Weekly Services:
- Wednesday Evening – 7 to 9pm, zazen, service, and open class
- Sunday Morning – 8:30 to 11:30am, zazen, service, and Dharma talk
- Wednesday through Saturday – 5:30 to 7:30am during Ango periods, 6:30 to 7:30am during lighter periods (see Liturgical Year)
NOTE: Schedules for services vary depending on the time of year, retreat schedules, and other events. If you are planning to attend a service, please check the calendar for possible schedule changes.
Wednesday Evening Service and Class
On Wednesdays, evening service and zazen (sitting meditation) begin at 7pm followed by a class in basic Buddhist teachings. For the service, we recite the Fukanzazengi (Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen) or, in January and February, the Kyojukaimon (The Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts). The 10-minute service is followed by zazen from 7:10 to 7:40pm. After a break for tea and cookies, class begins about 7:45pm and goes until about 9pm.
Wednesday evening classes are open to all and are particularly useful for people new to Zen practice. In the summer, in place of classes, discussions led by senior members alternate bi-weekly with an extra period of zazen.
Wednesday evening classes are free (donations are gratefully accepted).
More about Wednesday Evening Class …
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning service begins at 8:30am and includes two 30-minute periods of zazen with 10 minutes of kinhin (slow walking meditation) in between. A chanting service starts at 9:40am, followed by informal tea about 10:15am. The Dharma talk begins around 10:30am. Variations in the schedule occur around special ceremonies and events.
Learn more about forms used in the zendo and during Sunday morning service
Hear a recording of Sunday Morning Chanting Service
Other Meditations and Services
We also offer early morning practice. During summer and winter months, morning zazen is Wednesday–Saturday from 6:30 to 7:30am, followed by a short service. It is an “open” sitting, which means you are welcome to come in and leave at any point.
During fall and spring Ango periods, zazen begins at 5:30am with a morning service at 7:20am. Also, during Ango, open mid-day zazen is offered from 11:30am to 12:30pm.
During Saturday morning services, we often chant a Dharani chant. The Dharanis are energetic chants, some with syncopated rhythms, so if you haven’t experienced them, please join us for something a little different. The Saturday morning schedule is the same as weekday mornings.