Wednesday Evening Zazen: Every Wednesday

We hope to see you  in the virtual zendo on Wednesday Evenings from 7p-7:30p for some zazen and a little conversation. The Wednesday group now meets every week except for those weeks we have sesshin (late February, late June, and mid-December). This is a short, easy way to try out this practice.

Schedule

6:55p – Virtual Zendo Opens.
*If you are new to the practice, this is an opportunity to receive some encouraging instructions.  

7:00p – Gatha of Atonement, Zazen, Four Bodhisattva Vows  

7:25p –-Check-in! Chat with other members of the sangha.

Please note: to protect the security of our meetings, we do not post Zoom links online. All the informaton you will need to access our online events will be sent to you through our mailing list. If you are already subscribed to the mailing list and receive email announcements about practice opportunities, all the information you will need to access our online events will be sent to you. If you are not currently subscribed to the mailing list and would like to receive links to our meetings, we invite you join our mailing list by clicking here.

Sunday Morning Zazen: January 5, 19, 26

Please join us most Sunday Mornings from 10am-11am in Zoom for zazen and a little bit of chanting.

Our Sunday morning group meets just about every week, except for Sundays following zazenkai and sesshin.

Schedule

9:55- Zoom “virtual zendo” opens; brief orientation if needed

10:00-10:25a – Gatha of Atonement, Zazen

10:25-10:30a  -Stretch/Break

10:30-10:55a- Zazen

10:55a- Chant: 4 Vows, Brief spiritual circle

Please note: to protect the security of our meetings, we do not post Zoom links online. All the information you will need to access our online events will be sent to you through our mailing list. If you are already subscribed to the mailing list and receive email announcements about practice opportunities, all the information you will need to access our online events will be sent to you. If you are not currently subscribed to the mailing list and would like to receive links to our meetings, we invite you join our mailing list by clicking here.

Hybrid In-Person/Online Zazenkai Date:  Saturday, Jan. 11th from 10am to 3pm (note earlier end time)

In-Person Location
Church of the Nativity & Holy Comforter (CNHC)
419 Cedarcroft Rd, Baltimore, MD 21212, USA

Parking is available in the lot to the south of the church. We use the door to the office by that parking lot. If it’s locked, there’s usually a note with a phone number to text to have someone let you in. 

General Information about Zazenkai
Zazenkai consists of alternating periods of seated and walking meditation, a dharma talk, optional interviews with a teacher, rest breaks, and spiritual circle. Beginning instruction is offered to newcomers. You can view our standard zazenkai schedule here.

We provide meditation mats and cushions but feel free to bring your own if you’d prefer. We also provide coffee, tea, and light snacks. Please bring your lunch since we eat together in silence. There is a fridge and microwave available if needed.

If you are attending in person, please make every effort to arrive NO LATER than 9:50a. Our host church requires us to lock the entrance for security purposes once we begin.

Suggested donation (dana) for this event is:
– $20 for in-person
– $10 for Zoom

Clare Sangha accepts donations via check, cash or PayPal

To register for zazenkai, send e-mail to [email protected], or register in person on-site the day of the event.

If you are not currently subscribed to the mailing list and would like to receive links to our meetings, we invite you join our mailing list by clicking here.

Welcome to ZCB/Clare Sangha Winter and Summer Ango Periods 2025! For these Ango Periods, we will be using a platform known as Canvas as a means to organize our in-person and online discussions. For this reason, please sign up using this Google form so that we can add you to the Canvas page. Once added, you will receive an invitation to join.

If you have any questions, please contact Seichō Sensei by emailing him at [email protected].

• From Columbia University Press:The Lotus Sutra. From Burton Watson, trans. 1993. 

  • “We do not know where or when the Lotus Sutra was composed, or in what language. Probably it was initially formulated in some local dialect of India or Central Asia and then later put into Sanskrit to lend it greater respectability. All we can say for certain about the date of its composition is that it was already in existence by 255 CE, when the first Chinese translation of it was made. It was translated into Chinese several times subsequently, but it is through the version done in 406 by the Central Asian scholar-monk Kumarajiva (鳩摩羅什) that it has become widely known and read in China and other countries within the Chinese culture of influence. This version has been universally acknowledged as the most authoritative and felicitous in language, and it is from this version that the present English translation has been made.” (ix-x)

Ango Practice Materials and Outline
There are two options for access to the Ango text:

1. Burton Watson. 1993. The Lotus Sutra. Columbia University Press
2. A free PDF of the book will also be available on the Canvas page for download for all participants

Zoom Discussion Dates/Times (all meeting times will be via Zoom from 10:00-11:30 a.m.)

Winter Ango

YouTube Video on The Lotus Sutra

January 26, 2025 – Chapter 1: Introduction

February 23, 2025 – Chapter 2: Expedient Means

March 30, 2025 – Chapter 3: Simile and Parable (The Parable of the Burning House)

April 27, 2025 – Chapter 7: The Parable of the Phantom City and Chapter 11: The Emergence of the Treasure Tower

Summer Ango

May 25, 2025 – Chapter 12: Devadatta

June 29, 2025 – Chapter 16: The Life Span of the Thus Come One

July 27, 2025 – Chapter 25: The Universal Gateway of the Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds.

Join us for these multi-day silent retreats

• 2025 Spring sesshin- Thurs-Sun April 17-20

• 2025 Summer sesshin- Thurs-Sun July 17-20

• They will be at the Pecometh retreat center in Centreville, MD

• Arrival time begins at 2:00 p.m. (the first period of zazen begins at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, sesshin ends at noon on Sunday. Lunch follows.

  Location

  Pecometh Riverview Retreat Center
  136 Bookers Wharf Road
  Centreville, MD 21617
  (410) 556-6900

  Format- Zen practice and training with teachers of the White Plum Asanga – including zazen (sitting meditation), teishō (dharma talks), dokusan (private interviews), chanting, meals, tea/coffee breaks, and rest practices. If you prefer, you may bring your own zafu and/or zabuton. This is a silent retreat.

  Accommodations- Each room has two queen beds (linens provided), two separate sinks outside of the bathroom for convenience, and one bathroom. People attending alone will not need to share a room unless registration requires it. Rooms are equipped with climate control, alarm clocks, and hair dryers. All rooms are non-smoking. Please do not burn incense in the rooms.

  To Register: Send an e-mail to [email protected] with your name and phone number, your estimated day and time of arrival, and departure date, if you plan to leave before Sunday at noon. Also, please indicate if you have any dietary needs, such as vegetarian meals, no pork, etc.

• For more information email us at [email protected]

You will need to install Zoom on your computer or device before you will be able to attend our online activites. The download process will begin automatically when you click on a link to join our “online zendo.” When you click on the Zoom link, you will be prompted to download and install the Zoom app.

Please note: to protect the security of our meetings, we do not post Zoom links online. To receive links to our meetings, we ask that you join our mailing list by clicking here.

If you haven’t used Zoom before, there are many helpful videos available on the Zoom website that will help you learn the basics. You can access these videos by clicking here.

To help you along the way, we have borrowed some of the excellent instructions listed on the Village Zendo’s website regarding Zoom.

Here are step-by-step instructions for exploring a few common functions in Zoom, the home of the online zendo.

Audio:

By default, your audio will be muted when you join the online zendo. Please keep your microphone muted during zazen so that you do not distract others. Also keep your audio muted during chanting, because Zoom’s audio does not work well when many people are talking (or chanting) at the same time. You may follow along with the chant leader as they chant. The image of a microphone with a slash indicates mute.

To adjust the video:

The two most commonly used controls to adjust video in the online zendo are Start/Stop Video (bottom left) and Enter Full Screen Click (top right).

Other common controls:

Chat: connects listeners with the moderator, and shows the closing recitation.

Participants: allows attendees to see who else is in the online zendo.