Mount Baldy Zen Center, Buddhist temple in San Gabriel Mountains, California, United States

Mount Baldy Zen Center is a Rinzai Zen monastery on 4.5 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains of Angeles National Forest. Founded in 1971 by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, it occupies a former Boy Scout camp at an elevation of 2,000 meters (about 6,560 feet). The grounds hold traditional Japanese-style buildings and meditation halls used for monastic training and lay practice.

Kyozan Joshu Sasaki founded the center in 1971 on a former Boy Scout camp site, establishing it as the headquarters of his Rinzai Zen lineage within the Japanese Myōshin-ji line. Monks and nuns trained there went on to lead affiliated monasteries and temples in the United States and Europe. Sasaki served as abbot until his death in 2014 at age 107.

The center belongs to the Nyorai-nyokyo sect within the Japanese Myōshin-ji line of Rinzai Zen, and its monks and nuns train here as residents. Many who trained at Mount Baldy now lead monasteries and temples of the same lineage in the United States and Europe. The center is named after Mount Baldy, the peak in the San Gabriel Mountains where it stands.

The center offers overnight stays and meals for those joining meditation sessions and guided retreats. Visitors should arrange visits in advance, as spaces are limited and the mountain elevation affects accessibility.

Leonard Cohen spent time at the center in 1994 and created music and spiritual work there, showing the connection between contemporary artists and Buddhist practice. This episode demonstrates how the place attracts people from the art world seeking deeper spiritual exploration.