Monshin Nannette Overley: Sesshin: Entering the Ceremony of Sesshin (Spring Practice Period 2022)

Sensei Monshin Nannette Overley talks about the Zen ritual of sesshin, a period of intensive practice over a number of days. Monshin reminds us that even though the forms of sesshin have been handed down to us through generations of practitioners, each sesshin is new, created moment by moment by those participating in it. Monshin asks us to consider these questions around sesshin: What happens to our personalities (our likes and dislikes, our stories about ourselves and others) when we enter into between three and eight full days of silence? What happens to our movements around each other and the objects surrounding us? Throughout a sesshin, we enact the same ritual forms again and again and again. Why? What are we creating together through these repetitions? Taking a lead from Kosho Uchiyama, Sensei Monshin suggests that the practice of sesshin is one of cultivating “right acceptance.” It is the practice of receiving ourselves and the whole universe at the same time—a profound acceptance of life as it arises each moment. Whether you’ve participated in many sesshins or are thinking of joining one for the first time, this talk from an experienced teacher-practitioner will serve as a trustworthy guide for reflection and practice. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here. For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: SPRING PRACTICE PERIOD 2022: Making Visible the Invisible – An Exploration of Zen Liturgy