Become a Member

Click the button above to become a member & pay by card

Membership in the Kwan Um School of Zen Americas supports the efforts of thousands of practitioners throughout North, Central, and South America, the Zen center or sitting group you practice with, and your own practice. Find your Zen Center here.

Membership Benefits

Help your Zen Center & KUSZa thrive, bring Zen teachings to the world, and serve the community! 50% of your Membership dues go to your affiliated Zen Center or Group

Discounts* on retreats, programs, and guest stays at Kwan Um Zen Centers

A subscription to Primary Point magazine, the School’s teaching journal published three times per year

Consideration for need-based travel grants and retreat scholarships* to select long retreats (e.g.: Kyol Che)

Eligibility for complimentary membership in our online sangha, Kwan Um Zen Online

*Members are eligible for discounts and scholarships after one paid quarter (3 consecutive calendar months) of membership dues.

To become a member and pay by card, click the button above to fill out the New and Returning Membership Sign-up Form and make your first dues payment. You will be taken to a secure payment site after successful submission of the form. On the payment form, you will be able to select your preferred automatically recurring payment schedule or to receive quarterly mailed statements.

If you are a Dharma Teacher, or Dharma Teacher-in-Training (DTiT), there are additional Dharma Teacher dues of $180 per year (also payable by installments of $45 per quarter, or $15 per month).

Current members can Pay Membership Dues online here.

For your own protection, please do NOT submit your credit card information by email or leave it in a voicemail, as these are not secure methods.

For the “Charge my card” dropdown, the payment schedule for recurring automatic payments is as follows:

Monthly: Your card gets charged on 7th of every month starting after the month you initially pay for.

Quarterly: Your card gets charged on the 10th of January, April, July, and October. If you join during a month in-between the start of quarters, your card will be charged for the remainder of the quarter on the next 10th of the month after your initial three months’ payment. (e.g.: If you make a payment for a full quarter in May, your card will be charged once on August 10th for the months of August and September. Then your next full quarter payment will be on October 10th.)

Yearly: Your card gets charged on the 14th in the month that is a year from your first full-year payment.

You may also choose to receive a quarterly statement by mail.