Hi, my name is Thomas. In this write-up, I will share some of my personal experiences and vision for this community. The Contemplative Practice Community is still an experiment, and what it will become depends on whether the project resonates with people like you — and what you bring to the table.

My initial vision is to build a community that takes the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism as an umbrella, providing a broad and inclusive approach that brings together people from various backgrounds, and creating an environment that fosters the development of spiritual friendships. If this group becomes cohesive, I can also envision anchoring our programming in a small residential community of 5–10 core members living at a semi-rural location near San Diego. At that point, small-scale regenerative farming could also become part of the project.

Where I Come From

Growing up often haunted by loneliness and struggling to fit in, at twelve years old I discovered a passion for performing magic, around which I constructed a sense of worth that helped me navigate my teenage years. However, when I started USC as an undergraduate, shortly after winning a major international magic competition, this whole system of self-worth based on accomplishments collapsed. I fell into a serious depression that I struggled with for over a year. This is when I discovered Buddhism, and began my practice of Zen meditation.

As I recovered, my life was no longer the same. I had realized that my worth was not a function of what I could accomplish, but a feature of my very being — something I could best access through meditation and the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings. My trajectory shifted away from performing magic and increasingly toward greater commitment to practicing the Dharma.

During both undergraduate and graduate school, I studied Western philosophy of mind and consciousness, but I was continually in dialogue between the Western tradition and the Buddhist teachings I was practicing. While in the philosophy PhD program at UC Irvine, I found academia too limited and rigid, so I stopped with an MA and shifted to full-time Zen practice. After more than a year of this, I found myself drawn toward the Chinese Mahayana tradition — particularly the teachings of Great Master Hsuan Hua — and eventually toward monastic life. In 2012 I was ordained as a novice, and in 2014 I became a fully ordained monk, spending the better part of eleven years in monastic training, including about a year in Taiwan.

The Accident — and What Followed

I had no intention of leaving monastic life. However, in September 2023, while riding my bike to an electrical supply store, I was hit by a car that ran a red light. This get-well card from my niece provides a good illustration of the admittedly humorous (in retrospect) situation of monk-on-bike vs. crazy LA traffic!

I was fortunate to escape with — relatively speaking — minor injuries, but the accident triggered a chain of events that led me to take a break from monastic life. Leaving the monastery actually allowed me to help my parents during a critical time: we discovered my father has Parkinson's Disease, and a year later my parents' home was destroyed in the 2025 Pacific Palisades fire. I've since been able to support their move to La Jolla, where they are now near my brother and his family. (Check out Meierz.org for more about my dad and his artwork.)

Aside from allowing me to better support my family, this transition has brought me into a period of deep personal reflection. I feel there are still lessons I am meant to learn that I have not yet fully processed. One thing I've noticed is that the intensity of my monastic training, although building my strength and patience, did not always help me open my heart in the ways I had hoped. This is part of why I feel drawn to building this community with an emphasis on spiritual friendship — a space where we can genuinely support each other in practice and study, rather than endure it alone. Given my own history with loneliness, and today's epidemic of isolation in our overly digital society, I am excited by the possibility of building something anchored in friendship and mutual support as its cornerstone.

My Role Here

My aspiration is to draw on my monastic experience to organize and facilitate this community. But I am explicitly not assuming the role of a Buddhist or Dharma teacher — I show up here as a fellow practitioner. I will use my knowledge of monastic practice and the scriptures only to give some structure to the group, while keeping everything discussion-based. For those with deeper questions, I can point you toward trusted Buddhist teachers.

Although I will draw on Buddhist teachings as part of my personal background, others will be encouraged to share their own experiences and traditions as well. In fact, these last few months, I myself have begun to explore the teachings of Jesus, especially more mystical forms of Christianity, and find it helpful to look at similarities and differences with the Buddha's teachings.

For the purpose of this group, I am working to formulate core principles that are somewhat general and shared by different religious and contemplative practices, yet still have enough cohesion to anchor the group around common values. Principles such as the following: this life is a preparation and training ground for what comes next, the development of character and virtue is an essential part of our lives, we are responsible for the consequences of our actions, meditation is an invaluable tool for spiritual cultivation, and the physical world is only a small part of a much greater invisible reality.

My personal belief is that if we can go beyond the narrow conceptions into which Western education typically boxes us, we can open to a more meaningful life — one in which our efforts in this lifetime are part of a much larger trajectory.

Currently, I am staying in San Diego to continue supporting my parents, while also maintaining my own study and practice. I was looking for ways to carry out the spirit of serving others, and forming this community felt like a natural convergence — a way to find synergy between my personal path and the aspiration to be of service.

I see myself returning to monastic life in the future, and if this group has grown strong by that point, maybe it can continue and serve as a kind of bridge between this kind of open-ended, inclusive, and accessible format, and the more formal methods and teachings of Buddhism.

Thomas has been practicing in various Buddhist traditions since 1998. He first discovered Zen Buddhism as a freshman at USC, where he studied philosophy. While at USC he was a co-founder of the USC Buddhist group, which continues to operate today.

Over the next ten years, he integrated Buddhism with his study of Western philosophy, practicing meditation at temples around California and exploring both the Japanese Zen and Thai Forest traditions. He visited temples in Taiwan and Thailand, though most of his practice took place through retreats and residential stays at the Yokoji Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild, CA.

In 2009, Thomas completed a Master's in Philosophy at UC Irvine, focusing on questions of consciousness, with additional exploration of neuroscience and quantum physics as they relate to Buddhist themes.

Rather than pursue a life in academia, Thomas returned to Yokoji Zen Mountain Center for over a year — first living at their mountain temple, then helping establish their Long Beach Zen branch.

During this time, he discovered the teachings of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, who brought the Chinese Mahayana tradition to the US in the 1960s. Thomas found that this tradition wove together Zen's emphasis on compassion and direct insight into one's True Nature with the rigor and discipline of the Thai Forest Tradition. In 2012, he left behind both the Zen and Thai Forest paths — and lay life altogether — to become a monk, dedicating himself to the depth and breadth of the Mahayana.

In 2023, after more than ten years as a monk, Thomas returned to lay life and has since devoted his time to supporting his parents through some real challenges. His long-term vision remains a return to monastic life — but for now, he is staying close to family in San Diego. He's treating this season as an opportunity to study more broadly outside the Buddhist tradition as well. He founded this community out of a wish to share his contemplative study, and his ongoing practice of Buddhism, with others walking a similar path.

The Contemplative Practice Community is a newly forming collective. We're creating spaces where people can form spiritual friendships and support each other in contemplative practice. We don't yet have a residential community — but we're searching for founding members to help build one. We're currently looking at properties in North County San Diego, with some acreage, one or two houses, and room for additional small cabins.

Founding members will live rent-free in exchange for about 15–25 hours of work per week, depending on room size and whether food is included. You'll also receive free courses introducing Buddhist meditation practice and teachings, with the option to join a daily practice schedule. Beyond that, you'll have time for your own exploration of a spiritual tradition of your choosing, in mutually supportive conversation with others. We'll also explore contemplative practice in relation to the land itself, weaving sustainable living and small-scale permaculture into the design of the community.

Our Frame of Reference

Our core frame of reference is Buddhism, though we're open to people of all traditions and backgrounds. We hold the central Buddhist teaching that each of us shares the same intrinsically perfect Self Nature — one that's simply been obscured by layers of attachment and scattered thinking. We aim to build genuine spiritual friendships where we support each other in uncovering this inherent nature, rather than the more familiar pattern of grasping at relationships to fill a sense of lack.

We've already begun hosting events online and around San Diego — you can find them through our Meetup group.

Who We're Looking For

As we build this residential community, we'll initially accept just a few founding members, and we're looking for people who fit a fairly specific profile. In addition to founding members taking on greater responsibility, we may have room for one or two people contributing about 10 hours/week in exchange for reduced rent — this could suit grad students, artists, or remote workers well.

We're looking for people dedicated to personal transformation, willing to do the real work that sincere contemplative practice calls for — and excited to help build something from the ground up, contributing their own vision along the way. While open to all spiritual traditions, we'll use the vast and inclusive teachings of Mahayana Buddhism as a central anchor when working across traditions. A basic introduction to Buddhist meditation and mindfulness, along with the Buddha's essential teachings, will be available to all residents. We'll explore core texts through weekly or biweekly discussions, reflecting together on how they resonate with our lived experience.

Traditional Buddhist morning and evening ceremonies, along with daily sits, will be held — never required, but always open to you. We'll also hold periodic one-day meditation retreats for the wider community, with residents encouraged to join. And you're welcome to pursue study of any contemplative tradition you choose, with periodic gatherings to share reflections with one another.

One layer of this community's purpose is helping care for my father, who lives with advanced Parkinson's disease. You can see some of his artwork and read a bit of his story at meierz.org. He'll always have a full-time professional caregiver, and my mother — still very independent — will be part of the community too, offering him steady emotional support. Beyond that, community members help with additional social engagement: perhaps a few one-hour blocks each week reading together, sharing an encouraging conversation, or playing a game. Just by being part of a warm, supportive community, you'll indirectly offer my dad real cognitive engagement and comfort.

Skills We're Especially Glad to Welcome

That said, more important than any particular skill is your willingness to contribute, and your resonance with the combined vision of contemplative practice paired with creating a supportive environment for my father in this season of his life.

Structure & Logistics

Founding members live rent-free, with work exchange hours valued at $20/hour. Shared meals are available at cost, and you can opt into as many or as few as you'd like each week — or discuss working extra hours to cover food as well, if that's of interest.

Work exchange will vary by person: some might be more involved with activities for my dad, whereas others might help with cooking, cleaning, simple renovations and maintenance, setting up small-scale farming, or running online and hybrid meditation and co-working sessions for the broader community. If you have training in yoga, tai chi, or other bodywork, you might lead classes in our dedicated meditation and yoga space — and since these sessions could serve the wider community too, we'd arrange a higher work-exchange rate for that kind of contribution.

Questions? Email Thomas directly at thomas@meierz.org.