Bay Area Practice Period

The Shuso

Each year, a senior practitioner from the sangha serves as Shuso (head student). The Shuso offers inspiration, guidance, and serves as a central point of connection for the practice period.

The Shuso for this year’s Practice Period will be Anlor Davin (Mei Kan Gen Shin, Luminous River Manifesting Faith). Recently ordained as a priest, Anlor has been practicing Zen for a long time, was a resident at Green Gulch years ago, and brings to our practice an unusually open spirit of devotion and energy. We look forward to her taking this important step in her practice.

Zen practice periods include two important ceremonies for the Shuso. The Shuso Entering Ceremony installs the Shuso into their position while the Practice Period culminates with the Dharma Inquiry Ceremony (Shuso Hossenshiki) during which the Shuso responds to questions from Practice Period participants.

These ceremonies bookend the Practice Period in a beautiful way.

Theme

The theme for this Practice Period is ‘Embracing Zazen’. Our text will be Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.

“I do not feel like speaking after zazen. I feel the practice of zazen is enough. But if I must say something I think I would like to talk about how wonderful it is to practice zazen. Our purpose is just to keep this practice forever. This practice started from beginningless time, and it will continue into an endless future.”
—Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

As always, we will contemplate and discuss the text for its direct relevance to our lives and world.

Core Events & Activities

For the full schedule of events during this practice period, please see the link below. Links to event listings on our web calendar will be added as they become available.

Practice Period Opening: The All Day Sitting on Saturday, February 3, at Green Gulch Farm, opens the Practice Period, with the Shuso Entering Ceremony.

Daily Zazen: In addition to our ongoing morning sittings, zazen will be offered in the early mornings and late afternoons.

Weekly Dharma Seminar: A central element of the practice period, Dharma Seminar will focus on the theme of the Practice Period, with study and small group discussion.

Monthly All-Day Sittings: Offered both at Green Gulch Farm and on Zoom, on Feb 3, March 2, and March 23.

Practice Meetings: Structured conversations with Practice Partners provide support over the course of the Practice Period. Practice Discussion with a Practice Leader may also be available. See below for more details.

Shuso Teas: Small group teas, held both online and at the homes of sangha members in the SF Bay Area, give everyone the opportunity to meet with the Shuso (Head Student) and discuss their practice in an intimate and informal setting.

Sesshin: The annual Everyday Zen Bay Area Sesshin will again be hybrid from Santa Sabina Center and will run from Monday, April 1 through Sunday, April 7. Practice Period participants are encouraged but not required to join the sesshin.

Pravarana: Reserved for Practice Period participants, pravarana is a traditional ceremony of confession and purification held at the conclusion of a practice period.

Shuso Hossenshiki (Dharma Inquiry) and Closing Ceremony: Together, the Shuso and the Practice Period sangha will bring forth the dharma, on Saturday, April 13 at the Community Congregational Church in Tiburon and online through Zoom.

Commitment

We ask that all Practice Period participants plan on attending several events each week, including, especially, daily sitting, the weekly Dharma Seminar, the monthly All-Day Sittings, the opening and closing ceremonies, tea with the Shuso, and any other practice or study events you find of interest. We encourage you to attend sesshin but recognize this might not be possible for everyone.

Though formal practice events are essential, they do not constitute the Practice Period; they only structure it. What happens in your body and mind as you live the days, weeks and months of the Practice Period is what is important.

Please take the opportunity to clarify and express your intentions when submitting your application, including events you plan to attend, the focus of your practice, and/or additional practices or study you plan to undertake.

Practice Meetings

Everyone in the Practice Period will be assigned a Practice Partner, another sangha member with whom you will speak three or four times over the course of the Practice Period to share intentions and reflections. You may request a specific person as a partner or have a partner assigned to you.

Guidelines for keeping these meetings​​ focused and practice-oriented will be sent to participants after the start of Practice Period.

For less experienced participants and those who feel the need, Practice Discussion with a Practice Leader may also be available. Practice Leaders are Everyday Zen priests and senior lay practitioners. For those who requested this in their application, more information will be provided after the start of the Practice Period.

Dana

We appreciate your financial support, whatever you are able to give. To help defray the increased costs of organizing and hosting the practice period and supporting the sangha during this time, please make a donation as you circumstances allow. We cannot continue offering teachings without it.

Suggested donation for the Practice Period is $150.

Note: This donation does not cover individual events offered as part of the Practice Period. We ask that Practice Period participants support all events with suggested donations just as they would do outside of practice period. Thank you!