Intensive Practice Period 2025 

Women in Buddhism   

The 2025 Intensive Practice Period begins on March 23, and culminates with the sesshin at Camp Sealth,  April 20-27.

The core emphasis for the Intensive Practice Period is just that— leaning into zazen— increasing our time in zazen as much as possible.   We will be providing many opportunities for sitting together in the zendo:  early mornings, evenings, and half-day sits every Sunday, plus we will kick off with a full-day sit on Saturday, 22 March (in West Seattle), as well as seven days of sesshin at Camp Sealth.

Our Intensive Practice guidelines for this year have been much revised and simplified.  Here are the elements of the Practice Period and how we can participate:

• Participation in the IPP is now open to all the sangha.  In the past, participation was for PSZC members only.
• Participation may be at several levels of intensity.  Everyone may participate in the focused Sunday talks, Wednesday evening talks/discussions, and activities in the zendo (see descriptions below)
• PLUS there is still an opportunity for those who wish to deepen your practice by writing your own personal plans for intensified practice and committing to that plan in the form of a “contract” between the teachers and yourself (see guidelines below).

Teachers, Readings, Talks, and Activities

Sundays during service:  guest speakers focussed on Women in Buddhism. (Talk titles TBA

• 23 March.  Zen Master Jeong Ji (Anita Feng), guiding teacher of the Albuquerque Zen Center
• 30 March.  Dr. Sarah Shaw, Honorary fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies
• 6 April.    Tsunma Tenzin Dasel, Spiritual Director of Tashi Gatsel Ling Dharma Center
• 13 April _________TBA___________
• 20 April (Easter) No regular sit: instead, an 8:30 to 9:30 am sit followed by coffee and a “service service” to pack up for Camp Sealth.

Wednesday evenings 7-8:30 pm: readings/discussions on Women in Buddhism.   (in the zendo and on Zoom). Readings from The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-five Centuries of Awakened Women, edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon.

• 26 March. Sonin’s Shadeless Tree. Commentary by Anita Feng (pp 8-82)
• 2 April.   The Goddess’s Transformations. Commentary Jan Chozen Bays (pp 207-209)
• 9 April.  The Woman in Samadi.  Commentary by Natalie Goldberg & Miriam Sagan (pp.68-71)
• 16 April –  Lingzhao’s Helping. Commentary by Joan Sutherland. (pp. 293-295).

Zazen opportunities:

• Every weekday morning 6:30-7:30 am (in-person and Zoom)
• Every weekday evening, plus Saturday evening 7-8 pm; (Zoom only)
• Every Sunday morning 7:00 am- 12:00 (includes the 10:00 service) (in-person and on Zoom)
• Full day-sit Saturday 22 March (West Seattle): (SIGN UP NOW at PSZC.org) (In-person only)
• 7-day sesshin, Camp Sealth (evening of Sunday, April 20 through Sunday afternoon, April 27. (In-person only)

Creating Your Own Personal Practice Plan 

Here are the guidelines if you wish to deepen your practice by creating your own personal practice plan to commit to during the five weeks.   

1. Take some time to see what feels right and possible. Make it realistic, taking into account other commitments etc. but do lean into practice.
2. Create your practice plan around Zazen. Consider carefully the intensified zazen you will commit to for the five weeks.  Write down the details of the additional zazen you commit to. For example:

• I will sit 4 weekday mornings a week in the zendo
• I will attend Monday night zazen, Wednesday night zazen and discussion, and the Sunday sits starting at 7am each week in the zendo
• I will sit at home for 20 minutes every evening before bed.
• I will sign up for and attend the all-day sit on 22 March
• I will sign up for and attend half-time the April sesshin at Camp Sealth

3. Add any Other activity to add to your personal Intensive Practice Period plan-  e.g., art practice, body practice, keeping a practice journal, additional readings.

Opening the Intensive Practice Period—Sunday, 23 March

After the regular service on Sunday, March 23rd, those interested in participating in the IPP will break for soup and bread and then gather in the zendo at 12:15. Koshin will introduce the IPP, and we will have a short ceremony in which those who have prepared practice plans in “contract” form and wish to commit, ceremoniously place their “contracts” on the altar. You are welcome to join even if you have not written a “contract” for the practice plan.

Those who submit “contracts” will put their names in a hat, and we will draw partners for the duration of the IPP. The partners may, for example, have tea together, talk over their practice, discuss their experiences with zazen—in short, support each other throughout the five weeks.

Mid-Intensive Check-in Sunday, March 9

After the Sunday service, IPP participants will gather in the zendo to check in and share their experiences, e.g., with their intensified Zazen practice, thoughts on the Women in Buddhism theme, reactions to speakers or readings, etc.