Fall Practice Period
with Keidō Thotland
Offered online and in person
Wednesday evenings, October 1 – November 19, 7:15 – 8:45 pm OR
Thursday mornings October 2 – November 20 , 7:30 – 9:00 am
Please register five days in advance.
Please join Keidō Thotland for our Fall Practice Period. We will be learning about the first Buddhist women beginning with Mahapajapati, the Buddha's aunt and first nun. We will also explore how the lives, poems, and practice of these women can inform our practice today. We will be using the book First Buddhist Women by Susan Murcott.
Practice Periods are an integral part of traditional Buddhism, and trace their origins back to the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, when the nuns and monks would take time during the monsoon seasons of India to devote themselves to intensified meditation, study, and community building.
Participants are expected to attend the eight weekly meetings (Wednesday evenings from 7:15 – 8:45 pm OR Thursday mornings from 7:30 – 9:00 am), commit to regular zazen practice, attend at least one day of retreat (for which there is an additional cost) and one work practice day and read the assigned text(s).
Practice Partners for this Practice Period are optional*.
A Practice Partner is an assigned individual that you elect to meet with once a week for 30 - 60 minutes, supporting one another in practice and throughout the Practice Period. Many people report this as the highlight of Practice Period.
*Practice Partners for Priests-in-Training are required.
Suggested donation: $185
A Note About Donation-only Programming
Following the Buddhist tradition of dana, or giving, MZMC offers all of our programs on a donation basis. We offer a suggested donation amount to help people understand the average amount we hope to receive to continue to make these offerings. We encourage those with more capacity for giving to make a donation above the suggested amount to support those who need to give a smaller amount.
