An Appropriate Response: Encountering Suzuki Roshi’s Teachings on The Blue Cliff Record
“Finding out the significance of everyday activity is the great matter.” —Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
This is a traditional intensive training period common in the schools of Buddhism. Participants can engage in this training period in one of two ways; this page is for Online/Visitor participation:
Residential: Move in and live at City Center and follow the daily schedule. Application deadline: extended to September 2
Visitor/Online (this page): Visit City Center for practice period events, or participate online, as you choose. Registration deadline: September 26
On-site participation is open to residential and visitor participation; Covid Health and Safety Guidelines for City Center's congregant living environment will apply.
About the Fall 2022 Practice Period
Compiled in the 12th century, the The Blue Cliff Record/Hekiganroku has been a training text in the Zen school for several centuries. The one hundred koans were selected for their ability to bring about insight and awakening. While these traditional turning stories are not easy to interpret, an encounter with them can offer hints for waking up, clearing our minds, and facing reality directly.
During these ten weeks, we will be considering about two dozen of the koans and using Suzuki Roshi’s translations and commentaries to help elucidate them. His commentaries are primarily drawn from short talks given from 1962 to 1965 at Sokoji Temple in San Francisco.
The practice period will begin with an orientation, available both on-site and livestreamed, at 7:30 pm PT on Tuesday, October 4.
Abbot Ed and Abbot David will teach an eight-week class, Encountering Suzuki Roshi’s Teachings on the Blue Cliff Record [Online / Onsite], on Tuesdays, October 11 – November 29, 7:30 – 9 pm PT. The fee for class participation is included in the practice period fee and does not require separate registration.
You may attend any of the components below onsite at City Center or online as you prefer. Visiting City Center to attend any onsite component requires you to first complete this Covid-19 questionnaire and receive verification before appearing at City Center.
There will be two Saturday one-day sittings, on October 8 [Online / Onsite] and November 12 [Online / Onsite], and a concluding seven-day sesshin [Online / Onsite] beginning the evening of Saturday, December 3 and ending on Saturday, December 10. NOTE: These sittings are not included in the practice period fee and require separate registration and payment.
Online components:
- Online Portal
- Online Class
- Small Groups
- Morning and evening zazen in the Online Zendo
- Wednesday and Saturday Dharma talks in the Online Zendo
Onsite components: Covid-19 questionnaire is required
- In-person morning and evening zazen and service
- Visitors are invited to join the residents for breakfast after the morning program for an additional onsite charge, and asked to eat in the courtyard
- Onsite class
- Wednesday and Saturday Dharma talks in the Buddha Hall
- General: $375
- Current SFZC Members: $337
- Sliding scale 1: $225
- Sliding scale 2: $94
For additional discount options, please email us at rezoffice@sfzc.org.
Please review these documents if you will be visiting City Center during the practice period:
Deadline for registration is September 26.
Or call 415-354-0360.