Zen practice in the Connecticut River Valley
Due to the holidays, Oxbow Zen will be closed on the following days:
For a quick look you can also check the Calendar.
As of right now, the Sunday December 28 sit is on. As the date comes closer, please check in or check the calendar to confirm that the plan hasn’t changed.
Just a quick heads-up about events in planning for early 2026
We’re putting together a Poetry Workshop, likely on March 15, as a way of outreach and inviting new people into the space and the practice. Join the work group in planning the event and organizing marketing options. All are welcome!
We’re studying “The Six Perfections: Buddhism and the Cultivation of Character” by Dale Wright. Study will continue on the third Sunday of each month. Note that each chapter, at about 40 pages, is a more substantial amount of reading than prior study texts.
Schedule: Jan 16 2026: Chapter 4: The Perfection of Energy (Virya paramita). No study meeting in December.
We’re putting together a Poetry Workshop, likely in mid March, as a way of outreach and inviting new people into the space and the practice. Join the work group in planning the event and organizing marketing options. All are welcome!
“The Village Zendo’s year-end retreat is a chance to step out of ordinary life and enjoy deep silence and contemplation at the turning of the year. Our schedule is serious (with plenty of zazen meditation) but also spacious, with time to enjoy the beautiful grounds and nearby trails. Dharma talks are given daily, and there is opportunity to meet individually with teachers. Delicious vegetarian meals are offered buffet-style. If you have put off doing a residential retreat, or felt intimidated to try one, this is a wonderful retreat to attend. Come and join the Village Zendo sangha as we greet the new year with clear minds and open hearts.”
Futher details and registration: https://villagezendo.org/events/winter-sesshin-2025/
We’re studying “The Six Perfections: Buddhism and the Cultivation of Character” by Dale Wright. Study will continue on the third Sunday of each month. Note that each chapter, at about 40 pages, is a more substantial amount of reading than prior study texts.
Schedule: Nov 16: Chapter 3: The Perfection of Tolerance (Kshanti paramita).
We’re excited to be offering Fusatsu as part of Soshin Sensei’s in-person visit that day.
Fusatsu is an ancient Buddhist chanting and bowing ceremony of atonement and purification that provides us with the opportunity to acknowledge our deep karmic entanglements. There will be a short talk on one of the Bodhisattva precepts.
We’ll sit for one 30 minute round before going into Fusatsu, which takes about an hour, give or take.
Followed by community brunch, likely at Mosaic.
We’re planning on putting together a Poetry Workshop, as a way of outreach and inviting new people into the space and the practice. A work group will meet for planning the event and organizing marketing options. All are welcome!
We had a wonderfil day with large group at the Zazenkai, including two dear friends who traveled down from Vermont and New Hampshire. Here are a few impressions.
