Compassionate Ocean Zen Center

10/03/2026

Our Flower Arrangement Workshop was a success! Thank you Lisa Boesen and Ann Thureen for teaching the class. It was a morning full of colorful flowers, green foliage and friendship. It was a special day as we also got to celebrate Joens 84th Birthday!

10/02/2026

This Saturday is our Flower Arrangement Workshop!

💐Flower Arrangement Workshop💐
Saturday, October 3,
9:30 – 11:30 A.M.
Compassionate Ocean Zen Center
​652 17th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

🪷In Buddhism, we place flowers on the altar as an expression of respect and gratitude, and also as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of our precious lives. Flowers bring beauty into our lives throughout the seasons, and can connect us to nature.

Join us for this hands-on beginner’s workshop for those who would like to learn basic guidelines for creating floral arrangements with seasonal flowers. Topics will include elements of floral design, color combinations, flower selection, and extending the life of cut flowers. We will create our own take-home floral arrangements; all materials will be provided.

Taught by Lisa Boesen, who often arranges flowers for Compassionate Ocean, and Ann Thureen, Master Gardener and developer of the U of MN Extension Master Gardener’s “Growing Connections” program.

Materials fee: $25

Additional donations welcome.​

Pre-registration required - Space is limited

09/25/2026

Hearing the bell,
I am able to let go of all afflictions.
My heart is calm,
my sorrows ended.
I am no longer bound to anything.
I learn to listen to my suffering
and the suffering of the other person.
When understanding is born in me,
compassion is also born.

"Every day there are ways in which we get caught in attachments, and so we continue to suffer. If only we could learn the art of releasing, happiness would come right away. Our worries and concerns prevent us from getting in touch with the wonders of life. We have all had the experience of being reminded of what is most important to us. Sometimes we are reminded by a friend or a teacher. Sometimes it may be the sound of the bell, bringing us back to ourselves in the present moment, enabling us to see the situation more clearly. Then we can let go of our worry, craving, or concern, so we can be free to encounter the wonders of life that are always there in the here and the now."

-Thich Nhat Hanh (Present Moment Wonderful Moment)

09/18/2026

Go to www.OceanZen.org to register for our Fall classes that start next week!

09/11/2026

Special quest teaching our Buddhist Studies Course starting Sept 23rd. Go to www.OceanZen.org to register!

Starting September 23 I’ll be leading another 8-week course on Katagiri Roshi’s teachings on Fukanzazengi, Zen Master Dōgen’s “Universal Recommendation for Zazen,” at Compassionate Ocean Zen Center. This will be more or less a continuation of the 8-week summer course we did, but anyone can jump in; we’ll be spending the first couple sessions on review, and anyway, all of the material is connected. This class is for anyone who is interested in Soto Zen Buddhism.

In the comment below, there’s a link to my short article “Universal Zazen” in the Compassionate Ocean newsletter, in which I talk a bit about the spirit of what we’re doing. Also there is a link to the audio recording of my recent dharma talk at Clouds in Water Zen Center, “Sitting with All Beings.” This is a good introduction to the class; in it I explain what we’re doing, and we go through the first section of the study guide together. Even if you were in the first class, it would be good to listen to this talk, as I’m continually refining the material.

The class is on Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 P.M, Sep. 23 – Nov. 11, at Compassionate Ocean Zen Center, and there is a Zoom option.

- Kikan

09/11/2026

Whether its a new school year and you are looking for a practice to help you focus, you heard about us through a friend, or you live in the neighborhood and want to check us out! Stop by Sept 12th to say hi!

09/07/2026

"It is not that mindfulness is the 'answer' to all life's problems. Rather, it is that all life's problems can be seen more clearly through the lens of a clear mind.”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

Go to www.OceanZen.org to register for our Fall class!

09/04/2026

🪷Buddhist Studies Class🪷
The Way of Whole-Hearted Sitting

📌Fall 2026 Course Details
Sept. 23rd – Nov. 11th
Wednesday evenings, 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

In-person or via Zoom participation available
Course fee $185 (members $165) includes materials.

Participants do not need to have taken the summer course to participate.

Deduct $15 from course fee if you have a copy of the summer course text.

Reduced fees are offered as needed. Please email or call the Center to request financial support: (612) 781-7640.

Go to www.OceanZen.org to sign up!

09/03/2026

08/24/2026

💐Flower Arrangement Workshop💐
Saturday, October 3,
9:30 – 11:30 A.M.
Compassionate Ocean Zen Center
​652 17th Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

🪷In Buddhism, we place flowers on the altar as an expression of respect and gratitude, and also as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of our precious lives. Flowers bring beauty into our lives throughout the seasons, and can connect us to nature.

Join us for this hands-on beginner’s workshop for those who would like to learn basic guidelines for creating floral arrangements with seasonal flowers. Topics will include elements of floral design, color combinations, flower selection, and extending the life of cut flowers. We will create our own take-home floral arrangements; all materials will be provided.

Taught by Lisa Boesen, who often arranges flowers for Compassionate Ocean, and Ann Thureen, Master Gardener and developer of the U of MN Extension Master Gardener’s “Growing Connections” program.

Materials fee: $25

Additional donations welcome.​

Pre-registration required - Space is limited