6901 SW 14th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50315
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Event Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - Noon
Please join us on February 7 for an extended zazen practice period. It will be a very simple, quiet morning consisting of three 40-minute periods of zazen and one 40-minute period of a Zen reading followed by an open discussion. There will be 10 minutes of walking meditation (kinhin) between each 40-minute period.
This practice is for newcomers and experienced practitioners alike. Newcomers are asked to arrive 20 minutes early for some basic instruction.
This will be available via Zoom for those who wish to participate virtually. The Zoom link can be found on the Practice page (Go to Practice > Other Special Events > Half-Day Sits).
The Soto Zen tradition commemorates the Buddha's parinirvana on February 15. The DMZC will honor the Buddha's passing from this life on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The normal Sunday schedule will be followed on this day. The dharma talk, however, will be a reading of the "Sutra on the Buddha's Bequethed Teaching," also referred to as "The Sutra on the Final Teaching of the Buddha." A reading of the sutra on the Buddha's parinirvana is a practice in the Soto Zen tradition. This sutra contains the Buddha's final teaching to his monks right before he died. It is a straight-forward summary of his 40 years of teaching the Dharma. It is good that we hear it every year.
Our winter session 2026 Introduction to Zen Meditation and Mindfulness class, providing an instruction to Zen meditation and mindfulness, begins on January 27. Pre-registration is required, and the cut off date is January 20. If you are interested in this class on how to apply Zen teachings to your everyday life, sign up today!
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*Registration for this class is now closed. Please watch for announcements about the next Fall class registration.
We kindly ask if you attend the center and have any symptoms, to wear a mask in consideration of other practitioners. Please note you may always attend services by zoom. Check out our practice page for details. We want you here, but we also want you and everyone else to be well!
It’s winter in Iowa! Should the weather be inclement, we will post here on the website if in-person services will be canceled. Should that be the case, services will still be held by zoom.
The Des Moines Zen Center is supported entirely by the generosity of its community. Our teachings, practice opportunities, and programs are offered freely and sustained through voluntary donations.
If you wish to support the ongoing work and practice of the Zen Center, you are invited to make a free-will offering. Donations may be given as a one-time gift or set up as a recurring offering. Please visit our Donation page or use the Donate button here to give securely by PayPal or debit/credit card.
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