Zazenkai will take place this Sunday 21st Sep at Black Mountain Zen Centre from 10 am to 4:20 pm.

Zazenkai is a mini sesshin (retreat) and is carried out in silence for the most part.

Zazen is the practice of sitting with awareness and experiencing whatever arises. Throughout the history of Zen, the practice of zazen has been considered the primary agent of awakening. As Dogen Zenji declared, before bowing, offering incense or chanting Buddha’s name the practice of zazen reveals and expresses awakening. With this in mind, Zazenkai is a period of time dedicated to zazen with minimal traditional formalities.

These sittings are suitable for both beginners and experienced sitters. It is preferable that beginners have sat zazen in shorter ‘sittings’ first. There will be an opportunity to listen to a dharma talk with our Teacher Ryushin Paul Haller Roshi on practice, followed by shared discussion.

The sitting will start at 10am and end at 4:20 pm, with an hour for lunch. Bring lunch with you. Within these blocks of time there will be scheduled periods of sitting and walking. Silence will be maintained throughout except for a short time during lunch.