Beginner Friendly - Zen Studies Society

NYZ: Introduction to Zen Meditation with Junryu Roshi

May 30, 2025 by Sabrina Plum

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).

At the invitation of Chigan Roshi, Junryu Roshi teaches at NYZ on occasion. Junryu Roshi is the founder of Eiryu-ji Zen Center, a Dharma teacher in the lineage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi, a member of the White Plum Sangha, and a 6th Dan Aikido teacher (Shidoin). On the evening of June 19th, Junryu Roshi will lead the introductory class and offer teisho, a formal Zen talk.

Junryu Roshi is available for individual practice interviews and for assistance with physical sitting issues from 5 p.m. Please email the NYZ office if you would like to meet with him.

Please note this evening’s program will begin earlier than usual – doors open at 5:45 p.m. Beginners’ instruction and zazen for those who do not attend the instruction begin at 6:15 p.m. The program runs until approximately 9 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.

A $10 donation payable by purchasing a pass below is requested from non-members. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member of the Zen Studies Society. ZSS Health Protocols apply.

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

NYZ: Open House

February 21, 2025 by Sabrina Plum

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: Intro to Zen Day

February 2, 2025 by Sabrina Plum

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

Online: Noh Chanting Workshop

February 1, 2025 by Sabrina Plum

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

NYZ: Seiza Quiet-sitting & Dharma Talk on Shin Buddhism

December 26, 2024 by Sabrina Plum

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.

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.

DBZ: Intro to Zen Weekend

December 7, 2024 by Sabrina Plum

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.