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 | |
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Unknown year,September talk, Serial 01771 Practice Period, Peace, Tassajara, Instruction, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Politics,... |
Sep 11 Unknown |
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Way-Seeking Mind TalksSerial: SF-03089B Student talks, should not be published Religion, Practice Period, Priest, Gratitude, Lineage, Zendo, training |
[field_wisdom_date]
Tassajara |
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Way-Seeking Mind TalksSerial: SF-03089C Student talks, should not be published Practice Period, Priest, Monastic Practice, Bodhisattva Vow, Conversation, Vows,... |
[field_wisdom_date]
Tassajara |
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Way-Seeking Mind TalksSerial: SF-03089D Student talks, should not be published Practice Period, Tassajara, Religion, Interview, Separation, Emotions, Freedom... |
[field_wisdom_date]
Tassajara |
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KPFA Radio Interview with Elsa Knight ThompsonSerial: SF-05115 Monday, November 6, 1967 KPFA RADIO INTERVIEW WITH ELSA KNIGHT THOMPSON Interview, Don't Know Mind, Nirvana, Monastic Practice, Evil, Samsara, Practice... |
Nov 06 1967 KPFA Berkeley |
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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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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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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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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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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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Sunday Lecture Cultivation, Conversation, Anger, Bodhisattva Vow, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period,... |
Mar 13 1988 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Interview, Demons, Doubt, Manjushri, Soto Zen, Gratitude, Practice Period, Enemies,... |
Apr 03 1988 Green Gulch |
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1988.08.03-serial.00083 Practice Period, confusion, Obstacles, Emotions, Letting Go, Passions, Describe,... |
Aug 03 1988 |
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Lion's Roar Letting Go, Mindfulness, Balance, Commitment, Samsara, Practice Period, Liberation,... |
Dec 29 1988 SFZC |
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Arbor DaySerial: SF-01050 Sunday Lecture Practice Period, Passions, Renewal, Peace, Bell, Right Effort, Describe, Birth-and-... |
Feb 1991 Green Gulch |
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Shuso Way-Seeking Mind TalkSerial: SF-01077 #shuso-talk Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Bell, Tassajara, zen meditation, Zazen, Conversation, Practice... |
Feb 20 1991 Unknown |
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1991.09.18-serial.00092 Practice Period, Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Intimacy, Posture, Aspects of Practice, Zazen,... |
Sep 18 1991 |
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Saturday Lecture Precepts, Tassajara, Practice Period, Suzuki Roshi, Ceremony, Zendo, confusion, Zazen... |
Sep 21 1991 Unknown |
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Zendo Opening Ceremony Lay Practice, Perfect Wisdom, confusion, Ceremony, Offering, Practice Period, Priest... |
Nov 22 1992 Green Gulch |
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Sesshin Talk Separation, Delusion, Oneness, Posture, Freedom, Practice Period, Six Realms, New... |
Apr 01 1993 Tassajara |
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Sunday Lecture Forgiveness, Peace, Emotions, Mill Valley, Gratitude, Enemies, Conversation, Daily... |
Jun 27 1993 Green Gulch |
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October 1st, 1994, Serial No. 04045 Triple Treasure, Perfect Wisdom, Sangha, Suzuki Roshi, Priest, Practice Period, Evil... |
Oct 01 1994 Unknown |
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Sunday Lecture Ceremony, Practice Period, Four Noble Truths, Funeral, Fox, Bell, Six Realms, Demons... |
Oct 30 1994 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Practice Period, Impermanence, Ceremony, Dragons, Manjushri, Delusion, Zendo, Posture... |
Nov 06 1994 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Practice Period, Commitment, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, training, Greed, Emotions,... |
Nov 27 1994 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture training, Practice Period, Heart Sutra, Subject-and-Object, Posture, Instruction,... |
Nov 30 1994 Green Gulch |
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1995.01.04-serial.00065 Tassajara, Teacher-and-Student, Priest, Practice Period, Ceremony, Zazen,... |
Jan 04 1995 City Center |
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To Be OneselfSerial: SF-00157 Sunday talk; what does that mean - what's that? Finding out what this means is a vast undertaking. Conversation, Practice Period, Dragons, Lay, New Year, training, Separation, Skandas... |
Jan 15 1995 Green Gulch Farm |
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1995.02.22-serial.00076 Hate, Suzuki Roshi, Repentance, Constancy, Sangha, Practice Period, Tassajara, Karma... |
Feb 22 1995 |
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Importance of ShikantazaSerial: SF-03104 Description of Tokubetsu Sesshin Ceremony, Lotus Sutra, Priest, Letting Go, Buddha's Birthday, realization, Soto... |
Mar 19 1995 Green Gulch |
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April 4th, 1995, Serial No. 02697 Daily Life, Practice Period, Happiness, Hate, Addiction, Posture, Delusion, Zendo... |
Apr 04 1995 Unknown |
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Sunday Lecture Triple Treasure, Greed, Practice Period, Delusion, Hate, Repentance, Sangha, Karma,... |
May 28 1995 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Practice Period, Ceremony, Religion, Suzuki Roshi, Commitment, Evil, Priest, Right... |
Jun 04 1995 Green Gulch |
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Five Attributes of a TeacherSerial: SF-03218 One-day sitting Book of Serenity, Teacher-and-Student, Humility, Blue Cliff Record, Letting Go,... |
Jul 15 1995 Green Gulch |
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July 26th, 1995, Serial No. 00919 Emptiness, Suzuki Roshi, Echo, Tassajara, Zazen, Global Warming, Letting Go, Practice... |
Jul 26 1995 Unknown |
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Our Relationship with Form - Speech & FoodSerial: SF-00151 Wednesday dharma talk. Practice Period, Conversation, Happiness, Ceremony, Silence, Bodhisattva Vow, Funeral... |
Sep 06 1995 Green Gulch Farm |
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September 23rd, 1995, Serial No. 02744 Practice Period, Hsin Hsin Ming, Diversity, Dharma Transmission, Zendo, Hate, Suzuki... |
Sep 23 1995 Unknown |
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October 14th, 1995, Serial No. 02701 Faith, Vows, Hsin Hsin Ming, Continuous, Buddha Mind, Bodhisattva Vow, Bodhisattva... |
Oct 14 1995 Unknown |
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Hungry Ghosts - Seijiki CeremonySerial: SF-03093 Sunday Lecture Four Noble Truths, Ceremony, Letting Go, Peace, Vows, Commitment, resistance,... |
Oct 29 1995 Green Gulch |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-03626 Our practice and our efforts that we make towards peace within ourselves and within our lives Practice Period, Birth-and-Death, Karma, Emptiness, Giving-and-Taking, Zazen,... |
Nov 05 1995 Green Gulch |
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January 3rd, 1996, Serial No. 02706 Practice Period, Tassajara, Hsin Hsin Ming, Non-duality, Non-attachment, Suzuki Roshi... |
Jan 03 1996 Unknown |
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Sunday Lecture Practice Period, Letting Go, Enthusiasm, Addiction, New Year, confusion, Patience,... |
Jan 06 1996 Green Gulch |
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Interview Dharma Transmission, Ceremony, Transmission, Practice Period, Soto Zen, Priest,... |
Jan 21 1996 Unknown |
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Practice of PatienceSerial: SF-03225 Sunday Lecture Global Warming, Patience, Practice Period, Ego, confusion, Emotions, Gratitude, Peace... |
Jan 21 1996 Green Gulch |
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Interview Suzuki Roshi, Peace, Practice Period, Intuition, Instruction, Emotions, Gratitude,... |
Jan 21 1996 Unknown |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-03636 Cassette side B is labeled for a Sunday talk by Tenshin Reb Anderson on the same date - incorrect Practice Period, Ordination, Perfect Wisdom, Zendo, Emptiness, Ceremony, Monastic... |
Mar 24 1996 Green Gulch |
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May 11th, 1996, Serial No. 02704 Repentance, Precepts, Zazen, Practice Period, Triple Treasure, Ceremony, Monastic... |
May 11 1996 Unknown |
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Wednesday Lecture Hsin Hsin Ming, Zazen, Ordination, Practice Period, Obstacles, Mahayana, Anger,... |
Aug 14 1996 Unknown |
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1996.09.28-serial.00089 Practice Period, Study Period, Bodhisattva Way, Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Patience,... |
Sep 28 1996 |