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Event Series Event Series: Daylong Sit / Zazenkai

Zazenkai: Beginning with a Pang

Beginning with a Pang

Saturday, January 18th, 2025
This course is offered in-person & virtually
Register Here

Our first Zazenkai of the new year falls just before the concurrence of Martin Luther King Day and the presidential inauguration – prime time to set aside a day for shared practice.

What happens when, resting in the breath, we allow the discursive mind to settle and allow the silence of things just as they are to pervade? What might emerge as the solvent of silence divests us of anything extra? What spaciousness is this that opens our hearts and disposes us to taste and see the wisdom and compassion of who we truly are?

Can it be a spaciousness – a boundless reality – that excludes nothing?

In her talk, Valerie will invite us to keep company with Pang Lingzhao, daughter of Layman Pang, who tradition remembers as often surpassing her father in their teaching exchanges. The Pang family chose to sink their significant wealth in a river (or according to some accounts, to give it away) – but the riches of the dharma sustained them to the full. Born in the final year of the devastating An Lushan rebellion, Lingzhao’s clarity and humor shine. Her life calls to mind the refrain, “Let freedom ring.”

If you plan to attend in person, please bring your own lunch; breakfast basics and tea will be provided. To attend in person, please read and follow our COVID-19 Protocols for MCZC’s current policies on masks, vaccinations, and testing.

Zazenkai is a term used in Zen Buddhism to refer to a day of intensive meditation practice. The word “Zazenkai” is of Japanese origin, where “za” means sitting, and “zenkai” means gathering. During a Zazenkai, participants engage in periods of sitting meditation (zazen), walking meditation (kinhin), and may also include chanting, dharma talks, and other activities related to Zen practice. Zazenkais provide an opportunity for practitioners to deepen their meditation experience and strengthen their commitment to the path of Zen Buddhism. These events can vary in length, with some lasting a full day, as mentioned in your previous messages.

Schedule (Mountain Time)

6:00-8:00am: Sitting
8:45: Movement
9:00am-12:00pm: Sitting and a Dharma talk
12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch
1:00-3:30pm: Sitting and Q&A

* Note for online participants — the retreat Zoom room will open shortly before 6:00 AM MT. For those who prefer not to or cannot join the 6:00 AM MT start time, you have the option to begin your day with movement at 8:45 AM MT or sitting and a short introduction at 9:00 AM. The dharma talk is scheduled for around 10:00 AM MT. The dharma talk will be recorded and made available on our YouTube Channel within two weeks.

Participation Fee

The cost for the day is $50 or an amount you can reasonably afford. Your support ensures that we can continue to offer free events and low-cost retreats.

Register Here

Zazenkai/Daylong dates in 2025

  1. January 18
  2. February 15
  3. May 3
  4. June 28
  5. July 19
  6. November 15

 

Date
January 18
Time
6:00 am - 3:30 pm
Event Categories
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