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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 Constancy, confusion, Practice Period, Chanting, Passions, Conversation, Building,... |
Jun 19 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Shusho Hossen CeremonySerial: BZ-00671 Ceremony Bodhidharma, Practice Period, Bell, Giving-and-Taking, Renunciation, Ordinary Mind,... |
Jun 15 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Tree PracticeSerial: BZ-00653B Sesshin Day 2 Birth-and-Death, Interdependence, Bodhidharma, Buddha Ancestors, Lay, Dragons,... |
Jun 10 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record Case #1: Bodhidharma’s Later YearsSerial: BZ-00667A Lecture Bodhidharma, Eka, Buddha Mind, Blue Cliff Record, Book of Serenity, Practice Period,... |
May 29 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Transmission of Light: The 38th Ancestor Seigen Gyoshi; Not Getting Caught in StagesSerial: BZ-00666B Saturday Lecture Seigen Gyoshi, Liberation, Lineage, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Current Events, Don... |
May 22 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Keizan’s Transmitting Light; Tung Shan: the Teaching of Inanimate ThingsSerial: BZ-00665B Lecture Attachment, Discrimination, Lotus Sutra, War, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period,... |
May 15 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Blue Cliff Record Case #1: Bodhidharma’s Coming from the WestSerial: BZ-00665A Lecture Bodhidharma, Family Practice, Practice Period, Buddha Mind, Dharma Transmission,... |
May 08 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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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Bringing Practice into Everyday LifeSerial: BZ-00664A Lecture Right Speech, American, confusion, Birth-and-Death, Practice Period, Precepts,... |
Apr 24 1993 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Unknown TitleSerial: BZ-00112 Lecture Practice Period, Commitment, Daily Life, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Gratitude,... |
Apr 17 1993 Tassajara |
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Ten Precepts: Tenth PreceptSerial: BZ-00621 Class 6 of 6 Precepts, Vow, Practice Period, Dharma Transmission, Renunciation, Repentance, Evil,... |
Feb 18 1993 6 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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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The Fallow Field, Grassroots and the Ginko: The Being that Refused to EvolveSerial: BZ-00643B Lecture Practice Period, Non-violence, War, Interdependence, Vow, Doubt, Avalokiteshvara,... |
Nov 21 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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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Paramitas: Dhyana (Meditation)Serial: BZ-00614 Class 5 of 6 Concentration, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Instruction, Death-and-Dying, Mahayana,... |
Oct 15 1992 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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The Dragon Who Never Sleeps: Taisho on Gathas and their UseSerial: BZ-00640 Lecture Vow, Priest, Bodhisattva Precepts, Right Speech, Lay, Mahayana, Evil, Practice Period... |
Oct 12 1992 Berkeley Zen Center |
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Paramitas: Virya (Effort)Serial: BZ-00613 Class 4 of 6 Right Effort, Enemies, Attachment, Patience, Birth-and-Death, confusion, Practice... |
Oct 08 1992 4 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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, Practice Period,... |
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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Introduction to Buddhism: Heart Sutra, EmptinessSerial: BZ-00278 Class 5 of 5 Heart Sutra, Dependent Origination, Bell, Practice Period, Chanting, Bodhisattva... |
Feb 20 1992 5 Berkeley Zen Center |
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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, War,... |
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 |
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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, Priest, Daily Life,... |
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 |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00717 Sesshin Day 7 Birth-and-Death, Observe, Bell, Impermanence, Happiness, Liberation, Mindfulness,... |
Feb 24 1989 Green Gulch Farm |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00327 Monday Evening Happiness, Enemies, Passions, Practice Period, Emotions, Equanimity, Mindfulness,... |
Jan 09 1989 Green Gulch Farm |
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Title UnknownSerial: BZ-00330 Sunday Talk Practice Period, Hate, Non-duality, Monastic Practice, Ego, Buddha Nature, Duality,... |
Jan 08 1989 Green Gulch Farm |
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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 |
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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, Priest, Teacher-and-Student, Patience, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center,... |
Dec 09 1988 2 of 7 Tassajara |