Who We Are

No Barriers Zen is a Soto Zen Buddhist 501(c)3 non-profit that meets in Washington, DC, Virginia, and online. We are focused on providing access to the Buddhadharma for all people. Our aim is to create and maintain an inclusive environment that supports the practice of individuals regardless of their differences or disabilities.

R. Liam Ōshin Jennings, 応心 歌渡

Our Guiding Teacher Rev. Ōshin Jennings founded No Barriers Zen in Washington, DC in 2015. NBZ is a Soto Zen Buddhist community in the Phoenix Cloud lineage of Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi. Ōshin is thought to be the first Deaf Buddhist monk and first Deaf person to receive Dharma transmission. It’s Ōshin’s personal experiences as a Deaf and disabled practitioner that lead him to his mission of making meditation and the Buddhist teachings accessible to all bodies and minds, especially those with historically limited access. 

Ōshin has been a student of Buddhism and Zen for over 25 years. He ordained in 2009 and is currently a student of Michael Kuzan Shoho Newhall Roshi, the abbot emeritus of Jikoji Zen Center in Los Gatos, California who is a Dharma heir of the late Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi. Shoho Roshi gave Ōshin Dharma transmission in 2022. Ōshin has also studied Buddhism throughout the US, and abroad in Japan and Southeast Asia. As an artist and psychotherapist Ōshin is particularly interested in the intersections of meditation, mental health, and creativity, which serve as key themes for his teachings as well as his research. When not on the cushion you will find Ōshin out in nature or working in his art studio.

Ōshin looks forward to connecting with you and welcoming you to our sangha, or to partnering with you to create equitable and just spaces for your practice. He is currently accepting new students, as well as offering Buddhist ceremonies, spiritual direction, and workshops. He can be contacted here.

Inclusivity Statement

No Barriers Zen intentionally welcomes all. We embrace our difference and Oneness, which is found at the core of our Buddhist teachings. We acknowledge the systems of power, oppression, and privilege that have created barriers for people and communities with particular identities, abilities, and histories. We work together as a community, vowing to dismantle these barriers within our institutions and ourselves. These guiding principles apply to all functions and structures of our community. We strive to see the interconnectedness of all beings so that we may realize our True Nature.

Board of Directors