The Buddhist Dharma Center of Cincinnati began in the mid 1980's as a handful of meditators sitting in one another's living rooms on an increasingly regular basis. After a time, we found a home above the Prasada Press, then located in Northside, a neighborhood that has been our home ever since. In 1992, we moved to the Off the Avenue Studios, where we stayed until spring of 2001, when we moved into our present location at 15 Moline Court, just off Hamilton Avenue, in a facility which was renovated specifically for our use. It includes a spacious, well-lit meditation hall, an adjacent room for tea and conversation, and a back library room. Here we meet several times a week.

Since its beginning, the focus of the center has undergone several shifts, but has always emphasized welcoming a broad range of people working within the various Buddhist traditions. Although various members of the center have done some study in the Tibetan traditions, the predominant forms of practice among us have been vipassana, zen, and meditative inquiry.  The center has always been funded by individual donations.

Openness and inclusiveness are at the heart of Dharma teachings and practice.  The center is committed to kindness and respect for others, regardless of race, religion, cultural expressions, gender, gender identity, age or abilities. 

Sitting quietly, each person practices within the tradition that is most heartfelt. There is both deep respect for the paths we and others are on, and a sense that we are all engaging the core or common denominator of Buddhist practice. Some of our members identify with no particular tradition and study with no teacher outside our center; others maintain links to teachers and styles of practice found elsewhere. No one seems to "represent" any particular school, and in discussions over tea, we find both genuine differences of approach and lots of common ground.

The services at our center are characterized by simplicity. Meditation is framed by a bow and the lighting of candle and incense. Brief chanting begins and ends the service. Sittings run 20-35 minutes , punctuated by walking meditation.  There is a short  reading in the second sitting session. Instruction (or review), along with teaching or discussion is available  via Zoom on Wednesdays. Month long classes are also offered four times a year, in cooperation with UC's Communiversity. 

Whether you are just beginning to explore meditation or have been practicing for years, you are welcome to join us in quiet sitting, in which. little by little, so much can be discovered and resolved.

The Dharma Center, as a church, is tax-exempt in accordance with IRS guidelines and regulations.  All donations are tax-deductible.

Also, the Dharma Center has a scholarship fund which is available to those seeking financial assistance in attending Buddhist classes, programs or retreats.  Please contact the Center's email, dharma.center420@gmail.com, if interested.  

The center is governed by a board currently comprised of six members.  They are: Kevin Celarek, Andrea Lasley, Carlos Nazario, Sue Noble, Monica Kohler, and Erin Wagner.  They can be contacted individually, or as a group via the Center's email, dharma.center420@gmail.com.