Mountain Lamp Community

Mountain Lamp Community embraces Buddhist practice in the traditions of the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and Robert Aitken Roshi. These two lineages present the essential aspects of Zen practice: mindfulness, concentration and insight. Jack Duffy and Carlos Abusaid guide practice in the Diamond Sangha Tradition. Sati practice and Wandering Mountain Sangha is led by Dharmacharya Kate Marchevskova. The community of sincere practitioners in both lineages gives life to the Dharma in the here and now.

Zen Practice

The Diamond Sangha, as established by Robert and Anne Aitken in the early 1960s represents a lay stream of Soto Zen which also includes aspects of Rinzai Zen, especially the intensive study of koans. It puts emphasis on the use of the sangha’s mother tongue in ritual, full equality of women and men, and constant re-evaluation of authority patterns. Robert Aitken received permission to teach from Koun Yamada in 1974 but decided to live as a layperson. He received full transmission in 1985.

Sati Practice – Wandering Mountain Sangha

Our name derives from Satipatthana, the foundations of mindfulness. Through silent meditation, we establish ourselves in concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh is our ancestral teacher, Eileen Kiera our root teacher. Kate Marchevskova, Eileen’s Dharma heir, guides in practice as we deepen together. Our study and practice of this ancient way inspires us to embody the Dharma. As lay practitioners, we engage fully in life just as it is, offering our authentic presence, moment by moment, breath by breath. We offer weekly sitting in our center in Mount Vernon, Quiet Days of Practice most months in Kenmore and in-person retreats

Mountain Lamp History

Mountain Lamp Community was founded by Dharma Teachers Jack Duffy and Eileen Kiera. For 25 years, the community’s spiritual home was at Wild Rose Farm, a 115-acre rural practice and training center in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. Throughout the years, the land and its many beings – owl, cottonwood, coyote, otter, clouds and sky – invited us to be fully present, stepping forward, body and mind as one. In 2022, in response to a variety of causes, including the impact of the covid pandemic, Wild Rose Farm closed, but Mountain Lamp Community continues. With the support of founding teachers Jack and Eileen, Dharma heir Kate Marchevskova and Diamond Sangha teacher Carlos Abusaid and the community of practitioners, the essential teaching to save all beings still guides us as we walk into the unfolding future, with open hands and hearts.