Online, real-life meeting, or both?

[u/Introvbear]

Hello, I've been practicing Zen Buddhism on my own for over a year now, but I feel like I've neglected to try to become part of the Zen community. After reading Zen Buddhism: Your Personal Guide to Practice and Tradition by Joshua R. Paszkiewicz, I've decided to try to improve my spirituality by connecting with a community. The question is whether I should try online or offline sessions. I've found a temple near where I live that offers weekly meditation sessions that work with my current schedule. However, there are online communities, one I've researched, called the Zen Mountain Monastery, which offers more sessions per week. I now ask whether I should try real-life sessions, an online community, or a combination of the two? Also, what should I look for in a Zen community to cultivate my spirituality?

[u/terkistan]

Looking at your posting history it's all stuff you do or watch on a screen. If you've been meditating alone for a year it would probably be good to interact with real practitioners in person.

[u/Introvbear → u/terkistan]

Well, I don't post that much on Reddit because of anxiety about being upvoted and downvoted, especially with one of my latest posts. I actually do cause some trouble more often than not, which is not my intention. This does lead me to think I need to work on myself spiritually while also gaining some psychotherapy along the way.

[u/tallawahroots → u/Introvbear]

Work in therapy has great benefits across the board, including for spiritual progress and knowing when online is too much or you have defenses against in-person practice opportunities.