Chigan Roshi and Shuko-san invite members of the New York Zendo sangha to join them for informal tea and light snacks in the Dharma hall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please join the Zen Studies Society’s third abbot for a lighthearted reception and casual conversation at the beginning of 2024. All are welcome; no registration is necessary. Donations welcome.
Online: New Year’s Eve Dharma Talk by Chigan Roshi
Start the Year of the Dragon with an inspiring and uplifting talk by our new Abbot. Let us come together to celebrate the possibilities that lie ahead in 2024.
Meeting ID: 87313695499
Passcode: 758444
DBZ: Healing and Wellness Weekend
This weekend retreat offers a loving time of encouragement and support for people who are living with chronic illnesses or who need a place of community and healing. Originally created by DBZ resident monk Donge John Haber as a retreat to offer a caring and inspiring space for those living with HIV and AIDS, it has evolved over the past 30-plus years. The weekend includes an O-Bon ceremony to celebrate the lives of our deceased loved ones. Daily meditation, yoga, and a writing workshop are also included. Each participant will receive one bodywork session of massage or shiatsu from Practitioners who volunteer their time and expertise.
The fee is $300 for Supporting Members, $350 for nonmembers. Please consider becoming a Supporting Member. ZSS Health Protocols apply.
DBZ: O-Bon (WAITING LIST)
Registration is closed for O-Bon, please email office@daibosatsu.org to be added to the waiting list.
Join Chigan Roshi and Shinge Roshi for this beautiful and moving ceremony where we honor our ancestors, family members, and other loved ones who have passed away, as well as the hungry ghosts within and outside us. O-Bon begins on Friday evening as we welcome the spirits of our ancestors and deceased loved ones with a welcoming fire. On Saturday we paint their names on paper lanterns and gather for the O-Bon dinner offering. Afterward, we hold the traditional chanting service that includes calling the names of the deceased, followed by a teisho from Chigan Roshi. We then light our lanterns and make a silent, candle-lit procession to the bank of Beecher Lake, where, chanting Namu Dai Bosa, we float the glowing lanterns across the dark waters. A bonfire and festive refreshments complete the evening. On Sunday morning, we gather in the zendo for a short morning service and zazen, followed by an informal breakfast.
The fee for attendance is $250 for Supporting Members and $275 for nonmembers (this event is in-person only). Please note that the Member price is for Members only – please consider becoming a Supporting Member. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact office@daibosatsu.org for support. ZSS Health Protocols apply.
If you are not attending and would like the names of your deceased family or friends to be read aloud during the ceremony, please click here to make an optional contribution, and email the names to the the office by August 7.
DBZ: O-Bon Samu Week (WAITING LIST)
Registration is closed for O-Bon Samu Week, please email office@daibosatsu.org to be added to the waiting list.
The days leading up to O-Bon offer a special opportunity to work side-by-side with the monastery residents and Sangha as we prepare for O-Bon. Guests follow a modified monastic schedule, with morning service, daily samu (work practice), and Dai Segaki chanting each evening.
We end the samu period Friday afternoon before we officially begin O-Bon with the Opening Fire.
NYZ: Segaki Service
Please join us at New York Zendo as we gather to honor and celebrate our departed loved ones. For our Segaki service, we will collectively create an altar with photos, ihais, and mementos of our deceased family and friends. We will then share a period of silent meditation before beginning our chanting service. Each participant will have the opportunity to offer incense and to include the names of their dearly departed in our dedication. After our chanting service, there will be a short period of cleaning before we gather in the dharma hall for an informal lunch.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. There is no need to register in advance. Contributions in the form of monetary offerings, food, sweets, beverages, or flowers are very welcome.
ZSS Health Protocols apply.