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The dojo is the "place where the Way is practiced". In fact, it is the Way, while Jo means Place. Zen comes from the experience of the Shakyamuni Buddha who, more than 2500 years ago, realized the complete Awakening by practicing the Awareness sitting in the zazen posture. Zazen literally means "sitting meditation", it is the heart of Zen and is practiced above all in the Dojo, because although zazen can be practiced anywhere, the dojo, especially at the beginning, is the most appropriate place, under the sure guidance of a teacher, of an instructor or older practitioners. The dojo offers the ideal conditions for practice: going together with others beyond one's self, beyond discussions, through concentration on posture and on every action, harmonizing with others, with oneself and with the reality that it surrounds us, conforming spontaneously to the traditional rules.

The Fossano Dojo was born as a Zen Group of Fossano in March 1990 and for 5 years it developed under the patient and vigorous direction of the monk Ezio Tenryu Zanin (then Head of the Zen Mokusho Dojo of Turin). In September 1995 Master Roland Yuno Rech (direct disciple of Master Taisen Deshimaru, Japanese Zen monk who came to Europe in 1967 to divulge the zazen practice to the West) formally recognized the Fossano Zen Group as Dojo, giving it the name of Dojo Zen Sanrin, "forest in the mountain". The organization of the Dojo follows the Zen tradition, therefore there is a responsible monk (currently Lucio Yushin Morra) and several assistants (monks and lay people) to carry out all the tasks necessary for the management of the center (teachings, study, library, flowers, altars, cleanings, interreligious dialogue) strictly in the spirit of the practice of awareness and service to others. Regular practitioners are currently around thirty (including four monks), but the Zen Sanrin Dojo is open to all and a few hundred people refer to it occasionally by participating in its activities.

The interreligious dialogue between Christians and Buddhists is based on the many points of contact that exist between the two religions. Both recognize mercy, forgiveness, understanding and respect for others. Another particularly important aspect that links Buddhism to Christianity is the community sense, which brings together all the members of the community. As explained by Maria Immacolata Macioti, coordinator of the Sociology of Religion section of the Italian Association of Sociology, "Buddhism teaches Catholics about dialogue. Today, in this age of conflict, the religious aspect has been exploited but we know that religions help confrontation. I believe that Catholics who approach Buddhism seek sincere friendship ".

Japanese Buddhism and Christianity are two important realities that came into contact in the mid-sixteenth century, thanks to the evangelization carried out by the Jesuits in the Far East. These were followed by the Franciscans but the Japanese imperial power felt so threatened that first it issued edicts of expulsion and then began to persecute them. In Europe, however, Buddhism came much later, in the nineteenth century. In Italy, although there were already a few hearths after the First World War, the real spread occurred only around the 60s and 70s. Today Buddhism represents in Italy the third most followed religion, after Christianity and Islam. Over the years, many Buddhist temples have sprung up in major Italian cities: from Rome to Milan, from Orvieto to Palermo. It must be specified that the word "Buddhism" was coined in 800 by the Westerners themselves to identify a Panasian philosophy born in India around the fifth century BC. and then spread a little across the continent. Relations between the Catholic Church and the faithful of the different Buddhist traditions in Italy are founded on mutual respect.

- Direct visit
- Classroom activity (pre and post the visit):
Insights on some characteristic terms of Zen Buddhism: Bodhisattva, Buddhadharma, Dharma, Hasshodo, Karma, Zazen. In-depth sheets on the fundamental masters starting from Shakyamuni.Activity of verification of the acquired knowledge and skills.