February 19, 2023
The Rochester Zen Center Youth and Family Program (affectionately called ‘Zen Kids’) meets on select Sundays from 8:30-10:30 am. We welcome children of all ages to our Youth Sundays, and families are invited to stay for our community brunch afterwards. Since we anticipate a wide range of ages, please RSVP Chris Maley (cmaley2@gmail.com) by Thursday evening…
February 19, 2023
Teisho, (pronounced “TAY-show”), is a formal (though largely extemporaneous) commentary given at Rochester Zen Center by either Sensei Dhara Kowal or Sensei John Pulleyn while facing the altar. In sesshin it is usually on a koan or other Zen text, whereas outside sesshin it may be on a non-Zen article or book. A teisho is…
February 19, 2023
“Youth Night in the Zendo” (for children 9 years+) is held weekly on Wednesdays at 6-7pm except during sesshin or when the Center is closed.  We gather in the link or in the dining room before heading into the zendo. The general structure is: three rounds of zazen divided over 30 minutes, and then 30…
February 19, 2023
Zen practice has the potential to change our lives for the better. So what are we doing when we’re not facing a wall? (See also the teisho Stop Fixing Yourself.) Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Transcript
February 17, 2023
Flooding at the Auckland Zen Centre A couple of weeks ago, one of our sister Centers, the Auckland Zen Centre, suffered heavy damages from flooding due to heavy rainfall in New Zealand. If you’d like to help through a monetary donation, you can send it to the Rochester Zen Center (make sure to write “Helping…
February 13, 2023
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…
February 12, 2023
The usual human response to trouble and uncertainty is anxiety and resistance. How can we learn to live wholeheartedly with things as they are? Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript
February 10, 2023
Sangha Winter Social, Tomorrow, Saturday, February 11: You’re Invited! Join us at Arnold Park on Saturday, February 11, from 4:30 to 6:00 for a relaxed and festive early-evening gathering with delicious food, mocktails “bartended” by one of our very own, fun games, and warm community. RSVP here to help kitchen staff with a headcount, but…
February 10, 2023
Workshops at the Center: A Practical Introduction to Zen Throughout the year the Rochester Zen Center offers both in-person and online introductory meditation workshops taught either by Sensei John Pulleyn (pronounced “puh-leen“) or Sensei Dhara Kowal, along with senior students. Because getting started in Zen practice isn’t as simple as attending a new church on…
February 5, 2023
A senior student speaks candidly about his time at the Center, including his intense efforts to stay with Zen practice through severe depression and cancer. Coming to the Path Talk by Jonathan Hager. Automated Transcript