Location & Philosophy
Zen in the Valley of Silence
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The ZENKLAUSEN is a Retreat and Meditation Center that is located in the Natural Park of the High Fens in the Eifel. This place is in Germany, close to Belgium and Luxembourg. It is a place where beginners and experts can practice Zen-Meditation all seasons from February until December.
Furthermore, it's a place of leisure, individual contemplation and mindfulness, as well as a oasis for your personal retreat in a hermitage. Here you can leave behind the stress of everyday life and think and decide about important issues in life in peace and tranquility. To find the desired tranquillity, the interior design of each hermitage and Zendo is deliberately simple to create a distraction-free environment that allows the mind to rest. This simplicity reflects the Zen philosophy, which emphasises the pursuit of clarity. Thus, each hermitage is a modest space in the midst of a secluded, peaceful and nature-filled environment. The exterior structure is simple and built from natural materials such as wood and stone. The interiors are simply furnished and free of superfluous ornamentation. The walls and ceilings are kept in neutral colours that radiate calm and serenity. Thus, the absence of superfluous possessions and decorations allows the meditator to concentrate on the essentials and calm the mind. The Zenklausen, which is built on a land of four hectares, offers for around 12 persons enough accommodation and meditation facilities. Our area consists of: - six (6) hermitages (tiny houses) of around 45 sqm; - main building (Administration; Publisher House, Kitchen); - great and individual inside and outside meditation facilities; - a Zendo - a Yoga Room - a great variety of outside designed walking meditation facilities; - parking lots. In this way, the Zenklausen offers our guests enough chances to practice, live and experience the spiritual path of Zen. |
Zen-Fountain © ZENKLAUSEN
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History of the Zenklausen
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The two Zen women, Mienh Adelheid (1939-2019)) and Mienh Judith (Judith Bossert) have been going the Zen path since the early seventies. They learned at different Masters.
In the year 1992, they founded the Zenklausen through which they wanted to offer a place in which they could practice and teach their own and independent Zen philosophy. The main vision is to create a non-denominational Zen center in Europe which is open to everyone. The Zenklausen do not feel obligated to any Zen path and philosophy, and want to be an independent place where anybody can experience and develop their spiritual and individual Zen path. Furthermore, they have published under their direction and design since 1980 in the Netherlands and since 1988 also in Germany the magazine "ZEN". In these they jointly publish articles, lectures and poems about their Zen philosophy too. In addition to all, they express, design and lead their Zen philosophy through a special form of retreats, meditation programs and seminars in the Zenklausen. After the sudden death of Mienh Adelheid on April 17, 2019, the Zenklausen set themselves the goal to keep this place, spirit and dream alive, so that in the future many people can continue to experience this wondrous and healing place, and enjoy its peace and silence.Further information you can find under: About us |
Zendo © ZENKLAUSEN
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A Place of Silence and Contemplation
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In the frame of all of these, the Zenklausen is a great Zen & Meditation Center which is embedded in the mystical beauty of the Natural Park High Fens in the Eifel in Germany. It is a wonderful place for our guests to retreat individually to a hermitage for a longer or shorter self-chosen period of time, so that they can find the internal peace and leisure they are looking for.
The uniqueness of the Zenklausen is also located not only in the mystic peace and beauty of the nature park Hohes Venn in the Eifel, but also in the fact that we host only a small number of guests per day (max. 8 guests). In this way, we would like to preserve peace, silence and privacy during the meditation days for our guests. Furthermore, the Zenklausen want to live in harmony with nature. Accordingly, you will not find a garden park in the Zenklausen. Zen is unity. Zen bows in front of the wisdom of nature. For some people, this may seem strange. But we too often forget that nature cares, lives and thrives without us. But we humans cannot live and grow without nature. For this reason, we would like to bring people closer to the way nature is, the power and its wisdom. We want to teach them to live in harmony with mother nature. Because as in every near-natural garden, in our zen garden, the “ephemeral”, as well as the “dead” has its place. This may seem a bit unusual at first, because we are far too often familiar with human rules and orderly concepts. But if we manage to allow the ephemeral, we also learn to look at our own impermanence with a loving gaze. |
Gong Place © ZENKLAUSEN
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The Fragrance of Zen
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Untitled, without coat
are we sitting here with you, are not Christian, not Buddhist, not Muslim and also not an atheist. In Zen, we are nothing. Wearing all the titles of this world and a coat with ten thousand patches, at times we are Christian, at times Buddhist, at times Muslim and sometimes atheist. In Zen is nothing as loaded emptiness. Adelheid Meutes-Wilsing |
Winter Scene © ZENKLAUSEN
Administartion Building © ZENKLAUSEN
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