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The Melbourne Zen Group was founded on 21 May 1985. Seven people attended the first meeting and formed a regular group to offer each other mutual support in the practice of Zen Buddhist meditation. The traditional Buddhist festival of Wesak has been adopted as the group's official birthday. Wesak celebrates Shakyamuni Buddha's birthday and falls on the full moon in May.

Melbourne Zen Group meetings have undergone a number of changes over the years to reflect a growing association with the Diamond Sangha Zen lineage. The Diamond Sangha was established in 1960 in Hawaii by Zen Teacher Robert Aitken Roshi and his late wife Anne. Aitken Roshi regularly taught and led retreats in Australia from the late 70s until the late 80s when he began cutting back teaching commitment to accommodate age and failing health. From the late 1980s onwards three of Robert Aitken's dharma heirs led retreats in Australia - Pat Hawk Roshi based in Texas, Augusto Alcalde Roshi based in Argentina, and John Tarrant Roshi based in California. Pat Hawk and John Tarrant no longer teach in Australia.

Many of our members have attended retreats with these and other Diamond Sangha teachers, and some group members periodically travel overseas so that they can continue to work with a specific teacher that they have built up a strong relationship with. For newcomers to Zen however there are now three Diamond Sangha Teachers in Australia who have full transmission to teach, and a number of apprentice teachers.

The group does not have a resident teacher, but in 1999 formally invited Subhana Barzaghi Roshi (based in Sydney) to act as its primary visiting teacher. In 2002 we invited Susan Murphy Roshi (also based in Sydney) to share this commitment with Subhana. Subhana and Susan lead Melbourne Zen Group retreats and provide guidance and support in matters relating to group practice.

See our links page for further details about Robert Aitken Roshi and the Diamond Sangha in Australia and around the world.