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MCZ’s purpose is to offer the practice of Zen Buddhism to all who are interested. Please take advantage of whatever you find helpful.

What we offer:

  • The zendo (meditation hall) and our schedule of meditation.
  • Study groups with the Sangha, the community of people walking this path together.
  • Dharma talks by visiting teachers.
  • Classes on Buddhism and Zen practice.
  • Half-day, weekend, and week long retreats.
  • A full library of books of a wide variety of Buddhist traditions (check-out privileges for active members).
  • Practice periods of intensive meditation and study.
Current Leadership

Mid City Zen is a peer-led sangha. We have an eight-person board of directors, a group of lay, lay-ordained, and ordained practitioners that operate the temple, and a practice committee that oversees the ceremonial aspects of temple life. We receive guidance, spiritual support, and guest teachings from Zenshin Greg Fain and Shinchi Linda Galijan, as well as support from the Branching Streams affiliate sangha network. We have two novice priests who lead ceremonies, give occasional dharma talks, and are available for informal practice discussion. 

Community Agreements

As members of the Mid City Zen Sangha, we:

Fully and wholeheartedly participate in our forms and rituals (such as bowing, facing the wall, slowly walking at breath’s pace)​

AND​

We hold our forms lightly, in recognition that people may not know them, or feel comfortable or ready.

For new members and visitors, we warmly invite you to participate in our traditions according to your comfort level.

Practice Guidelines:

  • Ask permission before offering advice.
  • Practice care and consent.
  • Do not offer hands-on guidance for forms, posture, etc.
Outreach

Mid City Zen also has several Socially Engaged Buddhist programs including teaching meditation in prisons and jails.  Support for this has been made possible by individual supporters and the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism (fredericklenzfoundation.org).  If you would like to donate to this initiative just make a note “prisons” in the Paypal memo when you donate on this site.

Brief History

Mid City Zen was founded by Kogen Keith and Lauren Dito in 2010. In the middle of 2011, they converted the front rooms of their Mid City shotgun into a meditation hall with a schedule of daily sitting.

In November 2011, two priests came from the San Francisco Zen Center to lead Mid City Zen in formal practice, Koji Acquaviva Dreher, who was here through 2016, and Rev. Michaela Bono who led the sangha until 2020. We are affiliated with the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi lineage of Soto Zen, and are a member of the Branching Streams affiliate network.