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[Sonnenhof Mini-Ango – not @ MC]

Valerie Forstman and John Gaynor will be in Germany at Sonnenhof Zen Center for a mini-ango — a month long practice period. This year, for the first time, Sonnenhof is dedicating the month to mini-ango participants (no other groups), so there will be plenty of space.
The dates for 2025 are April 29 (beginning with supper) – May 25 (ending after breakfast). As always, participants are welcome to come for all or any part of the time.
See the full invitation below!
So far, from 2014 to 2024, Sanbo Zen has held nine Mini-Angos in May, at Sonnenhof, in
the Black Forest. These Mini-Angos have been led by Valerie Forstman (Associate Zen
Master), and John Gaynor (Zen Teacher). The next Mini-Ango is booked at Sonnenhof for 29th April to 25th May 2025 (led by
Valerie and John).
These Mini-Angos are open to anyone who is a practicing member of Sanbo Zen, and
have always been well supported by members from Germany, North America, England,
and Europe. They are also open to anyone practicing Zen or Contemplation at Sonnenhof.
Sonnenhof is well equipped to accommodate up to 50 participants. Usually, there are
about 30 participants at any one time, and many people choose to come for a shorter
period than 28 days, depending on their circumstances.
So what are the reasons for coming to Mini-Ango, as opposed to a shorter
sesshin of 5-7 days?
One reason is Dogen (1200-1253), whose teaching is central to Sanbo Zen. The Sanbo
Zen Web Site states: “The fundamental position of Sanbo Zen is to stand at the origin
point of Buddhism, through the Dharma gate of Dogen.”
Yamada Koun wrote this mission statement, following his own Great Enlightenment
experience, which itself arose out of his intimate relationship with Dogen.
Perhaps Dogen’s most famous work is his ‘Shobogenzo’ (‘Treasury of the True Dharma
Eye’). This is a massive work of 96 Essays, including one Essay entitled ‘Ango’ (90 day
summer practice period). In this Essay, Dogen makes very clear that if we practice sitting
for at least one Ango in our lifetime, we can discover, experience and explore our true
Dharma nature to its fullest extent.
Here is some of what Dogen says about Ango:
“To experience a summer Ango is to experience all buddhas and all ancestors. To
experience a summer Ango is to see buddhas and ancestors directly. Buddhas and
ancestors have been produced by the summer Ango for a long, long time.”
“Sitting for ninety days of summer is an ancient method used by authentic buddha
ancestors for turning the dharma wheel [freeing all beings].”
“Participation in Ango is the body and mind, eye, and life energy of buddha ancestors.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas made of mud, wood, metal, or the seven precious substances
all sit the three-month summer Ango together. Ango is the buddha’s instruction, an
authentic custom that maintains the buddha-dharma-sangha (Three Treasures).”
Anyone reading Dogen’s exhortations cannot but form the determination one day to attend
Ango, or Mini-Ango. This is not just because Dogen is defending a well tried and tested
Buddhist tradition. It is clear from his passion, and expressive wording, that he is
promoting far more than mere tradition. He is opening the Dharma gate itself. He is not just
inviting, but urgently urging you to experience for yourself the opportunity to discover,
explore and intimately realise the full extent of the Buddha Mind itself. Ango and Mini-Ango
provide the possibility of being eyeball to eyeball with all the buddha ancestors.
History of the Mini-Ango
But the opportunity to hold an Ango took time in coming. Where to do this? It is not so easy
to find a suitable place that will allow a small group of people to sit for 90 days, with all the
support that is required. Finally, in 2009, after many discussions with other Zen Teachers,
Lore Molly stepped forward, and offered her invaluable support at Sonnenhof. Lore had
once sat on her own solo Ango, and knew first hand of the benefits that long periods of
continuous sitting could bring.
Plans were made to hold the first Sanbo Zen Ango at Sonnenhof in April to July 2012, and
this gave over two years for people to plan ahead for leaving their families, jobs, and
friends for such a long period of time.
In 2012, the Ango was duly held. Ango participants varied throughout the time from
between 12 to 18. In addition, there were short courses held by other teachers throughout,
so Sonnenhof was used to its full extent. The Ango moved to and fro between the main
large Zendo, and the smaller upstairs Zendo. We lived and breathed Dogen, and the
Buddha ancestors.
It was interesting that after 15 days, there was a sudden deepening of the sitting to a new
level far beyond that attainable on a 5-7 day sesshin. Then after 21-24 days, many of the
participants experienced insights, and small and large experiences. After 30 days, the
sitting settled into a deep state of samadhi (balanced state of concentration). Of course,
there were occasional sudden upsurges of separate self, but these rarely lasted more than
a day.
For the leader of the Ango, John Gaynor, there were many lessons to be learned. So much
so, that afterwards, it seemed necessary for him to go on a 28 day solo retreat at
Sonnenhof in May 2013 in order to assimilate all that had been experienced. This was an
invaluable time.
2.
One of the conclusions was that it would be a good idea to have an intermediate form of
Mini-Ango for people to try out, before leaping from a 5-7 day retreat to a 90 day retreat.
The ideal time seemed to be 28 days, and this proved to be a very manageable time. It
included the vital deepening period after 15 days, and the insightful period of 21-24
days, and was an easier period for participants to arrange away from their usual
lives.
Another conclusion was that, ideally, there needed to be two leaders, preferably one
female and one male. For this reason, all the Mini-Ango’s have been led by Valerie and
John, enabling fruitful sharing of the Teaching through Teisho’s and Dokusans.
Finally, returning to the original three questions: What are the reasons for
doing Ango or Mini-Ango; What are the likely experiences; and What are the
likely outcomes?
These are best pinpointed by Joshu, and Dogen.
Joshu once said, “Brothers and sisters, just sit, and penetrate the principle. If you do so for
twenty or thirty years, and still do not understand the Way, then take this old monk’s head,
and make it into a ladle for scooping up excrement and urine.”
Dogen commented on this advice, “The ancient Buddha Joshu spoke like this, and present
people do such practice. How could we be deceived? Simply because of being bound by
sounds and colours, and without realising one’s discriminative thinking, one is not yet able
to be liberated. Such people are willing to vainly appear and disappear within the dusts of
sounds and colours. Now we can encounter the current opportunity [to sit intensively, and
thereby penetrate the principle, and better understand the Way].”
Invitation
So please feel free to join the May 2025 Mini-Ango to discover and experience how long
and intensive sitting can extend the length, breadth and depth of your daily practice to
altogether new levels.
To book, just contact Peter Van den Hoeven by email at info@sonnenhof-holzinshaus.de.
- Date
- April 29, 2025
- Event Categories
- Retreats, Sanbo Zen, Sesshin, Special Events