Palmetto Zendo, is part of a lineage dating back over 2,500 years to the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Palmetto Zendo was originally formed as a sitting group in 2010 know as Open Mind Zen Naples.
In 2015, Open Mind Zen Naples was incorporated as a non-profit and opened in its own dedicated space located in the 1250 Building in Naples, Florida.
Lead by Sensei Andy Solis, a long-time leader in the local Buddhist community, Open Mind Zen Naples’s Zen Center was unique to the Naples community as the first and only Zen Center in Collier County dedicated to meditation and Zen training.

Like many religious center, Open Mind Zen Naples was forced to close its doors during the COVID19 pandemic, and began meeting in various locations around Collier County, Florida. In 2022,  Sensei Andy moved to Estero, Florida, and began construction of the Palmetto Zendo on the property shared with his wife.  In 2024, Open Mind Zen Naples, Inc., officially changed its name to Palmetto Zendo, Inc.  The Zendo opened its doors for the first time in April of 2024.

Palmetto Zendo is a Soto Zen tradition, a form of Japanese Buddhism, founded by 13 th Century Japanese Zen Master, Eihei Dogen.  We are part of the Open Mind Zen founded by Roshi Al Rapaport and the White Plum Asangha, which is made up of Dharma successors of the late Taizan Maezumi Roshi,  founder of the Los Angeles Zen Center. The White Plum Asangha lineage dates back to the time of Shakyamuni Buddha.

To see this unbroken lineage, view our Lineage Chart.