Spring Practice Period 2024

Spring Practice Period May 4th- June 16th

Apply here by May 1st for Practice Period | 2024 Practice Period Calendar

SEEING ONE THING THROUGH is the title of Sojun Roshi’s book and our theme for this practice period. Using lectures from his book, senior students will lead our usual Practice Period activities with Saturday Dharma talks, WSM talks, a class series, and group teas. There will also be an all Sangha Work Day and Sangha Practice Period Dinner at BZC.

2024 Spring Practice Period begins with a one-day sesshin on May 4th.

Practice Period will close with a 5-Day Sesshin led by a group of senior student . (See calendar for all events).

In addition to the application, there will be separate sign-ups that will be sent out as time nears. It is important to sign up for individual events as those are sent out.

New Saturday schedule for the entire Practice Period

6:00-6:40 Zazen
6:40-6:50 Kinhin
6:50-7:20 Zazen
7:20-7:40 Service
7:40-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-8:45 Break
8:45-9:30 Work Practice
9:30-10:05 Zazen
10:05-10:15 Kinhin
10:15-11:15 Dharma Talk
Followed By Informal Tea

GUIDELINES/OPTIONS for Saturdays:

  • Come at 6:00 and stay for the morning
  • Come at 6:00, stay through work period in order to give back to the temple
  • Come after breakfast – work period, or 9:30 zazen, and/or Dharma Talk and tea

All Practice Period Sesshins will start at 5:00 AM and end 5:30 PM.

Please contact Susan Marvin, Co-Tanto (lai_hang@yahoo.com) or Ross Blum, Ino (rossblum@icloud.com) if you have any questions or concerns.

Practice Period Class

BZC’s class series this year during the upcoming Spring Practice Period will be led by several senior students. Material for the classes will be drawn from Sojun Roshi’s recent book,  Seeing One Thing Through, a collection of talks about Zen practice, daily life, and insight. 

These classes will be both in person and online and are open to anyone who would like to attend; we especially encourage those who participate in the Practice Period to sign up. Attend on line by clicking on the “Enter Zendo” link on the BZC homepage.

The class series begins on Thursday, May 9 and runs through June 6 (7:15—8:45). 

Please register  by clicking on this link in order to receive class updates and any additional materials: 

https://forms.gle/3vb8DpyyAQeabFyh9

Class fee is $50. If this is unaffordable, please donate  as you can.

If you have questions, please contact the class coordinator Ryushin at 510-298-7833

 

Spring Practice Period closing sesshin June 12-16, 2024

Our 34th Spring Practice Period will close with a 5-day sesshin, Wednesday, June 12th through Sunday June 16th. The sesshin daily schedule will start at 5 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. and will include formal oryoki breakfast and lunch. The sesshin will be led by BZC senior students.

Registration for this sesshin is now closed.

Participants are expected to attend a minimum of 3 days, of which two days should be consecutive, and are required to have their vaccination information on file with BZC. Attendance will be limited to 33 people per day. If you register after this limit is reached, you will be put on a waiting list.

Sesshin donations cover essential sesshin expenses such as food, and they extend the paramita of giving. Everyone should contribute what they can–including those who drop out of sesshin a day or two before. The suggested donation is $35/day (or $15/day for online attendance).

Donations can be made in one of three ways:

1/ Paypal

2/ Personal check mailed to the Office Manager at 1931 Russell St, Berkeley, CA 94703

3/ Check or cash dropped into the laundry room door slot

Include a note designating that your donation is for sesshin—and for which dates. Please take care of your donation before the start of sesshin.

Contact Sesshin Director Colleen Busch with questions at sesshindirectorcolleen [AT] gmail [DOT] com.