In The Spirit

-- Michele Marr

* Address: 120 E. 18th St., Costa Mesa, near Triangle Square

* Telephone: (949) 722-7818

* E-mail: zencenter@zcoc.org

* Web site: www.zcoc.org

* Year center established: 1995. The Zen Center of Orange County has

been in Costa Mesa for seven years, offering a regular schedule for

zazen, intensive workshops and other programs.

* Denomination:: Zen is an awareness meditation practice rooted in the

Buddhist tradition* Senior pastor: The Rev. Deborah J. Barrett, a Zen

priest, is director of Zen training. She has been a serious practitioner

for 25 years, focusing on Christian and Zen awareness methods. She is a

certified pastoral counselor, a fellow of the American Assn. of Pastoral

Counselors and a Visiting Nurses Assn. Hospice chaplain. She is a

lecturer in comparative religion at Cal State Fullerton. She has earned a

doctorate in psychology and master’s degrees in theology and psychology.

Her dissertation was on Zen approaches to dying.

Pastoral staff: The Rev. Carol Aguilar is the center’s administrator.

She is a Zen priest with 20 years of practice. She owns Zen Home

Stitchery, a manufacturer of meditation clothing and cushions.

* Weekly schedule: At 5 p.m. Sunday, there are two 30-minute periods

of zazen -- meditation while seated on pillows or chairs -- walking

meditation, personal practice interview, service and a formal talk on Zen

practice followed by discussion. Sunday at 7:15 p.m., there is an

informal tea. On Tuesday, from 7 to 9 p.m., there is zazen, a talk and a

discussion.

* Size of congregation: 75

* Makeup of congregation: A cross-section of the county. People come

to the center from neighborhoods all over Orange County.

* Child care: Child care and children’s programs are not available but

will be developed as needed.

* Dress: No shorts or tank tops.

* Church design: The center is in a beautiful, well-maintained, old

Costa Mesa commercial building in a mixed commercial-residential section

of downtown, near Triangle Square. The inside is furnished with

meditation mats, cushions and chairs for meditation. A large, outdoor

balcony provides space for walking meditation.

* Mission statement: The Zen Center of Orange County is a community

whose membership is actively engaged in Zen awareness practice for the

purpose of awakening, healing and transformation. Zen practice as taught

at the center emphasizes seated meditation and its application in our

daily lives.

* Upcoming sermon: On Sunday, Barrett will speak on “The Fourth of

July in Zen: Freedom and Service.”

* Tuesday Night Programs: All Tuesday evening programs begin with a

half-hour of seated meditation, followed by walking meditation. On the

first and third Tuesdays of each month, from June through September, the

discussions will be based on “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” by Thich Nhat

Hanh. On the second Tuesday of each month, the Buddhist Study Group

meets. From June through September, the group will study the 10 Paramitas

(disciplines, perfections of practice). On the fourth Tuesday of each

month, a film is shown. The topic for the summer film series is “Zen and

Creativity.”

* Introduction to Zen workshops: A three-hour workshop is offered the

first Sunday of every month, from 3 to 6 p.m., to provide small group

instruction in beginning Zen awareness practice. Workshops are

experiential and include lecture and discussion formats. Handouts of

information are provided. The workshop introduces the basics of seated

meditation, various options for postures using cushions or chairs,

techniques for working with breathing, and observation of thought. Daily

life practice is emphasized. During the final hour, participants join the

regular Sunday schedule for zazen and walking meditation. Attire is

casual, but participants are asked not to wear shorts, jeans or clothes

with writing on them. The fee for the workshop is $50. Preregistration is

required.

* Outreach programs: The center sponsors one-, two- and three-day

retreats, as well as a variety of periodic workshops and classes. The

next one-day retreat is scheduled for Aug. 18. The next weekend retreat

will begin Oct. 18. The center also has a prison outreach program.