We gather on Tuesdaysat 6:30 p.m. ET over Zoom and in-person on Wednesday nights at 5:30 p.m. at 160 Presumpscot Street (Unit 2D) in Portland, ME.

We also host a day-long retreat every other month.

Open Door operates on a dana (or generosity) basis. Operating in this way allows equal access to the Buddha’s teachings and aligns Open Door with the foundational Buddhist principle and practice of generosity—which may take the form of offering money to the organization to cover expenses or to the teachers to support their livelihood, or by volunteering.

​Everyone gives—teachers, volunteers, and participants–and we enjoy the richness of mutual generosity in our hearts and in our Sangha.

Both the Tuesday Zoom-based meetings and most of the Wednesday in-person “sits” are a mix of meditation with instruction, silent meditation, in-depth explanation about meditation practice, teaching on some aspect of the Buddhist spiritual path (“Dharma talk”), and time for questions and discussion.

Meditation periods are usually 30-45 minutes in length. Occasionally on Wednesday, we hold a “Community Sit” where a volunteer opens the meeting and rings the bell for a silent meditation.

Everyone is welcome to Open Door! Whether one is new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, there are plentiful opportunities to grow in wisdom and to deepen one’s practice.

To join Open Door, simply sign up for our emails. Every Tuesday morning, you'll receive an invitation to join our Tuesday night sit with a Zoom link, along with detailed information about our Wednesday night sit in Portland. You are also welcome to attend the Wednesday sit to check it out for yourself.

Community sits are led by someone in the Sangha who has some mindfulness training but is not necessarily a Dharma teacher. It will either be a silent sit or lightly guided. 

We cancel sits and events due to weather. Please check our weekly emails and/or the website for any changes.