Nebraska Zen Center Heartland Temple Details

Nebraska Zen Center

Nebraska Zen Center / Heartland Temple is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple established for Zen practice. The center follows the tradition established in Japan by Zen Master Eihei Dogen in the 13th century and transmitted to America in this century by two masters, Rev. Shunryu Suzuki, founder of San Francisco Zen Center and author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and Rev. Dainin Katagiri, who assisted Rev. Suzuki in San Francisco and later founded Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis. Rev. Katagiri was instrumental in establishing Nebraska Zen Center in 1975. NZC’s Head Priest and Teacher is Rev. Nonin Chowaney, an American Zen Master who trained with Rev. Katagiri and was ordained by him. Rev. Chowaney also trained at Tassajara Zen Monastery in California and in Japan at Zuio-ji and Shogo-ji monasteries. He received formal Dharma Transmission from Rev. Katagiri and has been certified to teach by him and by the Soto Zen Church in Japan.

At NZC, Zazen, or sitting meditation, is offered six mornings and four evenings a week. Services consist of bowing and chanting and are conducted in English. Lectures are given by the Head Priest or a senior student every Sunday morning. Every Sunday at 8:30 a.m., NZC offers Zazen Instruction for beginners.There is no charge.

Our temple also offers private practice interviews with our Head Priest, meditation retreats, practice periods, study groups and classes, lay initiations and priest ordinations, weddings, funerals, and other special ceremonies, high school and college class visits, prison group visits, a quarterly newsletter (Prairie Wind), other publications, and an extensive website at http://www.prairiewindzen.org.

Participation in NZC activities is open to all, regardless of age, race, national origin, creed, disability, sex, or affectional preference.