Practice Period Talks
An ango (安居), or kessei (結制), is a Japanese term for a three-month period of intense training for students of Zen Buddhism, lasting anywhere from 90 to 100 days. The practice during ango consists of meditation (zazen), study, and work (samu (作務)).
Ango is typically held twice a year, the first period from spring to summer and the second period from fall to winter. The word ango literally translates as "dwelling in peace"; the summer ango is referred to as ge-ango and the winter period is u-ango. Additionally, some monasteries and Zen centers hold just one ango per year.
Concerning Zen practice in the United States, author Ellen Birx writes,
Many centers now allow members to attend retreats on a part-time basis. Many have ango, a three-month-long period of intensified practice, that members can participate in while continuing to go off to work during the day." Taigen Dan Leighton writes a more traditional definition, "These are ninety-day training periods of concentrated practice without leaving the monastic enclosure (except for monks going out for necessary temple business). They date back to the summer rainy season retreats of Shakyamuni's time. In Japan, they have been held twice a year, summer and winter."
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October 16th, 1987, Serial No. 01503, Side A Practice Period, Conversation, Monastic Practice, Discrimination, Harmonizing,... |
Oct 16 1987 |
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July 6th, 1987, Serial No. 01488 Practice Period, Pure Existence, Happiness, Tassajara, Precepts, Interdependence,... |
Jul 06 1987 |
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Making Our Lives Part of PracticeSerial: BZ-00886B Saturday Lecture Practice, Concentration, Daily Life, Zazen Mind, Chanting, Continuous, Practice... |
Mar 14 1987 Berkeley Zen Center |
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March 5th, 1987, Serial No. 03978Serial: SF-03978 May be part of sesshin series Practice Period, Mill Valley, Gratitude, Zendo, Birth-and-Death, Posture, Vows,... |
Mar 05 1987 SFZC |
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February 16th, 1987, Serial No. 03987Serial: SF-03987 Monday Precepts, Sixth Patriarch, Anger, Observe, Conversation, Instruction, Cultivation,... |
Feb 16 1987 SFZC |
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January 10th, 1987, Serial No. 00561Serial: BZ-00561 Lecture Practice Period, Half-Smile, Daily Life, Pure Existence, Aspects of Practice,... |
Jan 10 1987 Unknown Location |
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March 1987 talk, Serial No. 03977Serial: SF-03977 May be part of sesshin series Freedom, Dragons, Teacher-and-Student, Intimacy, Heart Sutra, Practice Period,... |
1987 SFZC |
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Tenzo Kyokun Pt.IVSerial: BZ-01529B Issan and the Cow, Rohatsu Day 4 Tenzo Kyokun, Issan, Daily Life, Dragons, Practice Period, Priest, Bowing, Offering,... |
Dec 04 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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November 22nd, 1986, Serial No. 00894, Side B Ordination, Transmission, Priest, Tassajara, Family Practice, Attachment, Practice... |
Nov 22 1986 |
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The Buddhist Meaning of RenunciationSerial: BZ-00883A Saturday Lecture Renunciation, Renunciation, Emotions, Practice Period, Heart Sutra, Anger, Ego,... |
Nov 01 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Helping Each Other to Practice in the Absence of TeacherSerial: BZ-00881 Giving and Getting, Saturday Lecture Giving-and-Taking, Practice Period, Practice Position, Tassajara, Fundraising,... |
Sep 20 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Bodhisattva ceremonySerial: BZ-00882A Ceremony Bodhisattva Ceremony, Priest, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Practice Period, Karma, training... |
Aug 09 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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July 26th, 1986, Serial No. 00880 Practice Period, Tassajara, Teacher-and-Student, Sanctuary, Addiction, Beginners,... |
Jul 26 1986 |
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New Trends in Practice; EmpowermentSerial: BZ-00879B Saturday Lecture Tassajara, Practice Period, Sanctuary, Lineage, Observe, Peace, training |
Jul 26 1986 Berkeley Zen Center |
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One Month Practice Period at TassajaraSerial: BZ-00868A Rohatsu Day 2 Tassajara, Practice Period, Practice Period, Tassajara, Mindfulness, Nirvana Sutra,... |
Dec 02 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Free Sitting vs. Forty Minute Periods: Dogen's WaySerial: BZ-00411A Saturday Lecture Zazen, Dogen, Daily Life, Lay Practice, training, Bell, Practice Period, Beginners,... |
Sep 01 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Study Period (J. Ango)Serial: BZ-00410A Saturday Lecture Study Period, Ango, Study Period, Priest-and-Lay, Practice Period, training, Lay,... |
Aug 17 1985 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Dropping the Buddha BowlSerial: BZ-00407B Combining Sesshin with Outside Work and Family, Rohatsu Sesshin, Daily Life, Repentance, Practice Period, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Precepts,... |
Dec 08 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Particle After Particle Samadhi: Tassajara LifeSerial: BZ-00404A Saturday Lecture Tassajara, Samadhi, Concentration, Tassajara, Samadhi, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra,... |
Nov 24 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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1984.04.10-serial.00312 Vows, Building, Death, Nirvana, Practice Period |
Apr 10 1984 |
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1984.03.06-serial.00308 Dragons, Vows, Practice Period, Bell, Heart Sutra |
Mar 06 1984 |
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1984.02.23-serial.00281 Right Effort, Practice Period, Concentration, Emptiness, Intention |
Feb 23 1984 |
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1984.02.01-serial.00288 Practice Period, Non-discrimination, Aspects of Practice, Thich Nhat Hanh, Koan... |
Feb 01 1984 |
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Responsible IndependenceSerial: BZ-00421A Saturday Lecture Teacher-and-Student, Instruction, Practice Period, Sangha, Tassajara, Priest... |
Jan 21 1984 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Book of Serenity: Case #2Serial: BZ-00418A The Highest Truth is Emptiness, Rohatsu Day 6 Emptiness, SER-2, Enlightenment, Bodhidharma, Two Truths, Four Noble Truths, Practice... |
Dec 1983 Part 1 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Pure Effort In Everyday Busy LifeSerial: BZ-00020 Saturday Lecture Posture, New Year Celebration, Pure Effort, Don't Know Mind, Practice Period,... |
Jan 02 1982 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Meaning of Study PeriodSerial: BZ-00027A Lecture, 30 Day Study Period Study Period, Subject-and-Object, New Year, Daily Life, Absolute-and-Relative,... |
Nov 03 1980 Berkeley Zen Center |
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November 3rd, 1980, Serial No. 01059 Study Period, Subject-and-Object, Daily Life, Absolute-and-Relative, Funeral,... |
Nov 03 1980 |
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December 4th, 1979, Serial No. 00621 Buddha Nature, Samsara, Nirvana, Practice Period, Concentration |
Dec 04 1979 |
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December 3rd, 1979, Serial No. 00620 Buddha Nature, Practice Period, Dharmakaya, Lineage, Bowing |
Dec 03 1979 |
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December 2nd, 1979, Serial No. 00619 Funeral, Concentration, Practice Period, Chanting, Buddha Nature |
Dec 02 1979 |
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November 16th, 1979, Serial No. 00618 Practice Period, soto, Mindfulness, Breath, Daily Life |
Nov 16 1979 |
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October 1st, 1979, Serial No. 00189 training, Buddha Nature, Fox, Practice Period, Greed |
Oct 01 1979 |
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March 8th, 1979, Serial No. 00600 Practice Period, Community, War, Hate, Intention |
Mar 08 1979 |
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January 23rd, 1979, Serial No. 00598 Practice Period, Five Ranks, confusion, realization, Intuition |
Jan 23 1979 |
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October 31st, 1978, Serial No. 00589 Lineage, Practice Period, Dokusan, Love |
Oct 31 1978 |
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March 13th, 1978, Serial No. 00573 Practice Period, Rinzai, Breath, heart, Instruction |
Mar 13 1978 |
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September 10th, 1977, Serial No. 00070 Practice Period, Gratitude, Sesshin, Pain |
Sep 10 1977 |
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1975.12.10-serial.00130Serial: SF-00130 Changes that occur during practice period; sutra story of monk retrieving his mother from hell; composing concrete music; Practice Period, Ceremony, Mahayana, Nirvana, Karma, Manjushri, Addiction, Samsara,... |
Dec 10 1975 |
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December 2nd, 1975, Serial No. 00047 Posture, Tozan, Shuso Ceremony, Practice Period, Pain |
Dec 02 1975 |
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November 13th, 1975, Serial No. 00020 Concentration, Practice Period, Chanting, Vows |
Nov 13 1975 |
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Attachment to Form: Positive and Negative Precepts, Attachment, Tassajara, Daily Life, Monastic Practice, Practice Period,... |
Oct 25 1974 SFZC |
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January 31st, 1974, Serial No. 00252 Doubt, Practice Period, Lotus Sutra, Sixth Patriarch, Hate |
Jan 31 1974 |
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January 20th, 1974, Serial No. 00246 Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Breath, Posture, Bodhidharma |
Jan 20 1974 |
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December 13th, 1973, Serial No. 00243 Fox, Samadhi, Practice Period, Doubt, Darkness and Light |
Dec 13 1973 |
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November 28th, 1973, Serial No. 00234 Shuso Ceremony, Practice Period, Gratitude, soto, Anger |
Nov 28 1973 |
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November 7th, 1973, Serial No. 00228 Practice Period, Hate, Samadhi, Tozan, Bodhisattva Vow |
Nov 07 1973 |
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September 28th, 1973, Serial No. 00151 Patience, Practice Period, Anger, Equanimity, Separation |
Sep 28 1973 |
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September 28th, 1973, Serial No. 00215 Patience, Practice Period, Paramitas, Attachment |
Sep 28 1973 |
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September 21st, 1973, Serial No. 00214 Patience, Paramitas, Monastic Practice, Greed, Practice Period |
Sep 21 1973 |