Tweeten, who has been advising seniors for 17 years, said faith-based communities are “doing a little bit of a dance.” Her father chose to move to a Lutheran community in Madison, Wisconsin in the early 2000s. Today, similar communities may call themselves Lutheran-inspired. “They have to go this route because they don’t want to limit the population that migrates,” she says, adding, “To maintain growth, they lean more towards philosophies like pacifism and progressivism than religion.” “We are focused,” he added.
That’s evident at Enso Village, a new community in Healdsburg, Calif., that several of Tweeten’s clients recently visited. The community, which will have a ribbon-cutting in June, is a partnership between Kendall, an East Coast retirement community management company founded by Quakers, and San Francisco Zen, an organization of Zen practice and retreat centers that offers public programs and provides housing. This is in cooperation with the Center. To some practitioners.
Susan O’Connell, 76, began dreaming of enso in 2006, when she was a resident at the Zen Center. She now lives in Enso. “I didn’t want to grow old the way that existed, so I tried to create something,” O’Connell said. “And it turns out that a lot of people think the same way as me.”
The Zen Center entered into a partnership with Kendall after both organizations evaluated the location where Quaker and Zen values converge. “Quakers sit in silence and wait, as is often said, for the quiet inner voice to arise,” Ms. O’Connell explained. “Of course, in Zen we meditate.”
Openness and ethical behavior are also shared values, she added. But like any faith-based community, Enso is open to everyone. Quakers, Jews, and agnostic residents welcome Sufis and Christians to the community, which has an on-site garden, teaching kitchen, meditation hall, and volunteer opportunities. Regardless of religion, “we are all seekers,” O’Connell said.
