Jikô An is a Zen Meditation Centre located in the Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada (at about 4,500 feet), which was founded by Japanese Zen Master Hôgen Yamahata. Surrounded by silent and spacious mountains, the Mediterranean sea in the distance, it is an ideal place to relax and discover the profundity of our spiritual dimension.

Maximum 15 places.

JIKOAN Dossier

Enjoy the flight...

https://youtu.be/xYkcGKljq0A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcTVMQSFFeY

THE CAT TEMPLE

One fine morning, we met a cinnamon colored cat refugee under the stairs, out of reach, with five kittens one month old or so. The mother had a necklace stuck in her flesh with a wound full of pus ..... Although we could not get close to her, we left food and water ..... And in the following days, we discovered in the hedges near the farmhouse, several cats with their respective litters .... We always had some feline companions, two or three at the most, sterilized and controlled, but this sudden and massive invasion surprised us a lot ... until we learned the reason behind the situation ... .

Ignorance and especially the greed of some neighbors, very interested in staying with the farm where we live, a natural oasis with a hundreds-year-old chestnut vale, its own spring, ecological agriculture since always, ... Speculation and the interest of agrochemical companies threaten the natural balance of the area .... Many foreigners who bought farms had to suffer harassment from malicious neighbors and the "dumping of cats" (Cat dumping for the English) is a means among many to annoy people .. ..

Faced with this situation, we decided to welcome these unprotected felines at least to feed them, since letting them die of hunger and looking away was not humanly acceptable .... As we were able to reach them, we started a campaign of sterilizations to try to control the colony .... We were help a veterinary clinic in Granada (2 h30 by car), specialized in sterilizations, which costs us euros 36 for the operation .... We also had to ask for help from our friends. It quickly became obvious to us that we did not have the economic capacity to face this alone ...

Today, four years after the cat avalanche, we continue to try to control the colony (between 30 and 40 members), looking for adoptions and sterilizing .... 60 cats have already been operated ....

The truth is that what began so negatively, has become a blessing in the sense that these little brothers and sisters have been and are an infinite source of love and gratitude and have helped us through very hard times at the family level. In short they are part of the family ..... For what we thank our neighbors .......

A detail: the farm where we live in the Alpujarra is a meditation center .... What animal is more zen than a cat ..... They are the true Zen masters of this "Cat Temple" ... They teach me to sit down to watch the sunset, to enjoy the moon, to stretch, and especially to purr with them .... What a blessing and what love! The adventure continues! .... Thanks for your support and encouragement! Hugs and Miauuuuus ... ...

Francis & Family

THE NEW JIKOAN

"1. The center will be dedicated to sesshin, samu retreats and introduction courses, with a particular stress on Noble Silence, abandoning the organization of miscellaneous activities and workshops as it has done in the past.
2. It will offer the possibilities for solitary retreats.
3. Now after the long process we have lived in the past years, it seems to be the time for a residing community to settle in.
4. The environmental project of Regenerative Agriculture using the EM (Microorganisms) to reactivate the bacteriological life of the soil and, together with the help of the association ''The Conscious Seed'' from Yegen, the project of reforestation of the area…
5. The protection against land speculation and the dangers of industrial agriculture, that invades more and more the area and devastate the land and contaminate the waters.
6. Integration of the stabilized cat community on the grounds of the center. All around the world, cats have been used as temple guardians…. And they have been the most exquisite and dedicated companions in the long process we just lived, sharing all their love unconditionnally…. ''

((Extract of a letter to Hôgen, Jikô An, 20/3/2018)

A norm of the new Jikô An is the cellphone free zone.
When you sign on, you will leave the cellphone at the reception, to have it returned at the end of the retreat. As these 'smart' inventions also serve as torch, alarm, etc.... please consider to bring an 'old style' torch and alarmclock in order to be able to 'disconnect', although for a few days of the slavery of cellphone, whatsapp, facebook, instagram, etc.....

Another important point is that we need some volunteers to take care of the cooking during the retreats. So please tell us if, just for one day, you can cook during a retreat (lunch and dinner). There will be a group of kitchen helpers to accompany you.

The Miracle of Dana

Dana is a Sanskrit word meaning generosity, to give. At its highest level, it is to open oneself unconditionally, in the ten directions, to surrender oneself to life completely. Jikô An was constituted and is growing in this spirit of Dana. Arisen from a dream of our master Hôgen, it materialized in the Alpujarras in the south of Spain thanks to the generosity of many friends from many countries.

To give without expecting anything in exchange – This principle keeps manifesting through the ceaseless work of our master, the dedication of the residents, teachers and all those who want to participate in the project.

How is JikôAn economically sustainable with such low suggested prices? In fact only because all the activities are non lucrative... The teachers do not receive any fixed income: they only depend on the donation box filled by the participants. The residents who maintain the centre and organize the activities do not receive any other income from the Community than boarding and medicine. Thus, the suggested prices cover the centre maintenance and a gradual improvement of the accomodations.

For Jikô An to be possible, you can contribute in each course during one hour daily helping the functioning of the place:... washing up dishes, working in the kitchen or garden, chopping wood... All these useful and necessary tasks are a wonderful way to practice meditation in action, that is, to cultivate minddfulness, a loving presence in all that is done, maintaining Noble Silence. Noble Silence is not a prohibition to talk but rather a skillful means to cut off our compulsive habits that lead us astray from peace. All together, thanks to our practice, we do create the atmosphere of luminous quietness of the place.

Throughout the year, we organize periods of Samu during which we dedicate ourselves to practice formal meditation (Zen and Yoga) and Samu (Working meditation), sharing the life and daily tasks of the centre, team work in a serene surrounding. If you have any special skill that you would like to offer, please let us know.

From Heart to Heart. Shingan

How to come to Jikô An

Jikô An is located in the Sierra above the village of Yegen (6 kms by dirt track). If you come by air, the closest international airports are Almeria and Malaga. By road, it is accessible from Granada (2h30) or Almeria (2h00).
There is a local bus service (Alsina Graells), twice a day from Granada to Yegen (line Granada-Ugijar - 8.30 AM and 5.00 PM). We can connect you with other persons to share transport.

To book:

1) Pre-reservation by phone or email.
2) Booking will be effective after sending a bank transfer of 20€ for a weekend course (30€ for a 3 day retreat) to the bank account of the Comunidad Budista Zen Camino Abierto at Caja Rural de Granada nº IBAN: ES88 3023 0066 4870 4686 6708 – BIC: BCOEESMM023 indicating your name and course code number.
3) Confirmation by phone or email at least 7 days before the beginning of the course. If not, automatic cancellation and no refund.

Open Way Zen Buddhist Community

If you enjoy the quietness and wild beauty of the place,
If you see the importance of such centres like Jikô An in offering the possibility to all to come back to the spring of one’s true nature,
If you want to help Hôgen in the realization of his work,
If you want to collaborate with the growth and improvement of his retreat centre,
We invite you to become a Member of the Open Way Zen Buddhist Community.

The Open Way Zen Buddhist Community (Comunidad Budista Zen del Camino Abierto) is a non profit making religious entity registered in the Justice Ministry in Madrid, Spain with the nº 277-SG and in the Ministry of Finances with the CIF-G-18351858.

To be a Member of the Open Way Zen Buddhist Community doesnot imply being a buddhist nor zen; Beyond all labels, it is to recognize the wealth of the Open Way, the miracle of the meeting Here-Now, the direct experience of our true nature.

As a Member, you can take part in the yearly General Assembly with right of vote as fixed in the Statutes of the Community, and help with its development.

Functionning without profit aims, we intent to cover the maintenance and organization expenses and suggest the minimal prices of stay.

In the same spirit, we advocate for a free donation for the activities and have a donation (dana) box at your disposition to help the teachers to keep sharing their practices.

May Jikô An be a real Open Way Centre, a meeting point for all those who are in the quest of Truth.

The actual membership fee is of 15 Euros per month (or 180 Euros per year).

It is possible to do a bank transference every mont, 3 months, 6 months or yearly to the Community account.

Also possible to make exceptional donations, without any commitment, for a specific project of the centre in general.

We keep to your disposal a copy of the Statutes of the Community.