Zen Studies Society

NYZ: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-03-20 18:45 - 21:00, 2025-03-27 18:45 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

DBZ: Intro to Zen Weekend
2025-03-21 16:00 - 2025-03-23 14:00 | Dai Bosatsu Zendo, 223 Beecher Lake Road, Livingston Manor, NY, 12758
Join us for a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Rinzai Zen Buddhist practice at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, our monastery deep in the Catskill Mountains. Led by teachers and senior students from the Zen Studies Society, Introduction to Zen is an intensive weekend focused on the three essentials of Zen Buddhist practice — zazen (seated meditation with attention to posture and breath), chanting, and samu (work practice).
You will also learn how to use jihatsu (traditional nesting bowls) and to eat attentively in silence. The weekend will include a Dharma talk and a question-and-answer period, concluding with an informal lunch and group discussion on Sunday. No prior experience necessary.
The fee is $250 for nonmembers and $225 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members. Note that the Member price is for Members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member of ZSS. If you have any questions, please email office@daibosatsu.org before registering.
If you are able to support students in financial difficulty, please consider making an additional donation. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, you may apply for a reduced rate here. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Online: Sunday Morning Service and Zazen
2025-03-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-03-30 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
2025-03-23 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.

NYZ: Morning Zazen
2025-03-24 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-25 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-26 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-27 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-31 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-04-01 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-04-02 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
2025-03-24 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-25 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-26 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-27 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-03-31 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-04-01 06:45 - 07:45, 2025-04-02 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: DailyZazen
Registration is not required.

NYZ: Zazen and Tai Chi
2025-03-25 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-04-01 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.

Online: Introduction to Zen Meditation
2025-03-26 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-02 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
2025-03-26 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-04-02 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: Open AA 11th Step Meeting
2025-03-29 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: Sunday Morning Service and Zazen
2025-03-30 10:00 - 13:00 | 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: Open House
2025-03-30 14:00 - 17:30 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Open House at New York Zendo Shobo-ji
Come join the practice community at New York Zendo Shobo-ji for informal tea and conversation, meditation with experienced Zen students, and a chance to tour our historic city temple.
This is an excellent opportunity to discover Zen practice for yourself within an oasis of calm in the heart of Manhattan. Zazen meditation instruction will be offered throughout the day, with silent zazen periods held in the Zendo. Share tea and chat with Zen practitioners in the Dharma Hall, or enjoy a variety of fresh baked goods made with care in the temple kitchen.
No registration or prior experience necessary, all are welcome. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

NYZ: Breathing Techniques in Zen Practice
2025-04-02 20:00 - 20:45 | New York Zendo, 223 E 67th St, New York, NY, 10065
Stop. Take a deep breath. Just breathe.
Straddling the boundary between unconscious physical process and consciously controlled action, our breath powers all of our being. Just as the breath is fundamental to our life, so is it fundamental to Zen practice.
In this four-week series which begins the first Wednesday of April, Giun Sensei guides us on a survey through various breathing techniques that are commonly used in Zen practice – from basic breathing into the hara, to bamboo breathing, to Hakuin’s “soft butter meditation,” to louder and more explosive techniques like shouting Mu or Kwatz. Each class will feature one or more breathing techniques with instruction and commentary on what utility they might have. No prior experience with Zen meditation is necessary.
Breathe better. Live better.
The fee for this series is $40 for nonmembers and $30 for Zen Studies Society (ZSS) members. Note that the member price is for ZSS members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Class will be held in person at New York Zendo as well as online, and a recording will be shared with participants. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

Session One | Wednesday April 2 | 8:00pm – 8:45pm
Session Two | Wednesday April 9 | 8:00pm – 8:45pm
Session Three |Wednesday April 16 | 8:00pm – 8:45pm
Session Four | Wednesday April 23 | 8:00pm – 8:45pm
