A New Chapter Begins

Soji Zen Center Moving to Drexel Hill

Soji Zen Center will soon be leaving its current location on Marshall Road in Lansdowne to settle into our new home in the Pilgrim Gardens neighborhood of nearby Drexel Hill. While we will always treasure the moments shared and memories made within our cherished “storefront zendo,” we look forward to exploring the many exciting possibilities offered to us by this new practice space.

Our Pilgrim Gardens zendo is being completed on the first floor of an office building located at 401 Pilgrim Lane, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, just inside the double-door entrance in Suite 102. The building has abundant parking, is highly accessible to those with limited mobility, and is within walking distance of SEPTA Bus Route 110. The process of transitioning our zendo operations to our new home involves many moving pieces, so please review the details below carefully, check the online Soji calendar for confirmation, and contact us with any questions.

• Our final Soji program on Marshall Road will take place on Sunday, August 30. In addition to our regular Sunday service, zazen, and Dharma talk, we will hold an “eye-closing” ceremony to conclude our spiritual presence in the space.
• There will be no in-person or virtual zazen on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 1. Instead, we will use this time to move the contents of our Lansdowne zendo to our new location on Pilgrim Lane. To assist with this effort, please complete the online registration form.
• The first in-person gathering at our Pilgrim Lane location will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6. We will take this opportunity to conduct an “eye-opening” ceremony to consecrate the new space and formally begin this next chapter of our Soji journey.

How You Can Help

As we prepare for this transition, we appreciate the deep communal commitment that has made such a leap possible. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to absorb the many one time expenses associated with our move. However, we anticipate many more incidental costs to furnish our new home. We therefore invite our sangha to support Soji in continuing to fulfill its bodhisattva mission by contributing what you can to assist with these expenses.

Donate Now!

We also recognize the incredible value of non-monetary assistance throughout this process. There will be many opportunities to offer your support for Soji in important and meaningful ways. If you are available to join us at any point during the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 1 to assist with packing and moving, please complete the online registration form.

Our impending relocation represents a significant moment in our sangha’s twenty years of patient cultivation of wholehearted practice. As we experience the many complex emotions associated with this exciting transition together, let us ground ourselves first and foremost in gratitude for the strength of the community formed on Marshall Road. Our sangha is a treasure, and we look forward to living into the many possibilities that await us on Pilgrim Lane.