Sanshin Zen Community redesign
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Schedules and calendars
If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms or have done so recently, ​​please do not join us in the zendo until you are sure that you will not be bringing in a communicable disease.  You may be feeling fine now, and your illness may not have felt severe enough to require a doctor's visit, but for the sake of everyone else in the sangha as well as the Okumura family, please consider your actions carefully. Isolation, testing and masks may still be necessary if you are or have been unwell.

Sesshin, retreats, workshop

There are opportunities for both local and virtual participation in sesshin and the workshop; retreats including genzo-e will only be available virtually.  For access to our virtual practice offerings, please contact us.
  • March sesshin in honor of Uchiyama Roshi (March 10 - 13)
  • Genzo-e: Bussho I (May 5 - 9)
  • June sesshin (June 1 - 5)
  • One-day workshop: Shoji (Life-Death) with Issan Koyama (June 25)
  • Precepts retreat (June 29 - July 4)
  • September sesshin (September 1 - 4)
  • October sesshin (September 29 - October 2)
  • Genzo-e: Bussho II (November 3 - 7)
  • Rohatsu sesshin (November 30 - December 8)
Registration has not yet opened for events scheduled for July or later.

We're open -- with changes

Sanshin is open for regular local practice.  Folks who live in town and have been fully vaccinated are welcome to attend any public practice events that's happening.  Please do not attend in person if you are or have recently been unwell until you are sure that you will not be bringing in a communicable disease.

We are no longer offering guest rooms for out-of-town visitors.  There are limited opportunities for out of town guests to participate in person in sesshin and retreats; most will find their own accommodations off site and function as commuters for the duration of their visits.  Accommodations next door to Sanshin at 1708 are now in use for residential practice and are not available for short term guests, though you may inquire about sleeping in the zendo with your own bedding or camping on the grounds with your own gear.  

Virtual practice continues.  Everything that was offered virtually during the shutdown will continue to be available, though you may notice changes in these events as the focus has returned to in-person practice.  If you live in Bloomington and can get to Sanshin, we strongly encourage you to participate in person rather than virtually.

In-person practice for local practitioners

Weekday mornings 
Please be in your seat and ready to go by 5:00, in time for the shuso's and doshi's bows.
5:10 am  Zazen
6:00 am  Kinhin
6:10 am  Zazen
7:00 am  Robe chant
7:05 am  Service
7:30 am  Reading from Shobogenzo Zuimonki, announcements, ​soji (cleanup)
​7:45 am  Bow out

Weekday evening zazen (6:30 - 7:20 pm)
Please note that on Wednesdays the period ends at 7 pm to accommodate the book discussion.  Zazen is not held on the evenings of the monthly ryaku fusatsu ceremony, typically the Monday closest to the 15th of the month.

click here to join

​Wednesday evening book discussion (7 - 8 pm)
Ending within the next few weeks: The Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo
Next: Shobogenzo Shishobo and commentaries; materials
 are here.

Saturday is our day off; there's no public practice.
​Sunday morning zazen (9:10 am) and dharma talk: (10:10 am)​
  • First Sunday: Talk by Okumura Roshi following sesshin or retreat
  • ​Second Sunday: Brief talk by Hosshin Shoaf followed by communal work
  • Third Sunday: Talk by Hoko followed by World Peace ceremony
  • Fourth Sunday: Talk by Doju Layton
  • Fifth Sunday: Talk by Hoko
Please note that during the ango (practice period), Sunday talks will most usually be given by Issan Koyama.

Missed a Sunday dharma talk?  Many recordings are available on our YouTube channel.​​ ​
Getting Started in Home Zen Practice, first Tuesdays 7:30 - 9 pm  More information is here.

Ryaku Fusatsu: Monday evening closest to the 15th day of the month (7 pm)
Our ceremony of renewing our aspiration to follow the precepts.  Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you've formally taken precepts.

Sesshin:  3, 5 or 7 days typically covering the first weekend of the month. 
A retreat consisting only of 13 50-minute periods of zazen, meal periods and sleep.  Local fully vaccinated practitioners may drop in for one or more periods of zazen as they wish (no fee) or may register for full days with communal meals. 

Virtual practice from around the Sanshin Network

Temples, centers and groups from around the Sanshin Network are offering virtual programming and are willing to include practitioners from outside their immediate sanghas.  English is spoken in all of the following locations, though it may not be the primary language.  All times given are local time in the location of the centers offering the practice.

And, please continue to support your local or regional dharma center.  With the advent of virtual practice, it can be tempting to gravitate to sanghas, temples and centers far from home.  While you're welcome to participate in our virtual practice no matter where you live, it's no substitute for in-person practice with a sangha.  Not only does practicing with others benefit you, your presence supports that local group and makes it possible for others to practice.  Please stay connected with your local or regional practice community and practice there to the degree possible.  

Regular virtual practice

In English
Hosted by Sanshin (IN, USA):
  • Third Tuesday evenings:  Getting Started in Home Zen Practice,
    ​7:30 - 9 pm  More information is here.
  • Weekday mornings: Zazen, 6:10 am; liturgy 7 am.
  • Tues, Wed and Thurs evenings: Zazen, 6:30 - 7 pm
  • Wednesday evening book discussion: 7 - 8 pm
  • Sundays:  Zazen, 9:10 am, dharma talk, 10:10 am.
Please email here for information about how to participate in virtual practice.

Please note:  There is a significant time difference between Bloomington (Eastern time US) and Europe, or other locations around the globe.  If you are outside of North America you are welcome to join us virtually, but for your own comfort we suggest investigating practice with a Sanshin Network sangha that's geographically and temporally closer to you.

Hosted by Shodo Spring at Mountains and Waters Alliance (MN, USA): 
  • Mondays: Zazen,  6 am. 
Please visit the website above for information about how to participate

Hosted by Shoryu Bradley at Gyobutsuji (Kingston, AR, USA)
  • Monday - Fridays: Zazen, 5:10 am to 7 am
  • Saturdays:  Zazen, 9 to 11 am; dharma talk 11 to 11:30  
  • Monday evenings: Zazen, 6:10 pm - 6:40 pm followed by informal discussion until 7:30.
Please visit the website above for information about how to participate.

Hosted by Zen Community of New York for Dōgen Study (NY, USA)
Daily and weekly programs
  • Morning Zazen: Mondays ~ Fridays 7:20 am ~ 8:20 am  
  • Ryaku-Chōka follows Zazen at 8:20 am on the day of 4 and 9.  
  • Catherine's Body/Mind Synchronization Stretch Class follows Zazen on Thursdays. 

Monday Dharma Lab: “Kōan Study: How Dōgen School sees Kōan ~ Book of Serenity/Shōyō-roku”
1:00 pm ~ 2:30 pm
Text: Trilingual text is offered to the participants. 
Recommended Reading: “Book of Serenity – One Hundred Zen Dialogue” translated by Thomas Cleary from Shambhala 

Thursday Evening Shōbōgenzō Classroom
6:30 pm  ~ 8:00 pm  
Text: Bilingual texts are offered to the participants.  
Recommended Reading: “Realizing Genjōkōan – the key to Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō” by Shohaku Okumura 

Friday Dharma Lab:  Dōgen’s Eihei Shingi 
11:00 am ~ 12:30 pm 
03/05, 12 & 25
Text: Bilingual text is offered to the participants.  
Recommended Reading: “Dōgen’s Pure Standards for the Zen Community – a translation of Eihei Shingi” translated by Taigen Danial Leighton and Shohaku Okumura

Please email here for information about how to participate.

Hosted by the Everett sitting group  (WA, USA):
  • Saturday mornings: Zazen and kinhin.  8 - 11 am.  Sit one or more 50-minute periods alternating with 10 minutes of kinhin.
Please email here for information about how to participate.
in french
With Mokusho Depreay at Centre Shikantaza (Mons, Belgium)
  • Zazen: Monday to Friday (7:10-7:45 am CET) 
  • Text study: 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, 7-8 pm CET
  • Council Circle: 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, 7-8 pm CET
  • Buddhist ethics: Wednesday - 7-8 pm CET
We are also starting an online meditation session for people on the autism spectrum (dates agreed via Doodle)
​
 
Please email here for information about how to participate.
in spanish
With Densho Quintero at Soto Zen Community of Columbia (Bogota, Columbia)
  • Tuesday and Thursday: practice in person in the temple and online simultaneously.  Two periods of zazen with kinhin. from 6:20 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Monday, Wednesday and Friday: practice only online, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: practice in person in the temple and online simultaneously. Two periods of zazen with kinhin and a short ceremony followed by breakfast using oryoki, Samu and tea. from 6:10 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
  • Sunday: Teisho or Q/A session from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.

Please email here for information about how to participate.
in italian
With Gyoetsu Epifania and Doryu Cappelli at Centro Zen Anshin (Rome, Italy)
  • Tuesdays 7.30 pm - Zazen, Kinhin, Zazen, evening service.
  • Fridays 7.30 pm - Zazen, Dharma Talk
  • Saturdays 8.00 am - Zazen, morning service

Please email here for information about how to participate.​
in german
With Shinko Hagn at Daijihi (Vienna, Austria)

Daijihi is developing its virtual practice activities; visit its webpage for updates or email here.

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