Thursday August 15 (Hybrid)
Everyone is invited to join with fellow Sangha members in the Arnold Park zendo at 7 p.m. for zazen (with dokusan for in-person participants), followed by this meaningful ceremony. Since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, repentance has been an integral aspect of Buddhist practice. As Zen master Dogen said, “Sincere repentance helps us to cleanse…
Sunday August 18 (Hybrid)
This is our annual remembrance of Roshi Philip Kapleau, Founder of the Rochester Zen Center. We will begin sitting one extended round (usually 50 minutes) with a bell at the half-way point for a posture change. The round will be followed by kinhin, a short chanting service, and then a recorded teisho by Roshi Philip…
Sunday August 18 (Online)
About every couple of weeks after the Sunday morning sitting at 11:30 a.m., a group of Sangha members meets for an hour on Zoom to provide support for each other while dealing with issues of life, death, and illness. Participants affectionately refer to the group as ZLD. At ZLD meetings, we share, we listen, we…
Sunday August 18 (Online)
A Sangha Engagement Online Program Dharma Reflections takes place the third Sunday of each month from 1:00 to 2:15pm Eastern on Zoom. Longtime RZC member Larry McSpadden leads friendly discussions, suitable for newcomers and established practitioners alike, on short selections of Buddhist writings and teachings. If you’re interested in attending DR meetings or need more…
Monday August 26 (Online)
Calling all those involved in parenting, including grandparents and chosen aunties and uncles! Once a month join Sangha member Susan Rakow on Zoom from 8:15 to 9:15 p.m. (Eastern), for a light-hearted, expert-led, educational, and supportive Parent Practice group. Click here to sign up.
September 6-8, 2024 (Hybrid)
Sesshins (Zen meditation retreats held in silence and seclusion) are offered about once a month at the Rochester Zen Center. They vary in length from two to seven days.
What to Know Before Applying to Sesshin
Sesshins are rigorous, demanding a great deal of the sitter….
Saturday September 14 (Hybrid)
At our Introduction to Zen Meditation workshops, we cover the basics of zazen: posture, breath practice, and kinhin (walking meditation). In Zen 101, we discuss the more outward forms of Zen practice such as: Prostrations: How do we do them and why? Traditional Zen chanting. Getting acquainted with some Zen terminology (e.g., Bodhisattva, Jukai, Rakusu,…
Sunday September 15 (Hybrid)
You’re invited to join this hour-long, hybrid meeting of Uprooting Racism. We begin at 11:15 am (Eastern) in the Garden Conference Room at Arnold Park and on Zoom . The mission of Uprooting Racism is to gain personal insight into racism in order to abandon it on an individual level, dismantle it on an institutional…
Sunday October 13 (Hybrid)
Friends, You are welcome to join our next Sangha meeting in-person (after the Sunday morning sitting at Arnold Park) or on Zoom using the usual meeting codes. These gatherings are a chance to let all who are interested know what’s going on and coming up at the Center — plus they’re an opportunity to ask…
October 17 - November 14 (Hybrid)
Our next Term Intensive (TI) runs October 17 – November 14, 2024. The Term Intensive offers us a supportive structure in which to extend our practice efforts for a set period of time. Participants pledge to uphold a schedule of increased sitting and, if they wish, other aspects of discipline that relate directly or indirectly…
Sunday November 17 (Hybrid)
Daily sittings are great, but an extended sitting is a chance to wade further into the waters of zazen. You’ll get a break from stress, a taste of a sesshin day, and maybe even a new perspective on your mind and life. Besides the usual sitting that will run from 8:30 to around 10:30, there…