Cloud Mountain Retreat Center & Hermitage

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

Detroit Zen Center

A Hermitage & Retreat Center, by & for the Detroit Zen Center Community & Public.

$327,309

raised by 119 people

$335,000 goal

The Detroit Zen Center is a full time, inner-city center and community, founded in 1990. Many of us were surprised to find this refuge, buried within urban Detroit landscape. 

Our planet and lives face growing uncertainty. The only answer is to simplify our lives, & reduce our impact.  But if we remain divided & dissatisfied, we will be driven to consume & get more, trying to fill our basic emptiness, blind to our impact.  

Zen offers that our true nature --our true mind-- is originally whole, not divided.  We 'awaken' to this nature through meditation, insight, teachings & community.  We practice seeing & working with all things as they are.  So many of experience depression, addiction, stress, or feel we are not living out our potential.  Zen practice can foster a shift in our consciousness, helping us return to our natural, fulfilled state.  We can take care of ourselves, one another, the environment -- all things in this world-- & develop the courage to change our lifestyle.

As an organization, the Detroit Zen Center stewards its corner &  models sustainable community in the center of Detroit in Hamtramck


.  Founded in 1990 by Abbot Hwalson Sunim, resident monks, students & volunteers have devoted 30 years to shining this corner of the world.  We offer a daily schedule of meditation, apprenticeship, volunteer projects, retreats, Templestay, a public green roof, reclaimed gardens, & plant-based meals & education.  Our mission is to support what is good for all beings. This aim of stability & sustainability in our neighborhood reflects Zen philosophy.  Our City Center is the heart of our work, & will continue.

Yet originally, Zen adepts studied & took refuge among mountains & rivers. Nature is our original teacher. For years we have aspired to find a Retreat Center. Covid set things in motion. We see a great need for & are called to develop: Zen & Nature Retreats, a Templestay Program, & Pilgrimages to the temples of South Korea.

We found a jewel:  a turn-key lodge on Lake Superior, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan -- 5 of its own acres, 350' of shoreline, inside 60,000 acres of the Porcupine Mountains & Wilderness State Park.   It will also serve as the hermitage for our Abbot, who is walking his 80th year.  The location of the Cloud Mountain Hermitage is special-- wild, pure & regenerative, a perfect setting for Zen Retreats, Templestay, and or private retreats for guests or groups.

A 200% matching donor has come forward this fundraiser.  So any donation you give will be 200% doubled.    (Feel free to donate via Paypal/check & avoid platform fees:  www.paypal.me/detroitzencenter. 

 hermitage shorelinehermitage shoreline...Near the town of Ontonagon, and inside Wilderness State Park, we are surrounded by old-growth forest, untouched by man.  This ancient land is home to waterfalls, rivers & trails, on the road to the Lake of the Clouds, ski hills & trails -- wild country & wild life.  Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world.  This land rolls gently down to its shores.

The 4,000 sq. ft. lodge has 4 bedrooms, a large gathering room (meditation room), 2 field stone fireplace, decks and trails.  The Forest Ranger is our neighbor, & Ontonagon with full amenities is 15 minutes from our road.  A direct flight to Iron  Mountain flies daily from Detroit Metro Airport, around $200 round trip, then 90 minutes by car to the hermitage.  The drive from Detroit is around 8 - 9 hours -- a true pilgrimage.

The vast wilderness of the U.P. (upper peninsula of Michigan) is one of the most pristine and untouched areas of the country. Nature rules. Our road leads into the heart of Wilderness State Park, and up to the Lake of the Clouds, an ancient lake at the top of the Porcupine Mountains, surrounded by old-growth forest and a limestone escarpment, overlooking massive Lake Superior below. From the retreat center the State Park trails and ski area are literally just down the road. Watch the video below for an overview of the area.

PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS & WILDERNESS STATE PARK TRAILS VIDEO


Our Abbot asked us 2 years ago to begin the process of finding a place in the wilderness of the UP. At first we thought he was crazy, but once we traveled there, we saw just how right he was. We are honored to turn his insight into reality, meeting the ever growing need of the world & our Detroit community to have a place for true retreat and refuge. The journey there itself is an opportunity for the timeless practice of pilgrimage. Those who make the journey (especially by car) will truly feel they have left the world behind by the time they reach the gate.

Thank you for your time.  Please share with your own circle who may wish to support this mission. Donations are tax-deductible.  Contact Haesan at the Zen Center (313.366.7738 or info@detroitzencenter.org) with any questions. In addition to this platform, we can receive checks, cash, stocks, or services. There are also some minor maintenance projects needed if you have skills to share. Thank you!




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