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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Sesshin Lecture Precepts, Karma, Don't Know Mind, Confession-and-Repentance, Repentance,... |
Apr 14 2000 Green Gulch |
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Sesshin Lecture Six Realms, Practice Period, Karma, Suzuki Roshi, Triple Treasure, Buddha Mind,... |
Apr 15 2000 Green Gulch |
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Surangama Sutra Class Big Mind, Light-and-Darkness, Practice Period, Faith, Triple Treasure, Emptiness,... |
May 16 2000 Green Gulch |
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June 17th, 2000, Serial No. 03920 Practice Period, Forgiveness, Right Speech, Precepts, Emotions, resistance, Evil,... |
Jun 17 2000 City Center |
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Women Ancestors Class Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Lay, Ceremony, Silence, Freedom, Practice Period,... |
Aug 15 2000 Unknown |
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The Whole World Is MedicineSerial: SF-00078 "The Four Nourishments" Practice Period, Teacher-and-Student, Samadhi, Continuous, Commitment, Passions,... |
Sep 30 2000 |
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Tenzo Kyokun Class true dharma, Practice Period, Instruction, soto, Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Big Mind,... |
Oct 24 2000 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Big Mind, Six Realms, Ceremony, Practice Period, Suzuki Roshi, Buddha Ancestors, Soto... |
Oct 29 2000 Green Gulch |
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Tenzo Kyokun Class realization, Practice Period, Skandas, Buddha Ancestors, Zendo, Beginners, Ceremony,... |
Oct 31 2000 Green Gulch |
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Tenzo Kyokun Class Practice Period, Suzuki Roshi, Don't Know Mind, Mindfulness, realization, Mill... |
Nov 07 2000 Green Gulch |
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November 22nd, 2000, Serial No. 03936 Ceremony, Gratitude, Emptiness, Separation, Practice Period, Tassajara, Suzuki Roshi... |
Nov 22 2000 City Center |
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Tenzo Kyokun Class Practice Period, Attachment, Offering, Letting Go, Bodhisattva Way, Emptiness,... |
Nov 28 2000 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Buddha Nature, New Year, Right Effort, Conversation, Vows, Practice Period, Suzuki... |
Dec 31 2000 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Study Period, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period, Liberation, Instruction, Renunciation... |
Jan 28 2001 Green Gulch |
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Arbor DaySerial: SF-01069 Sunday Lecture Humility, Mindfulness, Vows, Lotus Sutra, Commitment, Practice Period, Attachment,... |
Feb 18 2001 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Practice Period, Instruction, Suzuki Roshi, realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion,... |
Feb 28 2001 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Silence, Buddha Nature, Practice Period, Non-duality, resistance, Gratitude, Lineage... |
Mar 21 2001 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Practice Period, Family Practice, Zendo, Mill Valley, Monastic Practice, Ceremony,... |
May 09 2001 Green Gulch |
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September 24th, 2001, Serial No. 04040Serial: SF-04040 Monday Enemies, Emotions, training, Monastic Practice, Politics, Peace, Global Warming,... |
Sep 24 2001 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Mill Valley, Peace, Fasting, Zendo, Faith, Commitment, Monastic Practice,... |
Sep 26 2001 Green Gulch |
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January 30th, 2002, Serial No. 03945 Vows, Practice Period, Delusion, Letting Go, Attachment, Suzuki Roshi, Equanimity,... |
Jan 30 2002 City Center |
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Arbor DaySerial: SF-01071 Sunday Lecture Commitment, Tassajara, Non-violence, Nirvana, Practice Period, Continuous,... |
Feb 10 2002 Green Gulch |
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Zen and Poetry Class Light-and-Darkness, Silence, Freedom, Practice Period, Enemies, Bell, Precepts, Zoom... |
Mar 26 2002 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday LectureSerial: SF-01087 A defining moment of metaphor, Dale Wright, time is money, need to create new metaphors for American zen, too green to burn, Daigan and Arlene leaving GGF "AS" realization, Aspects of Practice, Lotus Sutra, Letting Go, Practice Period, Delusion... |
May 08 2002 Green Gulch |
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Way-seeking MindSerial: SF-04024 Tanto job, informal very ZC (?) Suzuki Roshi, Letting Go, Doubt, Daily Life, Practice Period, Tassajara, confusion,... |
Jun 12 2002 City Center |
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2002.06.19-serial.00154Serial: SF-00154 Wednesday talk. Happiness, Monastic Practice, Don't Know Mind, Practice Period, Conversation,... |
Jun 19 2002 |
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Wednesday LectureSerial: SF-01051 A sense of place, a valley of ancestors, apprentices finding their place, Harry Roberts' last remarks, 500-year view, mastodon tooth, mountains and rivers, walking mindfully,... Blue Cliff Record, Dragons, Bell, Practice Period, zen meditation, Commitment,... |
Jul 10 2002 Green Gulch |
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October 10th, 2002, Serial No. 00973 Tassajara, Practice Period, Mill Valley, training, Rumi, Vows, Intimacy, Commitment,... |
Oct 10 2002 City Center |
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2002.10.19-serial.00059 Suzuki Roshi, Buddha Nature, Zazen, Manjushri, Practice Period, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Oct 19 2002 City Center |
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October 23rd, 2002, Serial No. 00974 Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Freedom, Mill Valley, Heart Sutra, Birth-and-Death, Letting Go,... |
Oct 23 2002 City Center |
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November 16th, 2002, Serial No. 00977 Ordinary Mind, Practice Period, Mindfulness, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, Freedom,... |
Nov 16 2002 City Center |
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December 13th, 2002, Serial No. 03924 Separation, Ceremony, Daily Life, Practice Period, Silence, Passions, Commitment,... |
Dec 13 2002 City Center |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-01072 One-minute silence/meditation. Enjoy your breathing at that time. Wage peace. Ashoka story. Bodhi tree. Rice (?) to president campaign Peace, Silence, Practice Period, Offering, true dharma, Vows, Daily Life, Bell, Non-... |
Feb 09 2003 Green Gulch |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-01101 Daigan's dream last night. Way to listen to a dharma talk. Practice period. Why people come. Things. Material things. Practice Period, Monastic Practice, Precepts, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion, Priest,... |
Feb 23 2003 Green Gulch |
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Sesshin Lecture Fox, Practice Period, Precepts, Teacher-and-Student, Tassajara, Attachment, Karma,... |
Mar 2003 Tassajara |
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Zendo Lecture Bodhidharma, Ego, Repentance, Zazen, Hate, Practice Period, Faith, Karma, Delusion,... |
Mar 11 2003 Tassajara |
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Dogen - Being Familiar With The Entire BodySerial: SF-00039 Sunday talk. realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion, Precepts, true dharma, Lotus Sutra, Oneness... |
May 18 2003 |
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June 7th, 2003, Serial No. 01107 Faith, Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Forgiveness, Practice Period,... |
Jun 07 2003 Unknown |
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Zendo Lecture Oneness, Religion, realization, Observe, Practice Period, Instruction, Repentance,... |
Jul 02 2003 Tassajara |
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Wednesday LectureSerial: SF-00948 Buffalo passing through window koan. Farm and draft horses at GGF Tassajara, Commitment, Monastic Practice, confusion, Practice Period, Conversation,... |
Jul 09 2003 Green Gulch |
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2010.10.03-serial.00055 Practice Period, training, Conversation, Dharma Transmission, Ordination, Commitment... |
Oct 08 2003 |
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October 11th, 2003, Serial No. 00976 Mindfulness, Suzuki Roshi, Impermanence, Practice Period, Intimacy, Priest, Zazen,... |
Oct 11 2003 City Center |
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Sesshin Lecture Four Noble Truths, Priest, Ordinary Mind, Intimacy, Hate, Delusion, Practice Period,... |
Oct 26 2003 Tassajara |
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Sesshin Lecture Practice Period, Greed, Sanctuary, Hate, Freedom, Chanting, Tassajara, Hindrances,... |
Oct 28 2003 Tassajara |
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Sesshin Lecture Precepts, Ceremony, Priest, Practice Period, Lay, Offering, Separation, Faith,... |
Oct 29 2003 Tassajara |
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OfferingsSerial: SF-00158 Sunday talk. Children's lecture. Offering, Ceremony, Emptiness, Emotions, Intuition, Practice Period, Precepts, Karma... |
Nov 02 2003 Green Gulch Farm |
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2003.11.19-serial.00156Serial: SF-00156 Wednesday talk. Karma, Buddha Nature, Practice Period, Echo, Ceremony, Buddha Ancestors, Ego,... |
Nov 19 2003 |
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HousekeepingSerial: SF-01024 Sunday Lecture: Children's Program. The Indian children who used to live here. Indian story about how the world was made. Staying home and accomplishing the way. Gateway into... New Year, Bodhisattva Precepts, Separation, Practice Period, Precepts, Mill Valley,... |
Feb 01 2004 Green Gulch |
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February 4th, 2004, Serial No. 04104 Practice Period, Chanting, Tassajara, Bell, Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Religion, Intuition... |
Feb 04 2004 City Center |
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February 14th, 2004, Serial No. 00979 Intimacy, Practice Period, Zendo, Zazen, Beginners, Birth-and-Death, Passions, Anger... |
Feb 14 2004 City Center |