ANGO
From the time of the Buddha, dedicated periods of intensified practice were built into the yearly cycle. In the ancient days, these coincided with the rainy season, when roads were impassible and the monastics were stuck together for several months anyway. Later, in Zen circles, this was reformatted as two 90–day periods a year known as ango, or peaceful abiding, when time on the mat was increased and other practices that helped cultivate and hone insight were taken on.
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No one can deny that there is a connection between the time and effort we put into our practice and the depth and extent of our insight. Of course, there is a danger in treating that connection as it it were equivalent to adding more quarters to the gumball machine and getting more gumballs as a result (it just doesn't work like that, as anyone who has practiced for any length of time will tell you). Still, undertaken with right understanding and right aspiration there is value in upping our game from time to time to fuel our effort, to let our egos get some much needed wearing away, and to strengthen our resolve going forward. And while we certainly are able to deepen our practice on our own, undertaking such intensification knowing there are others doing the same can only help steel us in our resolve and fortify that bond we share as plain practitioners of the Dharma.
To that end, we schedule two ango periods, six weeks each, one in the spring and one in the fall.​What might one do during such an ango period? Here are some suggestions:
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• If you live out of town and are in the koan collections, you might consider committing to one or two zoom dokusans a week.
• If you live out of town and are not in the koan collections, you might commit to some particular number of zoom dokusans.
• If you are in town and have never come on a Sunday (missing out on chanting and teisho), you might commit to some particular number of Sundays to take part in the full range of practice offered here.
• If you are in town and do not come during the week (when there are no bells and whistles but just some solid sitting), you might consider committing to some particular number of weeknights or mornings.
• If you have been attending sittings with any frequency and have not availed yourself of dokusan much (or at all), you could commit to making that a regular part of your practice.
• If you feel that helping sustain the Center might strengthen your dedication to practice, you could commit to some hours of volunteer work around the Center (there's always something to do!).
• If you'd like to deepen your understanding of the Dharma you could commit to reading a key text (or two) from the tradition and arranging to discuss it/them with the teacher outside of dokusan.
• Finally, if you have never attended sesshin (or haven't attended in quite a while, or have not yet attended a full sesshin) you could sign on for the sesshin built into the ango period.
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Whatever your commitment, make it known to the teacher before ango begins using this form. Don't bite off more than you can reasonably chew, but don't be shy about gently pushing some limits, either. Above all, be honest about both your intentions and your practice. If you find your commitment flagging, either consciously resolve to do what you need to get back on track or else inform the teacher that you are tapping out.
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Upcoming ango periods will be indicated on the home page and on the CZC calendar as they approach.