Weekly meditation sessions on Sundays, open to all levels, offering guided practice in a welcoming environment.
Regular meditation and Zen rituals for members and visitors to cultivate mindfulness and discipline.
Extended meditation retreats providing immersive experiences for deeper spiritual exploration and community bonding.
Personalized support from teachers for newcomers to learn meditation techniques and Zen principles without pressure.
Gatherings and activities that foster connection and shared practice among members and the local Omaha community.
Participation in daily practice and retreats at NZC in my early 20’s, along with mentoring from resident priests and association with the NZC community, helped form the foundation of a lifetime of Buddhist practice. Highly recommended.
In 2016 Dosho Mike Port and Tetsugan Zummach Osho became the head teachers of the Nebraska Zen Center. They brought their rigorous training, profound teaching and disciplined creativity to develop NZC into one of the top Buddhist Centers in North America!
Checkout open session on Sunday's for personal experience. It's been 1 year since I started visiting the center. I LOVE it! Learnings from this pace is having positive effect in my life. I enjoy the two teachers Dosho and Tetsugan.
I began my journey at the NZC just over a year ago and I’ve experienced an improvement in my mental state as well as my sense of being. I really enjoy the two teachers Dosho and Tetsugan. They are very welcoming and helpful to people new to meditation and there is no pressure to join or to be involved. If your mind is cluttered or you’re looking for a way to simplify your life. I recommend visiting an open Zen session on a Sunday. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. The center is very clean and organized, I think you would like it.
This review is based upon my last visit which was over a year and a half ago. (Late 2015) Pros: It is a Soto Zen Buddhist Temple! In Omaha! The temple has a new abbot and clergy that does seem to be actively engaged in upkeep, community, and modernization. Membership requirements have changed as well making it more accessible. However last time I was there several key staff positions were about to be vacated due to personal life changes. I highly recommend any Zen Buddhist to stop in and form their own opinion since there have been many recent changes. Cons: Sadly there are so many of these I can not reasonably list them all. I came here to enter the priesthood as well as seeking help; didn't happen. Found a dilapidated temple with a dying priest and somewhat aloof (...and possibly depressed due to a bleak outlook...) congregation. Generations later since Zen Buddhism entered the United States it is still clinging heavily to it's Japanese origin. Only integrating some of the worst aspects of American culture. And I found this temple to not be an exception. Albeit some of that is caused by legal restrictions of our own government. ----- I have decided instead to seek priesthood in Japan. And as for help... "Seek no external refuge, the Dharma is your island." - Siddhartha Gautama, Maha-parinibbana Sutta. May all visitors, members, and clergy of Heartland Temple find solace and peace.

Find peace and clarity through Soto Zen practice in the heart of Omaha.
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The Nebraska Zen Center is a welcoming Soto Zen Buddhist temple in Omaha, dedicated to offering authentic meditation practice and teachings to all. Led by experienced teachers Dosho and Tetsugan, we provide a supportive community for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Our center fosters mental well-being, simplicity, and personal growth through regular sessions, retreats, and daily practice. Whether you're seeking stress relief or a deeper spiritual path, join us in a clean, organized space to explore Zen Buddhism and enhance your life.
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