Saturday September 23 (Online)
DepreshZen is an online support and advocacy group for Sangha members with depression and anxiety disorders. We meet approximately every two weeks, alternating between Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings. DepreshZen is a safe space to talk openly and educate ourselves and others about living with these conditions from the perspective of Zen practitioners. As the…
September 23-30, 2023 (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….
Help with the Cost of Sesshin
Do you need financial help with sesshin or residential training? With the recent increase in sesshin costs, we’re guessing more people need this support. We want to get the word out that the Training Fund is here to help. If costs make the difference between your applying or not applying, please do ask for Training…
Sunday October 1 (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…
October 5-26 (Hybrid)
Our next Term Intensive (TI) runs October 5 – 26, 2023. 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 to…
Saturday October 7 (Online)
Trying to get your Zen practice going, but aren’t quite there yet? Or your practice is going, but it isn’t as regular as you’d like it to be? Still wondering about certain zendo protocols? Or do you have some posture questions? Then the Finding Your Seat (FYS) program is for you! FYS meets most Saturdays…
Tuesday October 10 (In-person)
On Tuesday, October 10, the zendo and adjoining areas will be set up for the annual ceremony honoring Bodhidharma, the “bearded barbarian” who founded Zen in China. Beginning at 7 p.m., we’ll sit for two short rounds, and the ceremony will follow (no dokusan, private instruction, or group instruction that night). Beginners: Come check out…
Saturday October 14 (In-person)
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…
Sunday October 22 (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…
Monday October 23 (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.
An extensive list of emails to the community — from the present to 2018 — with news and details about many current and past events.