Zen Center San Diego

"The people here are nice, but I can only recommend the center and meditation retreats for specific people. If your fairly new to Zen meditation, but have some experience already, then I would say this is a good place for you. I would also say that if you have an advanced understanding of Zen specifically, then with place would be good as well. However, for people that have a decent amount of practice, have explored other traditions, have a good overall understanding of Buddhism and meditation, I would suggest that you avoid this place. Despite the people being kind, they really don't know what they are doing. They practice awareness, do retreats, read scripture, and perform the standard rituals, but they lack deep understanding. They do all of the "correct' things, and they give the "correct" answers, but they don't understand why one thing is correct and another is not. As a result they are ridged when they should be loose and loose when they should be ridged. This is ok if you are fairly new to everything and just want a peaceful group to meditate with and don't mind following some rules and rituals that might not make a lot of sense, but aren't bad for you. However, if you are brand new, they will not be able to guide you properly. To be fair they do state on the website that retreat goers should have previous meditation experience. I don't know if they hold mediation classes, but if they do I would suggest another place. If you are very experienced, as in you have practiced extensively with Zen monks and are knowledgeable about dhamma, them please go to this place. The people here are lost and they don't know it. They need some guidance. They have no monk. They have had some negative experiences with Monks in the past, as I have, so I understand their reluctance to invite a new one, but they need a spiritual leader. They claim the title of Zen, but Zen is a Buddhist tradition, not a meditation. Without a monk or equivalent person, the place is no more a Zen temple than a small bible study Christian group is a church. They do not make it clear that this is the case. I do not believe they are being intentionally deceptive, but rather, they believe they have enough experience to do this on there own. In my opinion this group should either get a new Monk or change the name to leave out Zen. It is not morally right to claim the title of a tradition and then do things differently. Alternatively, if they are not willing to bring in a new Monk they should close the center down to the public. It should be for invite only so that the practitioners can do their own thing until the group naturally dissipates. I sense they are holding onto something they use to have. Long ago they had a founding teacher that left and explicitly told them not claim to represent her or her teachings. Mostly they've respected that, but her name is often mentioned, which tells me they are still holding on. They haven't learned to let go."

"This center follows the teachings of Joko Beck the revolutionary teacher who changed Zen in America forever. The center is known for it's tight practice and dedicated practitioners. Although I use two other teachers from the same tradition, I consider this center my Zen home. It is non-denominational so those of all backgrounds are comfortable."

"I attended the Zen Center years ago and was pleased that is is still going strong. When I attended, we did silent meditations, heard dharma talks, had private consultations, and performed walking meditations. These activities helped the persons attending to control their minds and decrease their suffering."

"I find a piece, security, compassion and love"

"This is a friendly peaceful place to practice Zen Meditation."

• 📍 2047 Felspar St, San Diego, CA 92109, USA
• 📞 +1 858-633-7347
• 🌐 http://www.zencentersandiego.org/

Opening Hours

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: 6:00 – 7:00 AM
• Wednesday: 6:00 – 7:30 PM
• Thursday: 6:00 – 7:00 AM
• Friday: Closed
• Saturday: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
• Sunday: Closed