of offering money to the organization to cover expenses, to the teacher to support their livelihood, or contributing by volunteering on a committee.

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Everyone gives—teachers, volunteers, and participants–and we enjoy the richness of mutual generosity in our hearts and in our Sangha.

Both the Tuesday Zoom-based meetings and most of the Wednesday in-person “sits” are a mix of meditation with instruction, silent meditation, in-depth explanation about meditation practice, teaching on some aspect of the Buddhist spiritual path (“Dharma talk”), and time for questions and discussion.

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Meditation periods are usually 30-45 minutes in length. Occasionally on Wednesday, we hold a “Community Sit” where a volunteer opens the meeting and rings the bell for a silent meditation.

Everyone is welcome to Open Door! Whether one is new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, there are plentiful opportunities to grow in wisdom and to deepen one’s practice.

To join Open Door, all you have to do is visit our website and sign up for our emails. Every Tuesday morning, you'll receive an invitation to join our Tuesday night sit with a Zoom link, along with detailed information about our Wednesday night sit at SerenityMe.