"The Way is perfect, like vast space, where nothing is lacking and nothing in excess." - Sengcan

Welcome to Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane (OMZB), an inclusive community of Zen practitioners dedicated to integrating mindfulness, compassion, and insight in our lives. We meet in Bardon, in the inner west of Brisbane.

We pay our respects to the Jagera and Turrbal peoples, on whose ancient lands we meet, and to their elders and ancestors throughout time.

Through regular group practice and teachings, we offer a supportive environment for individuals on the Zen path.

In our practice, we balance formal Zen training, centered on the cultivation of silent sitting practice (zazen), with active practice in everyday life.

Join us at Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane, where you’ll find a welcoming community of practitioners committed to the transformative power of Zen practice in daily life.

Weekly Zen Sittings

Sunday evenings from 6.30-8.00 pm in the Group Room of the Bardon Counselling and Natural Therapy Centre, and on Zoom. Three periods of zazen (sitting practice), short periods of formal walking (kinhin), and a closing service. Interested? Please refer to the Practise with us page.

Silent Practice Days

More intensive days of practice which are held 9.00 am – 4.00 pm on Sundays several times a year. Includes structured sitting, Dharma talk or discussion, and interviews with the teacher. Participation assumes prior experience.

Sesshin

A formal, residential practice retreat of several days. In September, we hold sesshin for 5 days at a practice centre close to Brisbane. Early in the year, a shorter non-residential sesshin is held in Brisbane.

Practice conversations (Daisan)

Meetings with a teacher to discuss personal practice and its application in life. Attendance is available in-person or on Zoom.

Dharma Talks and Discussions

Talks on aspects of practice and Dharma are regularly given by our teachers during weekly programs, sesshins, and Silent Practice Days.

Newcomer Orientations

By arrangement, a short 20-minute orientation is offered on the first Sunday evening you attend, immediately prior to the evening sitting.

Other activities

Short “pop-up” Zoom sittings on Wednesday evenings each week.
Shared suppers and social gatherings.
Reading and study group focused on a core text.
Attendance options: either in-person or via Zoom.
Monthly email Bulletin to keep you up to date on news and upcoming events.

Teachers

Guiding Teacher
Gregg Howard

Gregg Howard is the Guiding Teacher of Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane. He began practicing Zen in the 1970s in Australia and the United States. In 1981, he co-founded Brisbane's first Zen group. Soon after, he commenced studying with Charlotte Joko Beck and arranged her annual visits to Brisbane. He spent time in Japan studying Zen and exploring the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute associated with Zen Buddhism. In the early 1990s, he established the Everyday Zen Group, which later became Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane, modelled on Joko Beck's practice approach. He received permission to teach from Joko Beck in 1996 and Dharma transmission in 2004. Up until 2012, Gregg spent 35 years teaching musicology and world music in universities, and since then, has focused on Zen teaching.

Associate Teacher
Vince Jensen

Vince Jensen is the Guiding teacher of the Bellingen Zen Group in NSW, and Associate teacher of Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane. He commenced studying Zen in 1985 with Charlotte Joko Beck at Zen Center of San Diego. After moving to Australia in 1999 and to Bellingen in 2003, Vince practised with several teachers including Sexton Burke Roshi and Ellen Davison Roshi at the Bellingen Zen Group, and with Gregg Howard of Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane. He was appointed Practice Leader by both Ellen Davison (2016) and Gregg Howard (2017) and in 2021 received Dharma transmission from Gregg Howard, and became a teacher in both the Bellingen Zen Group and Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane.

Founding Teacher
Charlotte Joko Beck

Charlotte Joko Beck was the founder of the Ordinary Mind Zen School, and today her Dharma Successors and their students lead centres around the world. In the 1960s, Joko Beck studied with Hakuun Yasutani Roshi and Soen Nakagawa Roshi. In 1983 she became the 3rd Dharma heir of Hakuyu Maezumi Roshi and moved to Zen Center of San Diego, where she taught for the next 23 years. Her teachings and three books have been highly influential on western Zen, emphasising rigorous lay practice integrated into the fabric of everyday life. In 2006, Charlotte Joko Beck moved to Prescott Arizona, where she passed into deepest samadhi on Wednesday 15 June 2011, aged 94.

Ordinary Mind Zen School

In 1995, the purposes of the Ordinary Mind Zen School were set forth in the following statement.

The Ordinary Mind Zen School intends to manifest and support practice of the Awakened Way, as expressed in the teaching of Charlotte Joko Beck. The School is composed of Charlotte Joko Beck, her Dharma Successors, and teachers and successors they, as individuals, have formally authorized. There is no affiliation with other Zen groups or religious denominations; however, membership in this school does not preclude individual affiliation with other groups. Within the school there is no hierarchy of Dharma Successors.

The Awakened Way is universal; the medium and methods of realization vary according to circumstances. Each Dharma Successor in the School may apply diverse practice approaches and determine the structure of any organization that s/he may develop to facilitate practice.

The Successors acknowledge that they are ongoing students, and that the quality of their teaching derives from the quality of their practice.

As ongoing students, teachers are committed to the openness and fluidity of practice, wherein the wisdom of the absolute may be manifested in and as our life. An important function of this School is the ongoing examination and development of effective teaching approaches to insure comprehensive practice in all aspects of living.

May the practice of this School manifest wisdom and compassion, benefiting all beings.

We extend a warm welcome to newcomers and invite you to join us by following these simple steps:

Please contact us before attending. This will enable us to provide you with more information and arrange a suitable Sunday evening for your first visit.

On that evening, you will receive a brief orientation just before the sitting. One of our experienced members will meet you and serve as your guide for the evening. The orientation will cover the sitting place, where and how to sit, basic formalities in the Zendo, as well as address any questions you may have.

Please read “How to Begin Zazen” (a copy is available on our Resources page). While it is preferable to have some prior experience with silent meditation before attending a Zen sitting, you can also start practising at home using these simple instructions before joining us.

Reading one of the books by Charlotte Joko Beck or another Ordinary Mind teacher listed on the Resources page, may also be helpful, before or soon after you come along.

Participation in our group is free of charge. If possible, occasional small donations (via the donation box) are appreciated and contribute to the cost of our sitting place. In the future, you may consider becoming a member and paying an annual subscription. However, inability to pay will never hinder your participation or membership in our group.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Getting started with Zazen

Here is a concise guide to help you begin your practice of Zazen (Zen sitting meditation). You can find instructions and information by following this link.

Our Ethics

We follow a set of ethical principles at Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane, which are reviewed and updated annually and serve as our guiding values. To access the document, please click here.

Formalities in the Zendo

The Zendo is a formal space where a formal etiquette is observed. This document describes some of the main formalities we observe. During your first visit, some of these will be demonstrated to you. Don’t try to learn everything at once, but watch what others do and use this document as a helpful resource as you settle into the group. If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask. You can access this document here.