Daily Sitting and Service Schedule
Most of the practice at ZCLA follows a fairly consistent daily routine. It is helpful to know that this is also impermanent and tends to vary depending on the needs of the schedule. In general the days at ZCLA are as follows:
Wednesday through Friday morning
| 5:55 – 7:00am | Zazen (Sitting Meditation) |
| 6:30am | Slow Kinhin (you may enter or leave quickly) |
| 7:00am | Verse of the Kesa |
| 7:05am | Service in the Buddha Hall |
Wednesday evening
| 6:45pm | Service in the Buddha Hall |
| 7:00 – 7:35pm | Zazen |
| 7:35 – 7:45pm | Outside Walking Zen/Kinhin* |
| 7:45 – 8:20pm | Zazen |
| 8:20pm | Closure of the day with Four Vows and 3 prostrations |
Thursday evening
| 6:45pm | Service in the Buddha Hall |
| 7:00 – 7:20pm | Zazen |
| 7:20 – 7:30pm | Outside Walking Zen |
| 7:30 – 8:30pm | Check calendar for Thursday evening program. |
| 8:30pm | Closure of the day with Four Vows and 3 prostrations |
Saturday morning
| 8:30am | Service in the Buddha Hall |
| 9:00 – 9:35am | Zazen |
| 9:35 – 9:45am | Outside Walking Zen/Kinhin* |
| 9:45 – 10:20am | Zazen |
| 10:20 – 10:30am | Outside Walking Zen/Kinhin* |
| 10:30 – 11:00am | Zazen, ends with Four Vows and prostrations |
| 11:00 – 11:15am | Temple cleaning (ca. 15min) |
Sunday Morning
| 8:30am | Gate of Sweet Nectar Service in the Buddha Hall |
| 9:00 – 9:35am | Zazen |
| 9:35 – 9:45am | Outside Walking Zen/Kinhin* |
| 9:45 – 10:20am | Zazen |
| Followed by | Four Vows and three full prostrations |
| 10:30am | Closing Ceremony |
*You may enter or leave the Zendo during Kinhin.
Thursday night:
Thursday evenings alternate between zazen, as listed above, or a class, or a Ceremony of Atonement (fusatsu). Check the calendar or weekly email for details.
Saturday:
Saturday mornings usually follow the routine above and end at 11:30am. The monthly Day of Reflection has a slight change of the routine. Please check the Bulletin Board, the weekly email newsletter, or the online calendar for special events and the Day of Reflection schedule.
Sunday:
Following zazen and face-to-face on Sundays, we meet at 11:00 in the Dharma Hall for a talk by one of the teachers or senior students, or gather for a special presentation.
Face-to-Face Meeting and Interviews:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings (Zoom/members only). Please see the weekly email for links if you are joining remotely.
Wednesday evening and Saturday and Sunday mornings (in-person/members & non-members).