In this talk, Gyodo Sensei gives an overview of the tradition and theme for our Fall Ango intensive practice period, and shares about Eon Zen's Ango programs. 

Ango, which translates as "peaceful dwelling,” has been a traditional 90-day practice period in Zen for centuries. The Ango tradition dates to the times of monsoon season in India, when the community could not travel and so hunkered down, living life, studying and practicing the dharma together.

We might think of Ango as a "walled garden”or refuge. Today we can take refuge from the "monsoon" of modern life. It is a protected and nourishing heart-space for you to cultivate and deepen in practice together with others who share your aspirations.

Our theme for this year's Ango is Appreciate Your Life as the Awakened Life. My first teacher Maezumi Roshi said:

No one can live your life except you. No one can live my life except me. We do not see that our life right here, right now, is nirvana. Our practice is to close the gap between what we think our life is and our actual life as the subtle mind of nirvana. Or more to the point, how can we realize that there is really no gap to begin with? Appreciate the world of just this! There is nothing extra.

Zen is all about closing this gap.