Zen Studies Society

Online: Morning Zazen
2025-02-13 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-18 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-19 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-20 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-24 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-25 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-26 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-27 06:45 - 07:45 (America/New_York) | 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: DailyZazen
Registration is not required.

NYZ: Parinirvana Weekend Sesshin
2025-02-14 19:00 - 2025-02-16 18:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
This sesshin honors Shakyamuni Buddha’s final passage into Nirvana, marking the moment of his Parinirvana—the ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It serves as a time for reflection on mortality, impermanence, and the importance of practice. We will also commemorate the passing of Eido Tai Shimano Roshi, founding abbot of Dai Bosatsu Zendo, who left this life on 19 February 2018.
Led by Chigan Roshi, this weekend sesshin will include zazen, choka (morning service), sarei (formal tea), and formal jihatsu meals. Dokusan (one-on-one interviews) and teisho (Dharma talks) will also be offered. Full-time participation is encouraged; part-time attendance will be considered as space allows. For more detail and to see a typical sesshin schedule, please visit the NYZ Weekend Sesshin page.
The fee for this sesshin is $175 for nonmembers and $150 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members. Note that the member price is for ZSS members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member. If this will be your first sesshin, or you have any questions, please email office@newyorkzendo.org before registering. No one will be turned away for lack of funds, please contact office@newyorkzendo.org for support. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Temple Closed
2025-02-17 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
New York Zendo Shobo-ji is closed today. Please check the calendar for schedule modifications.

NYZ: Zazen and Tai Chi
2025-02-18 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-25 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
2025-02-19 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-20 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-24 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-25 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-26 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-02-27 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: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-02-19 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-02-26 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: intro2zen
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
2025-02-19 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-26 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: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-02-20 18:45 - 21:00, 2025-02-27 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: Open AA 11th Step Meeting
2025-02-22 11:00 - 12:45 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
We welcome you to “Acceptance,” an open AA 11th Step meditation meeting at New York Zendo.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Meditation begins promptly at 11 a.m. and lasts 30 minutes. If this is your first time attending this meeting, please arrive early to receive a short orientation. Both cushions and chairs are provided.
Please arrive on time, there will be no entry during the meditation period to avoid disruptions. Doors re-open at 11:30 a.m., and an open AA meeting begins at 11:45 a.m. on the second floor.
Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Seiza Quiet-sitting & Dharma Talk on Shin Buddhism
2025-02-22 14:00 - 16:00 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Join us for seiza meditation at New York Zendo Shobo-ji, led by Miki Nakura. Seiza (quiet sitting) was established in Japan more than 110 years ago by Okada Torajiro Sensei. The sitting form is the traditional Japanese kneeling position, but seiza can also be practiced sitting in a chair.
In seiza, we learn how to find the most physically balanced posture, in accordance with gravity, following correct breathing and allowing the full flow of energy into the lower belly (also known as the hara or tan t’ien region). Through this practice we can naturally experience total serenity of the body-mind. D.T. Suzuki encouraged American Zen students, including Ruth Fuller Sasaki, to practice seiza before and during their zazen training.
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.
About the instructor: Miki Nakura, a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist minister based in New York, started practicing seiza 30 years ago under the guidance of his teachers in Japan. He has been devoting himself to sharing seiza with students since 2004.
Everyone is welcome! Note that this event is offered in-person only. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Online: Sunday Morning Service and Zazen
2025-02-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-02 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: DailyZazen
Registration is not required.

NYZ: Mandala Day Service, Zazen and Informal Lunch
2025-02-23 10:00 - 13:30 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Mandala Day commemorates the spiritual exchange between Soen Nakagawa Roshi and Nyogen Senzaki who shared Dharma greetings to each other across the Pacific on the 21st of each month through chanting, zazen, and bows. Celebrated simultaneously at Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji, this ceremony honors those in our lineage and all related teachers known and unknown who have helped to further the Buddha-Dharma.
Our monthly Mandala Day service begins promptly at 10 a.m. The service is followed by kinhin (walking meditation), zazen, nittensoji (temple cleaning), and an informal lunch. Food offerings are welcome, but not required. Doors open at 9:30am.
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 ZSS. Registration is not required. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Online: Noh Chanting Workshop
2025-02-23 14:00 - 16:40 | Online
Experience The Festive Song “Takasago”
Noh theater was established about 700 years ago and is considered the oldest surviving major performing art in the world. It emerged during Japan’s medieval period, a time when Zen flourished and deeply influenced Japanese culture. Noh embodies the Japanese perspective on life, death, and spirituality. Many mindful ideas for one’s life path can come from experiencing Japanese literature and crafts through Noh, including Noh music and dance, which are permeated with the memory and feelings of the people of the past, as well as elements of their aesthetics and physical sensibilities. Experiencing Japanese literature, music, and dance through Noh offers deep insight into mindful living. These art forms are imbued with the memories, emotions, aesthetics, and physical sensibilities of past generations, reflecting a rich cultural heritage that can inspire one’s life path.
This lecture and workshop will begin with an introduction to Noh, including its masks and expressions. In the workshop, you will experience Noh chanting, known as utai, which utilizes deep breathing techniques. Participants will learn by chanting a passage from Takasago, a festive Noh play centered on purity, the pine tree as a symbol of eternal life, and prayers for peace. Open to beginners, the workshop focuses on Noh vocalization and breathing techniques.
Let’s open your heart, distill, and emit your inexhaustible energy with Noh chanting during the cold season. Enrich your life by learning this Japanese traditional art.
About the instructor: Mayo Miwa (三輪万葉) is a New York City-based Noh performer and instructor. She trained under a leading Noh actor of the Kanze School and earned her Noh major from Tokyo University of the Arts. She teaches Noh chanting and dance both in NYC and online, reaching students domestically and internationally. Beyond its role as a traditional Japanese art form to be preserved for future generations, she views Noh as a unique physical and aesthetic practice that can rejuvenate the mind and body in today’s world. She also serves as Vice President of the 501(c)(3) organization Noh Society.
The fee for this workshop is $25 for nonmembers and $20 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members. Note that the Member price is for Members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member of ZSS.
To register please email info@miwamayo.com and indicate which 40-minute session you would like to attend. All sessions are semi-private and conducted in English. Payment can be made via Paypal or Venmo, details will be provided at the time of registration.

Session One | 2:00pm – 2:40pm
Session Two | 3:00pm – 3:40pm

Session Three | 4:00pm – 4:40pm
