Our Practice

Weekly Schedule

Sunday 9:30 - 11:30

Most Wednesday's over Zoom for members of the sangha


Retreats

This year we will be holding at least one householder retreat, a set of sessions over the course of several days to allow participants to focus and enrich their practice for an extended period of time. We will update the site once dates are determined.

Our Sunday morning practice


Our sangha convenes at 9:25 on Sunday, to allow time for people to be seated before the opening bell. 


9:30--9:55 AM:  Opening chants, zazen

9:55--10:00 AM:  Kinhin

10:00--10:25 AM:  Dharma talk

10:25--10:30 AM:  Kinhin

10:30--10:55 AM:  Zazen (daisan offered)

10:55--11:00 AM:  Kinhin

11:00--11:25 AM:  Practice circle

11:25--11:30 AM:  Closing chants, announcements

A picture of our bell

Before 9:30

Shoes are removed and left neatly in the hall outside the zendo. 

We enter the zendo respectful of those already sitting, bowing towards the Buddha and altar with our hands in gassho, stopping and bowing again to the altar before we find our place.

Before we sit we bow to our cushion and then bow to the sangha. 

9:30--9:55 AM:  Opening chants, zazen

The bell rings at 9:30, we stand as Sensei places incense at the altar, leading us in three bows.  

We sit and chant the Morning Gatha and the Gatha of Atonement. 

The bell rings three times and we sit zazen together.

9:55--10:00 AM:  Kinhin

The bell rings twice.

Standing, hands in gassho, we bow and are lead in kinhin, walking meditation.

More on kinhin is here.

When we return to the zendo we stand, hands in gassho, and wait for the final clapper. We bow and sit. 

During this kinhin there is usually an opportunity to sign up for daisan.

10:00 - 10:25 AM:  Dharma talk and zazen

As in the first sitting, the bell rings three times and we sit. When the bell rings we will chant the Gatha on Opening the sutra, and Sensei will give a dharma talk. After the talk, if there is time remaining, we sit zazen. 

10:55--11:00 AM:  Kinhin

We walk kinhin as before. 

Again there is generally an opportunity to sign up for daisan.

10:30--10:55 AM:  Zazen (daisan offered)

As in the first sitting, the bell rings three times. We sit zazen, and after a short time sensei will ring a bell calling to the first or next person on the list for daisan.

10:55--11:00 AM:  Kinhin

We walk kinhin as before.

11:00--11:25 AM:  Practice circle

We return as in the first sitting, and chant the Heart Sutra.

A member of the sangha leads us in practice circle, where we can share our experiences and challenges in our ongoing practice.

11:25--11:30 AM:  Closing chants, announcements

Sensei will lead us in a bow to the Buddha and we will proceed out of the zendo and share a final bow to each other.