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."
Title | Speaker | |
---|---|---|
Faith that Allows Doubt and the Idea that All Ideas are Contingent and Empty Doubt, Karmic Consequences, Emptiness, New Year, Practice Period |
Dec 13 2008 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage |
|
How do I take this practice into the world?Serial: BZ-01076 Koan - Zuigon: Every day calls Master, answers Yes, Saturday Lecture Zuigan, MM-12, Big Mind, Daily Life, Birth-and-Death, Building, Don't Know Mind... |
Dec 06 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: themes: Serial No. 01073Serial: BZ-01073 One-Day Sitting Big Mind, Composure, Emotions, Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Big Mind, Posture,... |
Nov 15 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind Aspects of Practice, Posture, Big Mind, Practice Period, Composure, Anger, Ego,... |
Nov 15 2008 |
|
How Do We Take Care of the Rest of Our Lives?: Serial No. 01072Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Dragons, Politics, Practice Period, Bodhisattva Vow,... |
Nov 08 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Traditional Zen Spirit: Zen Mind Beginner's Mind: Serial No. 01071Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Right Effort, Monkey Mind, Posture, Buddha Nature,... |
Nov 01 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Traditional Zen Spirit Right Effort, Monkey Mind, Posture, Buddha Nature, Karma, Practice Period, Teacher-... |
Nov 01 2008 |
|
Zen Mind Beginner's Mind,: Right Effort; Serial No. 01069Serial: BZ-01069 Sesshin Aspects of Practice, Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, Right Effort, Right Effort,... |
Oct 19 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Zen Mind Beginngers Mind: Transiency; Serial No. 01165 Nirvana, Composure, Impermanence, Nirvana Sutra, Samsara, Priest, Teacher-and-Student... |
Oct 18 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Being with the conditions we find ourselves in: Meeting the Tassajara fire: Serial No. 01159Serial: BZ-01159 Saturday talk Tassajara, Enemies, Building, Anger, Impermanence, Practice Period, Buddha Nature,... |
Sep 20 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
June 28th, 2008, Serial No. 01144 Discrimination, Practice Period, Anger, Non-discrimination, Funeral, Enemies,... |
Jun 28 2008 |
|
Blue Cliff Record: Case #80Serial: BZ-01142B Joshu's New-born Babe, Part II, Sesshin Day 4 Joshu, BCR-80, Big Mind, Discrimination, Ego, Karma, Non-discrimination, Buddha Mind... |
Jun 21 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Changing Your KarmaSerial: BZ-01136 from "Not Always So" by Suzuki-roshi, Saturday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Karma, Karma, Nirvana Sutra, Practice Period, Offering, Meal Serving,... |
May 31 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
May 24th, 2008, Serial No. 01135 Practice Period, Manjushri, Attachment, Blue Cliff Record, Separation, Instruction,... |
May 24 2008 |
|
May 5th, 2008, Serial No. 01130 Confession-and-Repentance, Tassajara, Practice Period, Karma, Building, Repentance,... |
May 05 2008 |
|
Zazen in Practice Period:Serial: BZ-01129 Posture, Breath, Mind, One-Day Sitting Posture, Discrimination, Practice Period, Subject-and-Object, confusion, Duality,... |
May 04 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Blue Cliff Record: Case #3: Introduction to Kôan StudySerial: BZ-01128 Baso's Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face Buddha, Saturday Lecture Buddha, Baso, BCR-3, First Principle, Duality, Non-duality, Buddha Nature, Non-... |
May 03 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
Overview of Practice PeriodSerial: BZ-01127 Requirements - Intention - Commitment, Saturday Lecture Practice Period, Intention, Practice Period, Commitment, Daily Life, Family Practice... |
Apr 26 2008 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
2008.01.21-serial.00112F Practice Period, Hindrances, Interdependence, Soto Zen, Liberation, soto, Heart Sutra... |
Jan 21 2008 |
|
The Shape of Buddhanature: Essence in FormSerial: BZ-01100 Clarifying Illumination of Enlightenment, Rohatsu Day 2 Practice, Enlightenment, Humility, Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind,... |
Dec 03 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
November 17th, 2007, Serial No. 01096 Patience, Mindfulness, training, Anger, Right Speech, Emotions, Aspects of Practice,... |
Nov 17 2007 |
|
November 10th, 2007, Serial No. 01095 Manjushri, Mindfulness, Four Noble Truths, Buddha Nature, Doubt, Subject-and-Object,... |
Nov 10 2007 |
|
Fearlessness Separation, Intimacy, Practice Period, War |
Nov 01 2007 No Abode Hermitage |
|
October 27th, 2007, Serial No. 01006 Right Effort, Concentration, Aspects of Practice, Patience, Anger, Bodhisattva... |
Oct 27 2007 |
|
October 21st, 2007, Serial No. 01005 Lotus Sutra, Precepts, Four Noble Truths, Practice Period, Patience, Right Speech,... |
Oct 21 2007 |
|
"Cooking Your Life" (Uchiyama and Dogen)Serial: BZ-00992 Meeting the Source, Teaching Retreat Tenzo Kyokun, Practice Position, Practice Position, Intuition, Discrimination,... |
Sep 01 2007 Part 1 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
"Cooking Your Life"Serial: BZ-00993A Commentary, Teaching Retreat Tenzo Kyokun, Practice Period, Monkey Mind, Intuition, Buddha Nature, Ego, Separation... |
Sep 01 2007 Part 2 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
August 25th, 2007, Serial No. 00991 War, Patience, Practice Period, training, Lay Practice, Tassajara, Peace, Samsara,... |
Aug 25 2007 |
|
July 17th, 2007, Serial No. 01276 Monastic Practice, Practice Period, Nirvana, Lay Practice, Soto Zen, Buddha Nature,... |
Jul 17 2007 |
|
July 2nd, 2007, Serial No. 01446 Politics, Religion, Practice Period, Enemies, Tassajara, Culture, War, training... |
Jul 02 2007 |
|
No Gaining MindSerial: BZ-01444 Sesshin Day 5 Pure Existence, Ego, Dream World, Gaining Mind, Discrimination, Big Mind, Practice... |
Jun 24 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
What Is It That Comes?Serial: BZ-01443 Nangaku Ejo asks Daikan Eno, Sesshin Day 4 Nangaku Ejo, Daikan Eno, Koan, Gaining Mind, Monastic Practice, Practice Period,... |
Jun 23 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
June 22nd, 2007, Serial No. 01442 Doubt, Evil, Practice Period, Gaining Mind, Bowing, Heart Sutra, Bell, Lay, Humility... |
Jun 22 2007 |
|
May 26th, 2007, Serial No. 01437, Side D Heart Sutra, Practice Period, Posture, Don't Know Mind, Bowing, Birth-and-Death... |
May 26 2007 |
|
Guidelines for Practice PeriodSerial: BZ-01435 Lay Practice Period--Practice your self, not study the self, One-Day Sitting Practice Period, Practice Period, Pure Existence, Lay Practice, Patience, Daily Life... |
May 12 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
April 28th, 2007, Serial No. 01433 Buddha Mind, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Attachment, Ordinary Mind, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Apr 28 2007 |
|
April 17th, 2007, Serial No. 01260 Practice Period, Priest, Lay, Monastic Practice, Karma, Gratitude, Ordination,... |
Apr 17 2007 |
|
Developing Confidence in Buddha NatureSerial: SF-00074 Sunday talk. Global Warming, Buddha Mind, Hindrances, Delusion, Practice Period, Dragons, Lineage... |
Mar 18 2007 Green Gulch Farm |
|
Buddha's ParinirvanaSerial: BZ-01419 Sesshin Day 1 Parinirvana, Nirvana, Lotus Sutra, Greed, Mahayana, Four Noble Truths, Doubt,... |
Feb 17 2007 Berkeley Zen Center |
|
February 5th, 2007, Serial No. 01417 Practice Period, Vows, Precepts, Teacher-and-Student, Describe, Evil, Tassajara,... |
Feb 05 2007 |
|
GnosticismAmerican Buddhism as a gnostic practice; meaning of the word "tathagata" Faith, Practice Period, Hindrances, American, Triple Treasure |
Feb 03 2007 PM No Abode Hermitage |
|
2007.01.19-serial.00117D Practice Period, Silence, training, Buddha Mind, Soto Zen, soto, Dependent... |
Jan 19 2007 |
|
December 16th, 2006, Serial No. 01409 Instruction, Buddha Mind, Conversation, Precepts, Karma, Aspects of Practice,... |
Dec 16 2006 |
|
October 28th, 2006, Serial No. 01395 Precepts, Vows, Practice Period, Observe, Repentance, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Oct 28 2006 |