We start at 7 am Monday to Friday (all times are GMT)
We start at 10 am Saturday and Sunday
Good to arrive a few minutes early
Your sound will be automatically muted when you arrive
There are three bells to begin
There will be two bells after 25 minutes, followed by a “clack” to begin kinhin, or walking meditation
After 10 minutes of kinhin there will be another “clack” to sit down again, followed by three bells for the second period
We end with one bell, followed by the robe chant, which will be on your screen if you want to join in
The person who is doing the bells will read a line or two from Suzuki Roshi
Most of us set up a cushion and a mat in front of the laptop or phone, but with the screen turned away so we’re not looking directly at it – you can experiment with the set-up that works for you
On Friday mornings we have a weekly check-in at 8 am that lasts about 40 minutes – we each talk about how our practice has been and what’s going on for us
On Saturday mornings at 11 am we have an hour-long Suzuki Roshi study group that’s currently reading Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind
Registration is due by Wednesday, April 14. To register at a 75% discount, please click here.
About the April – May 2021 Intensive
Both the Zen and Vipassana traditions originate in the Buddha’s teachings on meditation.
Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of dhyana, the word the Buddha used for concentration states, and Vipassana is the word the Buddha used to refer to the insights derived from these concentration states. For the Buddha, Zen and Vipassana are integrated aspects of meditation practice, working together in harmony. With this common origin it is not surprising that, in modern times, Zen and Vipassana meditation may have as much in common as they differ.
Please join Senior Dharma Teacher Paul Haller, Green Gulch Abiding Abbess Fu Schroeder, and Zen and Vipassana Dharma Teacher Gil Fronsdal for discussions and explorations of this interface between Zen and Vipassana. Fu, Paul, and Gil are friends who delight in discussing the Dharma together. In this intensive, the three teachers will provide instruction in meditation practice, Dharma talks and discussions, and will share with participants their lively discussions of Dharma topics.
There are two tracks of participation in this program:
The Flowers of the Dharma: Exploring and Enjoying the Essence of Buddhist Practice
The Roots of the Dharma: Becoming Rooted in Buddhist Practice
Participants in both tracks will have the opportunity to sign up for a weekly small group meeting. Small groups consist of 12 – 14 participants and are led by a practice leader from Insight Meditation Center, Green Gulch Farm, City Center, or an affiliate Branching Streams sangha. Prompts for the small groups are provided by the leaders of the Intensive.
The Flowers of the Dharma: Exploring and Enjoying the Essence of Buddhist Practice
This is a program of participation for people on the East Coast and Europe. We have listed the timetable in Belfast time (Ireland and UK). Please add one hour for Slovenia, Norway, France, Spain or Germany, two hours for Greece.
(All times are Belfast/UK/Ireland)
Monday – Saturday
15:00 – 15:30
Guided meditation
15:30 – 15:45
Dharmette
Monday – Friday
18:00 – 18:30
Meditation
18:30 – 19:00
Dharma Talk and Conversation between Fu, Paul, and Gil*
19:00 – 19:15
Break
19:15 – 19:45
Q & A; discussion
19:45
Sitting ending with dedication of merit
Thursday
3:30 – 4:30 am
Dharma Talk: Paul, Gil, and Fu will each give one talk over the three-week period*
Saturday
16:15
Conversation with one of the teachers
17:25 – 18:00
Meditation
18:15 – 19:15
Dharma Talk: Paul, Gil, and Fu will each give one talk over the three-week period*
*A recorded video will be available for those who cannot attend live
The Roots of the Dharma: Becoming Rooted in Buddhist Practice
Includes all events listed for Flowers of the Dharma, with additional participation in these events:
(All times are Belfast/UK/Ireland)
Monday – Friday
13:50 – 14:50
Zazen with a five-minute interval
15:50 – 15:05
Morning service
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
1:30 – 2:10 am
Zazen
Mondays: April 19, 26, May 3
3 – 4:30 am
Open conversation with teachers. (A recorded video will be available for those who cannot attend live.)
