Zen Studies Society

NYZ: Sunday Morning Service and Zazen
2025-06-01 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-06-08 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
On Sundays, we hold choka (morning service) at 10 a.m., followed by kinhin (walking meditation) and zazen. A Dharma Talk will be given on the first Sunday of each month. After zazen, there will be 30 minutes of nittensoji (temple cleaning), followed by tea and informal discussion. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Refer to Zendo Etiquette for more details.
Newcomers to the temple are kindly requested to attend one Introduction to Zen Meditation class, held on Thursday evenings, before joining the community for other practice events.
A $10 donation (payable online) is requested from non-members. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Zen Studies Society. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.
This event is also offered online.

NYZ: Zazen and Tai Chi
2025-06-03 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-06-10 19:00 - 21:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
On Tuesday evenings, New York Zendo is open for zazen and tai chi from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 pm. This program includes 40 minutes of zazen followed by a tai chi class on the second floor.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Refer to Zendo Etiquette for more details.
Newcomers to the temple are kindly requested to attend one Introduction to Zen Meditation class, held on Thursday evenings, before joining the community for other practice events.
A $10 donation (payable online) is requested from non-members. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Zen Studies Society. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Morning Zazen
2025-06-04 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-05 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-09 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-10 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-11 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-12 06:45 - 07:45 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
New York Zendo is open for morning zazen Monday through Thursday from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. Doors open at 6:30 a.m.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Refer to Zendo Etiquette for more details.
Newcomers to the temple are kindly requested to attend one Introduction to Zen Meditation class, held on Thursday evenings, before joining the community for other practice events.
A $10 donation (payable online) is requested from non-members. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Zen Studies Society. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.
This event is also offered online.

Online: Morning Zazen
2025-06-04 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-05 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-09 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-10 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-11 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-06-12 06:45 - 07:45 | Online
Join us online for zazen Monday through Thursday from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. The Zoom meeting room will open at approximately 6:30 a.m. Short morning service begins at 6:45 a.m. Zazen begins at 7 a.m. and continues until 7:40 a.m.

We will use our sutra book. A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please set any electronic device to silent mode and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Feel free to come and go at whatever time your schedule allows.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 824 2548 5117
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Registration is not required.

Online: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-06-04 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-06-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Join us on Zoom every Wednesday evening for Introduction to Zen Meditation. We begin with instruction on meditation posture and technique, followed by a brief period of guided meditation and an opportunity for questions.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please set any electronic device to silent mode and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Anyone who attends this introduction is then welcome to join us at New York Zendo for other practice events.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 830 5980 9854
Password: [REDACTED]
Please register by sending an email to lauren@laurenann.net by the Friday before the class you would like to attend.
You are also welcome to join our in-person Introduction to Zen Meditation at New York Zendo on Thursday evenings. ZSS Health Protocols apply for this in-person event.

NYZ: Evening Zazen
2025-06-04 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-06-11 19:00 - 21:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
On Wednesday evenings, New York Zendo is open for zazen from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Refer to Zendo Etiquette for more details.
Newcomers to the temple are kindly requested to attend one Introduction to Zen Meditation class, held on Thursday evenings, before joining the community for other practice events.
A $10 donation (payable online) is requested from non-members. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Zen Studies Society. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Neurodiversity in Zen Series
2025-06-04 20:00 - 20:45, 2025-06-11 20:00 - 20:45 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Wednesdays | June 4th – June 25th, 2025 | 8:00pm – 8:45pm
In Faith in Mind, Sosan Ganchi Zenji, the third ancestor, teaches that when Mind and individual minds are not separate, the Way is truly perceived. But each mind is unique, shaped by its own complex inner workings, which in turn influence who we are and how we live in the world.
Some minds have a similar set of inner workings that set them apart from most others. These minds are often labeled with terms like Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and others—labels that set them apart, imposing on them a desire to change them and make them like most other minds. The concept of neurodiversity offers an alternative way of understanding minds labeled in this way, one that accepts and values them exactly as they are.
For four Wednesdays in June, Rogen Daniel Batkin, a neurodivergent Zen student, will lead us on an exploration of what it is like to be neurodivergent in Zen practice, from collectively exploring feelings of being left out, to unique ways of perceiving the sensory world, to how the concept of “normality” fits (or doesn’t fit) with the fundamental teachings of Zen. Each class will include a guided discussion or exercise designed to connect the concept of neurodiversity with aspects of Zen practice, fostering a deeper understanding of the many ways our minds perceive the world around us. Some prior experience with Zen philosophy is recommended, but not required.
Together, we can foster acceptance. Together, we can foster Mind.
The fee for this series is $40 for nonmembers and $30 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members, and it will be offered both in-person and online. Note that the member price is for ZSS members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member. A Zoom link will be shared one week before the event. If you have any questions, please email office@newyorkzendo.org before registering. ZSS Health Protocols apply for in-person participants.

NYZ: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-06-05 18:45 - 21:00, 2025-06-12 18:45 - 21:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
If you are new to Rinzai Zen Buddhism, New York Zendo Shobo-ji offers city dwellers the opportunity to experience traditional Zen practice and find an oasis of deep stillness in the heart of Manhattan.
Every Thursday evening, the Introduction to Zen Meditation class covers the basics of zazen (seated meditation): posture, breathing, and concentration. Beginners will also learn the form used at New York Zendo Shobo-ji including bowing, chanting, and kinhin (walking meditation). Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and instruction begins promptly at 6:45 p.m.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please do not wear scented cosmetics, and set any electronic device to silent mode. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Refer to Zendo Etiquette for more details. No prior experience is necessary. This class is a pre-requisite for attending zazen at New York Zendo.
The fee for this class is $10, please register here. If you have questions, please email office@newyorkzendo.org or call 212-861-3333 before registering. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

You are also welcome to join our online Introduction to Zen Meditation.

NYZ: Spring Sutra Collective
2025-06-06 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-06-14 17:30 - 18:30 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Fridays | May 16th – June 27th, 2025 | 5:30 – 6:30pm
Feeling anxious for no reason, or worn out by the usual happy hour scene? Try something different.
Sutra copying is a traditional Buddhist practice that generates merit—for yourself and for all beings. You don’t need to be a Buddhist or a skilled calligrapher to take part.
Moving slowly, stroke by stroke through the Buddha’s words, this practice quiets the mind and anchors you in the present moment.
Join us at New York Zendo Shobo-ji, in the peaceful presence of the Great Buddha statue, and connect with like-hearted practitioners.
This event will take place immediately before Zen in Four Ways – Chinese Calligraphy Workshop and the schedule will be as follows:

Friday May 16th
Friday May 23rd and 30th
Friday June 6th and Saturday June 14th*
Friday June 27th

*Please note that class will be held on Saturday June 14th instead of Friday. The Sutra Collective will not be held on June 20th as the calligraphy group will be going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
There is no fee for this class, all are welcome! ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Zen in Four Ways - Chinese Calligraphy Workshop
2025-06-06 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-14 18:30 - 20:30 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Fridays | May 9th – June 27th, 2025 | 6:30 – 8:30pm
Join Ines Sun at New York Zendo for an eight-week exploration of Chinese calligraphy, offering a hands-on introduction to four major styles. Each session provides time for focused practice, allowing students to deepen their understanding through direct experience. We’ll begin each session with a welcoming cup of tea in the garden, a gesture reflecting the spirit of literati leisure, followed by a continuation of our Tao Te Ching reading from where we left off last summer.
Towards the end of the course, the class will visit the Chinese and Japanese galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where you will view masterworks of calligraphy, including pieces by Zen monks whose practice connected their breath to their brushstrokes. Among them is Ryōkan Taigu (良寬大愚), one of Ines’ favorite calligraphy artists.
No prior experience necessary, all materials provided. ZSS Health Protocols apply.
Ines Sun began studying calligraphy as a child and later deepened her practice through painting. She weaves together her training in tea ceremony and calligraphy in her installation Heaven Earth Tea Hut (天地茶屋) – an intimate, silent performance where she invites a participant to engage in calligraphy and tea ceremony together.
The schedule will be as follows:

Seal Style (篆): Friday May 9th and 16th
Clerical Style (隸): Friday May 23rd and 30th
Regular Script (楷): Friday June 6th and Saturday June 14th*
Metropolitan Museum of Art Visit: Friday June 20th
Semi Cursive and Cursive (行草): Friday June 27th

*Please note that class will be held on Saturday June 14th instead of Friday.
The fee for this course is:
$40 single class
$300 8-week series
To make a payment and register, please use Venmo: Ines Sun @pencilnyc or Zelle: inesthsun@gmail.com
Please call Ines directly at 646-321-8331 with any questions.

Online: Sunday Morning Service and Zazen
2025-06-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
Join us online for Sunday Morning Service and zazen. Choka (morning service) will begin at 10 a.m., followed by kinhin (walking meditation), and zazen. A Dharma Talk will be given on the first Sunday of each month.
A quiet atmosphere with minimal distractions is essential to our practice. Please set any electronic device to silent mode and wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
The Zoom meeting room will open at approximately 9:30am.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 824 2548 5117
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Registration is not required.

NYZ: Intro to Zen Day
2025-06-15 09:00 - 17:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
For newcomers and experienced practitioners alike, the Intro to Zen Day at New York Zendo Shobo-ji is an opportunity to discover or reacquaint yourself with the essentials of Rinzai Zen Buddhist practice. This one-day session will include an introduction to zazen (seated meditation with attention to breath and posture), choka (morning chanting service), and samu (work practice). Participants will also learn how to use jihatsu (nested meal bowls) in a formal silent lunch. The afternoon will conclude with a Dharma Talk by a resident teacher, followed by informal tea and a Q&A period.
The fee for this program is $60 for nonmembers and $50 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members. Note that the member price is for ZSS members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member. If you are a current Sangha member and would like to volunteer for the day in exchange for admission please contact office@newyorkzendo.org. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Typical schedule (subject to change):

9:00
Doors open, check-in, find robes

9:30
Welcome, overview of the day, instruction on chanting

10:00
Choka (morning chanting service)

10:50
Short break

11:00
Instruction for zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation)

Noon
Zazen, kinhin, zazen

1:00
Jihastu lunch with instruction

2:00
Nittensoji (cleaning) including lunch clean-up

2:40
Short break

2:50
Shinrei (warning bell)

3:00
Dharma talk

3:30
Zazen

4:00
Closing, tea, informal Q&A and conversation

5:00
Departure
