Tulsa Zen Center is a weekly meditation group that offers one-on-one personal consultations with an experienced guide for your practice. During our weekly meetings, we practice meditation together, listen to a brief talk, and receiving personal practice guidance.
We meet on Sundays from 8:30am to 9:30am at All Soul's Unitarian Church.
Though we welcome those from all walks of life and belief systems, we offer direction from both the Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen,
We encourage newcomers to arrive 10 minutes early for a brief introduction to our group. Please wear loose fitting close. Cushions, mats, and chairs are provided; you may also bring your own meditation cushions or chairs.
Our Meditation Guides
Patti Mitchell is an ordained Soto Zen priest in the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi lineage. She has completed two three-month monastic training periods at Tassajara mountain monastery. Her heart teacher is Christina Lehnherr, a former abbess of the San Francisco Zen Center. She originally took Bodhisattva vows in the Tibetan Dzog Chen tradition in 1977 and had practiced in the Vipassana tradition for a number of years before finally finding her seat in Zen.
Michael Mason is a Zen teacher in the Soto/Rinzai Harada-Yasutani School of Zen Buddhism. His interests include interfaith dialogue and the integration of Zen perspectives into one's culture and religion. Every third Saturday from 9am-12:30pm, he supports an additional group, the Tulsa Zen Sangha with monthly talks at the Forest of Peace. Please register at https://forestofpeace.org/
General Ethical Guidelines
As a small community of Zen practitioners, we, the members and teachers of the Tulsa Zen Center, resolve to guide our lives and relationships according to the Three Pure Precepts:
We also affirm our commitment to the Ten Grave Matters/Prohibitions:
Sangha Relations
Our practice is embodied in how we interact within our community and the broader world. We commit to maintaining relationships characterized by respect, mindful speech, compassion, and integrity. Special attention will be given to teacher/student interactions, which will be conducted with mutual respect, clear boundaries, and confidentiality regarding personal practice and private matters. When disagreements or misunderstandings arise, we encourage open dialogue among the involved parties to reach mutual understanding, compassion, and reconciliation.
Addressing Ethical Concerns
In the event of a significant ethical concern or conflict—particularly involving misuse of authority, financial impropriety, sexual misconduct, or criminal actions—the concern should be presented in writing to the teachers. Upon receiving such a written complaint, the teachers will establish a temporary advisory group of three to five members, possibly including qualified individuals from outside the community, to address the specific concern.
This group will review the concern confidentially, hear testimonies as appropriate, and make recommendations for resolution. Recommendations may include mediated reconciliation, requested resignation from leadership, temporary suspension from community participation, or referral to appropriate external authorities if needed.
After the advisory group submits its recommendations and necessary actions have been taken, it will be dissolved. This process ensures transparency, accountability, and trust within our small community.
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