Every Buddhist Meditation Group/Center in Portland Oregon

Intro to Buddhism & Meditation in Portland

When I first arrived in Portland, I spent countless hours both online and conversing with others trying to find the various Buddhist communities in town.  After some years of exploration, I’ve learned every single Buddhist group in Portland (I think!), and have organized them here on this page.

At the time of writing, I’ve personally visited about half of these groups.  However, I am not offering any specific endorsements.  The intention of this page is merely to state the options.  I will try my best to keep my comments factual and data-focused.

Although, I will say that the best way to find a group is always just to check a few of them out and get a feel for what seems to resonate.

 

A Few Notes to Keep in Mind

• This article is up-to-date as of November, 2025; however, places are always changing their schedules. In turn, I’d recommend following the below links to verify the current status.
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• If something is offered as a hybrid event that’s both in-person & online, I just marked it in-person, with a few exceptions for clarity.
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• While every center has its own flavor, some centers have multiple groups throughout the week and/or are led by different instructors, which may have a very different feel from each other.  It can be helpful to check out multiple groups at the same center!
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• You don’t need to join, sign up, become a Buddhist, or go through any initiation process to go to any of these groups.  You just show up as you are and are free to never come back again, or keep returning as long as you like!
  

If there is any center/group I’ve missed, please let me know and I will add it.

 

Vipassanā / Insight Meditation / Theravāda Buddhism

The oldest lineage, Theravāda Buddhism is also where the whole modern mindfulness movement came from, and tends to be pragmatic, straightforward, and technically precise.  In turn, its approach to philosophy and meditation is usually the most accessible to Westerners. 

1. Path of Sincerity Sangha

• Logistics: Every morning 8am virtually; M evenings in SE Portland
• Lineage: Sayadaw U Tejaniya + general Theravāda
• Notes: Led by a former monk, explores how to integrate deep Insight Meditation practice with living the whole of the Noble Eightfold Path in modern life.  Offers regular daylong retreats, classes, multi-week courses, mentorship, and community service opportunities.

2. Portland Friends of the Dhamma

• Logistics: SU morning, W & F Evening in SE Portland; Weekday mornings hybrid; TU evening virtual
• Lineage: Ajahn Chah – Thai Forest
• Notes: They sometimes host monks from a nearby hermitage for dharma talks, and several times a year they host non-residential weekend retreats with prominent monks in the Thai Forest tradition.  They also offer periodic courses & have a Sunday morning children’s program.

3. Portland Insight Meditation Community

• Logistics: SU Morning & W Evening in SE Portland; M-SA mornings virtual
• Lineage: Ruth Denison + General Theravāda
• Notes: Has several teachers, hosts regular daylong retreats, courses, a women-only group on Tuesday nights, an elders group on Monday mornings, Qi Gong classes, and various community engagement opportunities.

4. Rose City Rebel Dhamma

• Logistics: W evening (virtual)
• Lineage: General Theravāda
• Notes: Was originally a Dharma Punx group, and has since broken off to become independent.

5. Pacific Northwest Meditation Community

• Schedule: SA afternoons in SE Portland; every morning, TU afternoons, 2nd M evening, & 4th SU evening Virtual
• Lineage: General Theravāda + Thich Nhat Hanh (which is Mahayana!) + Sayadaw U Tejaniya
• Notes: Emphasizes diversity, social justice, and the discovering universal truths taught by the Buddha .  Featuring a rotating group of teachers, they also have Zoom-based affinity groups for neurodiverse folks.

6. Wise Spirit Buddhist Community

• Schedule: TH evenings & 1st Sunday in SE Portland
• Lineage: Ruth Dennison + general Theravāda
• Notes: Also hosts occasional courses, sutta study classes & daylong retreats.

7. Pine Street Sangha

• Schedule: Every morning 9am (virtual)
• Lineage: General Theravāda
• Notes: This group places special emphasis on reflection and writing about our meditation experiences.  They also host occasional workshops and intensives.  Somewhat geared towards mental health professionals, or those interested in combining therapeutic modalities with Buddhist meditation.

 

 

Zen Mahayana Buddhism

Zen-style Mahayana Buddhism has a very earthy feel, and emphasizes bringing awareness into every moment of your life.  Their approach to meditation is usually not as technical & precise, as they focus on effortless here-and-now presence and the immediacy of compassion.  There is also an emphasis on ritual and form.

1. Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple

• Schedule: SU & F morning, and SU, TU, W & TH evenings in NE Portland.  M & F evening virtual.
• Lineage: Soto & Rinzai – Maezumi Roshi and Shodo Harada Roshi
• Notes: Having many different teachers, they hold regular classes, events, daylongs, and host various affinity groups, like LGBTQIA+ and engaged Buddhism.  They are also the urban offshoot of the Great Vow Zen Monastery, located in Clatskanie Oregon, which has many live-in monastics and offers monthly residential retreats.

2. Plum Blossom Zendo

• Schedule: TU evening in Vancouver, WA
• Lineage: Soto & Rinzai – Maezumi Roshi and Shodo Harada Roshi
• Notes: This is another offshoot of the Great Vow Zen Monastery, offering authentic Zen practice in Vancouver.

3. Dharma Rain Zen Center

• Schedule: SU morning & W evening in NE Portland
• Lineage: Soto Zen – connected with Shasta Abbey
• Notes: An urban monastery with a residential training program, they also have regular courses, workshops, daylongs, multi-day retreats, study programs, and a children’s program. The schedule changes seasonally, and at various points of the year, they host in-person morning meditations.

4. Portland Community of Mindful Living

• Schedule:  SU & M evening SE Portland.  SU, M, W & TH evenings + W & F morning Virtual.
• Lineage: Thich Nhat Hanh
• Notes: Thich Nhat Hanh has a somewhat eclectic style that is very beginner / non-Buddhist friendly.  It uses some Theravāda language with the simplicity of Zen and a grounding in the joy and heart aspects of the path. These groups are all peer-led and some of the virtual groups have a monthly or quarterly in-person session.

4. No Rank Zendo

• Schedule: SU, M & W evening in NE Portland.  M-F 6am hybrid & 12pm meditation virtual.  SA morning outdoors in a park in NE Portland.
• Lineage: Rinzai Zen – Genki Takabayashi
• Notes: This is the only dedicated Rinzai group in Portland.  Also leads retreats, daylongs, and courses.

5. Bright Way Zen Center

• Schedule: TU evening & SU morning in SW Portland.  W-SA virtual morning meditation.
• Lineage: Soto Zen – stems from the Dharma Rain Zen Center
• Notes: They also host a virtual book club and a Zen podcast study group, along with periodic workshops, retreats, and daylongs.

6. Portland Buddhist Priory

• Schedule: SU Morning, F afternoon & W evening in SE Portland
• Lineage: Soto Zen – Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
• Notes: Has a very traditional feel. Affiliated with many temples and monasteries along the West Coast and internationally.

7. Ring of Moss Zendo

• Schedule: W evening & SU morning in SE Portland; TU am virtual
• Lineage: Diamond Sangha – Robert Aitken Roshi – Soto & Rinzai
• Notes: Emphasizes koan practice.  Hosts monthly orientations to Zen practice.  Affiliated with another Zendo in California that hosts retreats. They hold periodic intensives, daylongs, and book study programs.

8. Touching Earth Sangha

• Schedule: SU afternoon & F evening in SE Portland
• Lineage: Soto Zen
• Notes: Combines Zen practice with radical activism, and is involved in various forms of social action.  One of the weekly sits is outdoors.  Also hosts daylong retreats on moon days.

 

Vajrayana / Tibetan Buddhism

Vajrayana / Tibetan Buddhism has a mystical & devotional feel.  It can initially come across as somewhat esoteric and inaccessible (unless you’re drawn to artful spirituality!), but if you’re open to it, it has a great blend of Theravada and Mahayana, offering a richness of precision with an emphasis on the now.

1. Kagyu Changchub Chuling

• Logistics: SU morning, SU & W evening in NE Portland; TU evening, and M-F morning Virtual
• Lineage: Kagyu – Kalu Rinpoche
• Notes: They have a resident Lama (someone who completed a traditional 3-year retreat), and offer a full schedule of deepening study classes, daylongs, residential retreats, children’s programs, and more.

2. Dorje Ling Portland

• Schedule: SU morning & W evening in NW Portland
• Lineage: Nyingma – Gyatrul Rinpoche
• Notes: They offer periodic retreats, deepening study classes, occasional visits from senior Vajrayana teachers, and are affiliated with the Tashi Choling Monastery in Ashland, Oregon.  They often host a book club virtually on Tuesday evenings.

3. Shambhala Meditation Center of Portland

• Logistics: SU, M, F & TU evening virtual; F evening in SE Portland
• Lineage: Nyingma & Kagyu – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
• Notes: They also offer periodic classes & courses (mostly virtual), as well as community hikes in the greater PDX area.  The Friday night session is a social meditation, with an emphasis on mindful relating.  The Shambhala style tends to be the most secular-leaning, least mystical of the Tibetan lineages.

4. Diamond Way Buddhist Center

• Logistics: M & TH evenings in NE Portland
• Lineage: Kagyu – Lama Ole Nydahl & Hannah Nydahl
• Notes: Affiliated with the international non-profit Diamond Way organization with 600+ groups in this tradition.

5. Dekeling Community

• Logistics: M evenings in NE Portland; TU, W, TH afternoon + TU & TR morning Virtual meditation
• Lineage: Shangpa Kagyu
• Notes: Led a female Lama, they are dedicated to the awakening of lay people in modern times.  They host deepening study programs & courses, as well as retreats.

6. Mahasiddha Kadampa Buddhist Center

• Logistics: SU & M mornings & W evening in SW Portland — also TU evening in Beaverton & M evening in SE Portland
• Lineage: New Kadampa – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
• Notes: They also lead various training & deepening study programs and have many ways to get involved.  This is the only Mahayana / non-Vajrayana Tibetan center in Portland.

7. Tergar Portland Oregon

• Logistics: TU evening & W morning Virtual; 3rd SU in NE Portland
• Lineage: Kagyu – Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
• Notes: Explores the Joy of Living teachings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan teacher who travels widely and has a large network of affiliated sanghas across the world.  They also have various deepening study programs and utilize the online courses & materials of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.

8. Maitripa College

• Logistics: SU mornings + monthly Guru Puja in SE Portland
• Lineage: General Tibetan / Vajrayana
• Notes: This is an actual college in Portland with master’s degrees and semester-long courses focused on various aspects of Buddhism and meditation.  However, the Sunday morning gathering is open to the public, donation-based, and is often led by Portland’s only “Rinpoche” (roughly defined, someone recognized as the reincarnation of a great sage).

9. Buddhist Henjyogi Temple

• Logistics: W & TH evening in SE Portland
• Lineage: Shingon Buddhism (Japanese)
• Notes:  A little different than everything else on this page, Shingon Buddhism is one of the few ways to access Vajrayana Buddhism separate from Tibetan Buddhism.  They also host occasional book clubs & other events.

10. Nritya Mandala Mahavihara (Dance Mandal)

• Logistics: Every morning silent meditation, F morning diety singing, and W evening in SE Portland.  TU evening Virtual.
• Lineage: Newar Vajrachariya (Nepalese)
• Notes: Their temple is open every morning for silent meditation.  The founder is an international Vajrayana Sacred Ritual Dance teacher & performer.  He offers donation-based Buddhist dance workshops in the temple, both scheduled and on request.  They also host a number of workshops and events, particularly around chanting, mantra, singing, and other spiritual embodiment forms.

11. Samden Ling

• Logistics: none currently scheduled
• Lineage: Nyingma/Rime’ Dzogchen Nyingthig – Adzom Paylo Rinpoche
• Notes: Guided by a local Lama, they offer teachings and practices from The Longchen Nyingthig Teaching Series.  Periodically they host different trainings and workshops.
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Traditional Buddhist Temples & Centers

Note: the majority of meditation centers in the West (see all of the above) tend to place prime importance on meditation, and are generally filled with Westerners interested in “spiritual Buddhism.”

In Asia, many Buddhist monasteries give equal if not more emphasis to community, study, chanting, devotional practice, etc.  For the most part, the following temples are more in this style.

Some of the temples might be of interest to Westerners for meditation teaching (such as Miao Fa), but more generally, unless you are from the listed country and/or speak that language, it’s likely the primary value you’ll find is in having a neat cultural experience or getting to dialogue with some monks (which is actually kinda cool!).

1. Mahayana Temples & Centers

• Chinese: Miao Fa Temple in SE PDX, Kwan Yin Temple in NE PDX, Hui Lin Medicine Buddha Meditation Center in SE PDX,
• Japanese: Oregon Buddhist Temple (Jodo Shinshu) in SE PDX, Nichiren Buddhist Temple of Oregon in SE Portland
• Vietnamese: Nam-Quang Temple in NE PDX, Phat Quang in Beaverton, Tinh Xa Ngoc Phuoc in SE PDX, Ngoc Son in SE PDX, Minh Quang in SE PDX, Chua Linh Son in SE PDX, Amitabha Buddhist Society of Oregon in Beaverton
• Korean: Bokwangsah Temple in SE PDX

2. Theravādan Monasteries, Viharas & Temples

• Burmese: Sirimangala Buddhist Monastery in NE PDX
• Lao: Wat Buddhatham Aram in NE PDX & Buddhist Center NW in Gresham
• Sri Lankan: Oregon Buddhist Vihara in Hillsboro
• Cambodian: Wat Dhammarangsey in West Linn
• Thai: Pacific Hermitage in White Salmon & OAOR in Sandy

Buddhist Inspired Groups

1. Recovery Dharma PDX

• Logistics: Several gatherings every day across the greater Portland area, as well as multiple local meetings every day virtually
• Lineage: General Buddhism
• Notes: An alternative to AA and other recovery programs, Recovery Dharma is a community that uses Buddhist principles, mindfulness & loving-kindness practices as a basis for recovery from all types of addictions.

Where To Go On Retreat Near Portland

I’ve previously written an in-depth guide to why & where to go on Meditation retreat, including places near Portland and also across the country/world.   However, I’ll provide some highlights here:

1. Retreat Centers that lead 10+ retreats per year within 90 miles of Portland

• The Great Vow Zen Monastery – offers monthly Zen retreats, plus opportunities for long-term residential practice.
• Cloud Mountain – offers Vipassanā retreats from 2 – 30 days with some of the most senior Vipassanā teachers in the country.
• Northwest Vipassanā Center – offers donation-based 10-day Vipassana retreats in the style of S.N. Goenka.
• Kagyu Changchub Chuling (KCC) — this Portland dharma center has a rural retreat center with many Tibetan / Vajrayana retreats every year, ranging from 2-30 days.

2. Communities that lead 1 to 9 retreats per year within 90 miles of Portland

• Zen: Mount Adams Zen Buddhist Temple, Bright Way Zen Center, Dharma Rain Zen Center & No Rank Zendo (see the Zen section above)
• Vajrayana: Dorje Ling (see the Vajrayana section above)

3. Places to do self-retreat within 90 miles of Portland

If you don’t need any guidance and are okay with structuring your own retreat/schedule, here are some places that will offer lodging, food, and quiet:

• Repeats from #1 and 2: The Great Vow Zen Monastery, Dorje Ling & Mount Adams Zen Buddhist Temple.
• Other Spiritual Traditions: Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey, a long list of Catholic Retreat Centers, and probably several others.
• Places you won’t get fed: Find a cabin in the woods, rent an AirBnB, go backcountry camping, and probably several others.

If you have any questions about a particular center/group, or would like me to add something to the list, feel free to comment below or email me!