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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Tassajara Summer and PracticeSerial: BZ-00107 Lecture Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Practice, Practice Period, Tassajara Zen Mountain... |
Jul 21 1993 |
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Consistency and the Path to DestinySerial: BZ-00669A Saturday lecture Berkeley Zen Center, Constancy, confusion, Practice Period, Chanting, Passions,... |
Jun 19 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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June 15th, 1993, Serial No. 00671 Bodhidharma, Practice Period, Bell, Giving-and-Taking, Renunciation, Ordinary Mind,... |
Jun 15 1993 |
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June 10th, 1993, Serial No. 00653, Side B Birth-and-Death, Interdependence, Bodhidharma, Buddha Ancestors, Lay, Dragons,... |
Jun 10 1993 |
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May 29th, 1993, Serial No. 00667, Side A Bodhidharma, Eka, Buddha Mind, Blue Cliff Record, Book of Serenity, Practice Period,... |
May 29 1993 |
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Transmission of Light: The 38th Ancestor Seigen GyoshiSerial: BZ-00666B Not Getting Caught in Stages, Saturday Lecture Seigen Gyoshi, Liberation, Lineage, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Current Events, Don... |
May 22 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 15th, 1993, Serial No. 00665, Side B Attachment, Discrimination, Lotus Sutra, War, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period,... |
May 15 1993 |
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May 8th, 1993, Serial No. 00665, Side A Bodhidharma, Family Practice, Practice Period, Buddha Mind, Dharma Transmission,... |
May 08 1993 |
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Practice Period: Renewing One's Commitment to PracticeSerial: BZ-00664B One-Day Sitting Practice Period, Daily Life, Commitment, Big Mind, Practice Period, Zoom, Building... |
May 01 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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April 24th, 1993, Serial No. 00664, Side A Right Speech, American, confusion, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period, Precepts,... |
Apr 24 1993 |
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April 17th, 1993, Serial No. 00112Serial: BZ-00112 Lecture Practice Period, Commitment, Daily Life, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Gratitude,... |
Apr 17 1993 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |
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February 18th, 1993, Serial No. 00621 Precepts, Vow, Practice Period, Dharma Transmission, Renunciation, Repentance, Evil,... |
Feb 18 1993 |
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Darkness and Light: The Winter Holiday Light-and-Darkness, Darkness and Light, Five Ranks, Discrimination, Samsara, Teacher-... |
Dec 19 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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November 21st, 1992, Serial No. 00643, Side B Practice Period, Non-violence, War, Interdependence, Vow, Doubt, Avalokiteshvara,... |
Nov 21 1992 |
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Hongzhi (Zen Master)Serial: BZ-00642A Saturday Lecture Hongzhi, Priest, Priest-and-Lay, Silent Illumination, Lay, Practice Period,... |
Oct 31 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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October 15th, 1992, Serial No. 00614 Concentration, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Instruction, Death-and-Dying, zen meditation... |
Oct 15 1992 |
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October 12th, 1992, Serial No. 00640 Vow, resistance, Priest, Bodhisattva Precepts, Right Speech, Lay, Mahayana, Evil,... |
Oct 12 1992 |
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October 8th, 1992, Serial No. 00613 Right Effort, Enemies, Attachment, Patience, Birth-and-Death, confusion, Practice... |
Oct 08 1992 |
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Blue Cliff Record: Case #44Serial: BZ-00638A Hoshan's Knowing How to Beat the Drum, Saturday Lecture BCR-44, Daily Life, Attachment, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind, Teacher-and-... |
Sep 19 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Shusho HossenSerial: BZ-00630 Ceremony Giving-and-Taking, Bodhidharma, Absolute-and-Relative, Dragons, stubbornness,... |
Jun 28 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-00709A Sesshin Day 1 Genjokoan, Duality, Birth-and-Death, Non-duality, Emotions, Practice Period,... |
Jun 24 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Shosan CeremonySerial: BZ-00708A Ceremony Shosan, Forgiveness, Right Effort, Silence, Practice Period, Gratitude, Peace,... |
Jun 15 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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What is Buddha?Serial: BZ-00713A Sesshin Day 1 Buddha, Big Mind, Practice Period, Daily Life, Buddha Nature, Absolute-and-Relative,... |
May 17 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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February 20th, 1992, Serial No. 00278 Heart Sutra, Dependent Origination, Bell, Practice Period, Chanting, Bodhisattva... |
Feb 20 1992 |
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Avatamsaka Sutra: The Ten Stages; First Two StagesSerial: BZ-00274 Class 1 of 4 Four Noble Truths, Enthusiasm, Passions, Vow, Lineage, Concentration, Practice Period... |
Nov 07 1991 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Fire, Suffering, and Relationship With JapanSerial: BZ-00702B Saturday Lecture Japan, Current Events, Practice Period, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Demons, Birth-... |
Oct 26 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Talk to Tokubetsu SesshinSerial: BZ-00624 Sesshin Practice Period, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Building, Gratitude, confusion,... |
Oct 13 1991 |
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Early Days of Suzuki-rôshiSerial: BZ-00750B Tokubetsu Sesshin: Japanese and American, Saturday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Sesshin, Tokubetsu, Practice Period, American, Transmission, training,... |
Sep 28 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Bringing Zendo Life to the WorldSerial: BZ-00715B Lecture Family Practice, Daily Life, Giving-and-Taking, Precepts, Practice Period, Vow,... |
Sep 14 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Bodhisattva Ceremony: Plunging InSerial: BZ-00971A Lecture Confession-and-Repentance, Repentance, Vow, Buddha Ancestors, Three Treasures,... |
Jul 27 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Shusho CeremonySerial: BZ-00969 Ceremony Practice Period, Three Treasures, Giving-and-Taking, Sangha, Attachment, Dragons,... |
Jul 01 1991 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00726 Lecture part 2, part 1 is missing Hindrances, Addiction, Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Anger, Doubt, Lay, Ego,... |
May 13 1991 2 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Heart Sutra: The Sutra’s Place in HistorySerial: BZ-00267 Class 1 of 4 Heart Sutra, Chanting, Avalokiteshvara, Monastic Practice, Lineage, Practice Period,... |
Feb 07 1991 1 Berkeley Zen Center |
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GenjokoanSerial: BZ-00698A Firewood and Ash, Rohatsu Day 6 Birth-and-Death, Monastic Practice, Buddha Nature, Peace, Impermanence, Liberation,... |
Dec 07 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Mumonkan Case 19: Ordinary Mind is the Way Ordinary Mind, Big Mind, Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Dragons, Teacher-and-Student... |
Aug 03 1990 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |
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Ungan and YakusanSerial: BZ-00514B Sesshin day 3 Birth-and-Death, Hate, Teacher-and-Student, confusion, Practice Period, Attachment,... |
Jun 22 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tozan Today: Not OneSerial: BZ-00515A Lecture Five Ranks, Practice Period, Light-and-Darkness, Monastic Practice, Absolute-and-... |
Jun 16 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Hinge; Ordinary MindSerial: BZ-00505B Lecture Ordinary Mind, Commitment, Practice Period, Posture, Lotus Sutra, Attachment, Daily... |
May 26 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Ordinary Mind is the WaySerial: BZ-00506B One-Day Sitting Ordinary Mind, Ordinary Mind, Posture, Ego, Practice Period, Eight Aspects, Doubt,... |
May 12 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record Case #2Serial: BZ-00498B Lecture Mill Valley, Bell, Practice Period, Conversation, Priest, Karma, Discrimination,... |
Feb 17 1990 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Pope's EdictSerial: BZ-00503B Saturday Lecture Religion, Doubt, New Year, Practice Period, Renewal, War, Peace, Building |
Dec 16 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Fall Practice PeriodSerial: BZ-00386 Saturday Lecture Practice Period, Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Commitment, training, Priest, Daily... |
Nov 05 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Abbot's Zuisse Ceremony in JapanSerial: BZ-00385 Saturday Lecture Zuisse, Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Practice Period, Soto Zen, Study Period,... |
Oct 28 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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What Is It?Serial: BZ-00376B Sesshin Day 2 Practice Period, Absolute-and-Relative, confusion, Subject-and-Object, Equanimity,... |
Jun 22 1989 Berkeley Zen Center |
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May 27th, 1989, Serial No. 00721Serial: BZ-00721 Lecture Precepts, Daily Life, Cultivation, Practice Period, Emotions, Posture, Anger, Birth-... |
May 27 1989 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |
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February 24th, 1989, Serial No. 00717Serial: BZ-00717 Sesshin Day 7 Birth-and-Death, Observe, Bell, Impermanence, Happiness, Liberation, Mindfulness,... |
Feb 24 1989 |
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January 9th, 1989, Serial No. 00327Serial: BZ-00327 Monday Evening Happiness, Enemies, Passions, Practice Period, Emotions, Equanimity, Mindfulness,... |
Jan 09 1989 |
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January 8th, 1989, Serial No. 00330 Practice Period, Hate, Non-duality, Monastic Practice, Ego, Buddha Nature, Duality,... |
Jan 08 1989 Green Gulch Farm - Sunday talk |
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December 14th, 1988, Serial No. 01471Serial: BZ-01471 Seventh day of Rohatsu sesshin at Tassajara. Teacher-and-Student, Priest, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Intimacy, Commitment,... |
Dec 14 1988 7 of 7 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |
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December 9th, 1988, Serial No. 01476, Side ASerial: BZ-01476A Sojun Roshi gives the Dharma talk on the second day of Rohatsu sesshin at Tassajara. Genjokoan, training, Priest, Teacher-and-Student, Patience, Tassajara Zen Mountain... |
Dec 09 1988 2 of 7 Tassajara Zen Mountain Center |