fall practice period 2025
The Moonlight Trail: Embodying the Path of Practice
In Zen, the full moon is often seen as a symbol of our awakened nature—bright, whole, and unobstructed. Beginning a practice period on the full moon reminds us of that innate clarity. The moon’s cycle, waning and returning, mirrors the rhythm of practice itself: a continual returning to the path, again and again. This fall, our theme—The Moonlight Trail: Embodying the Path of Practice—invites us to turn study into lived realization, right where we live and work.
What we’ll study
We will be reading Thich Nhat Hanh's Peaceful Action, Open Heart: Lessons from the Lotus Sutra and Zenkei Blanche Hartman’s Seeds For A Boundless Life: Zen Teachings From The Heart.
Weekly rhythm
Saturday mornings we will meet for Chōsan - Morning Tea & Discussion led by Shinbo Joseph Hall and informed by readings from Seeds For A Boundless Life: Zen Teachings From The Heart.
Tuesday evenings Zenkei Anita Swann exploring the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and how they can be realized in everyday activity.
For more information, see the descriptions below.
Format
This is a remote Ango on Zoom with a few in-person pop-up events planned in Northern California and Austin, Texas.
How to participate
Sign up on this page using the form below. Make a simple personal vow for the period (sitting, study, a compassion practice, service). Show up for Saturday Teas and the Tuesday class when you can. Bring questions from daily life—practice happens where you are.
Opening + Closing Ceremonies
Saturday, October 4th and Saturday, November 22th at 8:00am PT / 10:00am CT
Ango (literally “peaceful dwelling”) is an ancient Zen practice period - designed to help us grow by intensifying our practice for a period of time and then returning to our homes with new eyes. Traditionally, Buddhist monks gather on the full moon to focus on their own training and education a few times a year. For us, ango is a chance to bring that same spirit of commitment into our everyday lives—deepening meditation, study, and service while still engaging fully with work, family, and community.
At Pop Up Zendo, we honor this tradition by gathering near the full moon to open the practice period, and by closing together near the new moon, carrying forward the seeds we’ve planted during this time. This fall, our theme—The Moonlight Trail: Embodying the Path of Practice—invites us to turn study into lived realization, right where we live and work.
Opening Ceremony: October 4, 2025
Closing Ceremony: November 22, 2025
Tuesday Book Study
Tuesdays at 5:30pm PT / 7:30pm CT from October 7th through November 18th
We will gather to read and reflect on Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peaceful Action, Open Heart: Lessons from the Lotus Sutra, a text that brings one of the most influential Mahayana sutras into clear, accessible language for our time. In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh draws out the Lotus Sutra’s profound teachings on Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha nature), interdependence, and the ever-present potential for awakening, showing how these timeless truths can be lived in daily life.
The Lotus Sutra has inspired generations of Buddhists not only in spiritual practice, but also in how they engage with the world—with compassion, justice, and responsibility. Through our discussions, we will explore how these insights inform modern understandings of social justice, community, and personal transformation, and consider how they can guide our own practice and action in the world today.
This book group is open to all who are curious, whether you are new to the Lotus Sutra or revisiting it with fresh eyes. The text is available in both print and e-book formats, making it easy to follow along. Join us as we study, share, and practice together in the spirit of Thich Nhat Hanh’s gentle yet radical vision of engaged Buddhism.
Chōsan: Saturday Tea
Saturdays at 8:00am PT / 10:00am CT from October 11th through November 15th
Chōsan (朝参) literally means “morning meeting” or “morning gathering.” In traditional Zen monasteries, it’s the daily formal assembly with the teacher. Typically it includes:
• Tea service: The abbot or teacher offers tea to the assembly, and everyone drinks together.
• Informal Dharma exchange: Students may ask questions, bring up practice issues, or the teacher may offer a short talk.
• Community connection: It’s less formal than dokusan (private interview), but more intimate than a big Dharma talk.
Because it’s centered around tea, sometimes you’ll hear it called “Zen tea.” It’s both a ritual and a reminder that ordinary acts—like drinking tea—are the field of practice. Unlike formal Dharma talks, chōsan is intimate and conversational: a chance to share questions, hear brief teachings, and connect through the simple act of drinking tea together. We will be discussing Seeds For A Boundless Life: Zen Teachings From The Heart by Zenkei Blanche Hartman.
At Pop Up Zendo, we carry this spirit into our daily practice—holding space for community, honest reflection, and the reminder that ordinary acts, like drinking tea, are themselves the field of awakening.