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Ecodharma Zazenkai with David Loy

Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
This course is offered in-person and online
Register Here

Why are we here?: An Ecodharma Zazenkai (Daylong Sit) with David Loy

Please join us for a full day of sitting to launch our Ecodharma month of practice. Zen teacher and Ecodharma author David Loy will lead this daylong retreat for online and onsite participants. To set the foundation for the month-long practice period, David will guide us in exploring questions like, “Why are we here? What does it mean to be on the Buddhist path today? What does practice mean in these uncertain times?” These questions will be explored within the context of current events, multiple intersecting crises, the Dharma, and the encouragement from Dr. Bayo Akomolafe: “The times are urgent. Let’s slow down.”

This Zazenkai is an opportunity to devote an entire day to your practice and to deepen your relationship with the land you are on. It is encouraged to find a way to set up your space so you can be in closer connection with the land throughout this day of practice, whether that’s opening a window, sitting and walking outside, bringing some of Earth’s gifts inside on an altar, or something else that resonates with you. If you join onsite at Mountain Cloud, there will be the opportunity to do sitting and walking meditation on the land.

If you are new to meditation and have never attended a retreat (single or multi-day), a Zazenkai is an excellent way to immerse yourself in longer periods of silent sitting practice. The day includes both sitting and walking meditation, one or two movement sessions, a Dharma talk from David, and a Q&A session in the afternoon.

Experienced practitioners also benefit from these daylong retreats, as they deepen their practice. This Zazenkai will be available both online and on-site. If you plan to attend in person, please bring your own lunch; 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.

About David Loy

David Robert Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is a prolific author, who penned the book Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis and whose articles appear regularly in the pages of major journals such as Tikkun and Buddhist magazines including Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, and Buddhadharma, as well as in a variety of scholarly journals. Many of his writings, as well as audio and video talks and interviews, are available on the web. He is on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation. David is one of the founding members of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, near Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about David at https://www.davidloy.org/

Example Schedule (Mountain Time)*

6:30-8:00am: Sitting
8:45: Movement
9:00am-11:00am: Sitting and a Dharma talk
11:00 – 11:55am: Personal practice on the land
12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch
1:00-3:30pm: Sitting and Q&A
3:45 – 4:45pm: Optional discussion group

*For this Zazenkai, there will be the option to sit outside for those in-person, weather permitting.

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

* 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. Since the theme of this Zazenkai is centered around Ecodharma and connection with land, it is encouraged to find ways to connect with the land where you are during this day of practice – having windows open, doing walking or sitting meditation outside, gathering gifts from the land and creating an altar near your practice space, etc.

Zazenkai/Daylong dates in 2025

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

 

Date
May 3, 2025
Time
6:30 am - 3:30 pm
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