Compassionate Ocean Zen Center

04/11/2026

Jon Kabat-Zinn joins host Jon Joseph & Friends on January 19th, 2026, to discuss his sixty years of meditation practice, prolific writing, and outstanding wo...

04/07/2026

04/01/2026

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit in meditation at a zen center but don't know what to expect? 🪷

📌Join us April 17th from 9am-11:15am and be amongst other new people who have the same curiosity as you do!

Or, bring a friend! 🧘‍♀️

There will be a guided sitting meditation from 9am-10am. Dharma talk starts at 10:05am -11:15am.

Hope to see some new and familiar faces!

03/27/2026

🪷Please join us for a very special talk!!!🪷

📌7:30 pm Friday, March 27
"The 1963 Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign"
A Talk by Genpo Michael O'Neal (via Zoom)

In this presentation Genpo will talk about what took place in Birmingham, Alabama, over a ten-week period in 1963. This was a pivotal time in the modern Civil Rights movement, and bears important resonance for our current times.

This talk will be available only on Zoom.

Zoom Meeting ID & Passcode
ID: 856 7546 8926
Passcode: 920683

03/26/2026

There is still time to sign up for our Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course starting March 31st 2026.

There is no better time than now. 🪷

Go to www.OceanZen.org for more information and to sign up!

03/25/2026

"When our mind is not calm, we do not see clearly. Like the surface of a lake on a windy day, the image we see is distorted."
-Thich Nhat Hanh (How to See)

03/25/2026

📌We are hosting the "Jefferson Street meet up" tomorrow March 25th starting at 630pm-8pm at Compassionate Ocean Zen Center.

ICE activity has shifted since our January block meeting, but we still need to look out for each other.

Come meet your neighbors, connect and rebuild. Kids welcome. Hosted by your neighbors! 🪷

03/21/2026

March Sesshin

7 pm Friday, March 27 – Noon Sunday, March 29

The March sesshin at Compassionate Ocean--a time of extended, grounded practice--will include two special elements.

On Friday evening at 7:30 pm, Genpo will give a talk on the 1963 Birmingham events that were a critical phase in the Civil Rights Movement, and have important resonance for our times. This talk can be attended on Zoom by anyone who isn't participating in person at the sesshin.

On Saturday, the sesshin schedule will accommodate anyone who would like to participate in one of the "No Kings" demonstrations taking place locally and around the nation. The marches will take place in the early afternoon. "A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action."

In addition to these activities, the sesshin will include sitting and walking meditation, an opportunity to meet with a teacher, a Dharma talk on Sunday, and vegetarian meals. Participants typically go home overnight.

Fee: by donation

Register or sign up this week!

03/18/2026

“I have come to see the cultivation of mindfulness as a radical act -- a radical act of sanity, of self-compassion, and, ultimately, of love.”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

Go to www.OceanZen.org to sign up or for more information!

03/11/2026

🪷Buddhist Studies Course
Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 P.M.
March 31 – May 19 (eight sessions)

$185 (members $165)

Course Text: A Second Zen Reader by Trevor Leggett

Also Recommended: Living by Vow by Shohaku Okumura and The Heart Sutra by Red Pine

The Heart Sutra is one of the major presentations of Buddhist insight. Only one page long, it has been described as "Buddhism in a nutshell." It is chanted daily at Zen centers around the world, including ours.

In this course we will study a commentary on the Heart Sutra written almost a century ago by Ryoun Obora, a Japanese Zen priest. Going through the sutra line by line, Abbott Obora Illustrates how the meaning of the sutra can come alive in our daily lives as a central practice of compassion.

Each class will include zazen (sitting practice), presentations by the instructor, and discussion.

Guiding Teachers:
Genpo and Joen O’Neal are ordained Zen Buddhist priests and Guiding Teachers at Compassionate Ocean Zen Center.

03/10/2026

The Compassionate Ocean Sangha (community) is a group practicing in the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition with special inspiration from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Throughout the year we have weekly gatherings that include sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks and discussions, mindful movement, chanting and singing, and other spiritual practices. Dharma talks focus on aspects of Buddhist teaching and their application to everyday life.

Everyone is invited to participate. There are no prerequisites or fees; donations are welcome.

03/09/2026

🪷Spring 2026 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course

🪷In-Person
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📌Tuesdays
6:30–9:00 P.M.
March 31 – May 19 (8 Classes)
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This course includes a one-day retreat on Saturday, May 9, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

A Thorough Introduction to Mindfulness Practice
This program is a comprehensive, well-structured introduction to mindfulness practice in everyday life. It follows the nationally acclaimed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction model developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, presenting mindfulness as a universal practice for people of any (or no) religious background.

The program includes instruction and practice in sitting meditation, gentle yoga, body awareness meditation, and daily-life applications of mindfulness. It also includes information about stress and relaxation. The program enables participants to develop their own base in mindfulness practice integrated into everyday life.

The course includes eight weekly classes, an individual interview with the instructor, a Saturday retreat, the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, four mp3s, and handouts.

The course fee is $350. 27 CEUs are available for nurses, social workers, psychologists, and educators. Payment plans and limited need-based support are available. Please contact the Center to discuss.

If you are interested in participating, please sign up as early as possible so there will be time to schedule the individual interview before the first class. Go to www.OceanZen.org to sign up!

Taught by Genpo Michael O'Neal.