- A 90-Day Online Guided Practice Period
Commit to Sit: The Path Illuminated
January 22nd – April 21st, 2025
January 22nd – April 21st, 2025
Starting in:
until our opening dharma talk
*Register now and gain access to any resources or recorded dharma talks that have already been shared on our course platform.
Practice, Guidance, Support
For new and advanced practitioners alike, Commit to Sit is a guided 90-day practice period designed to empower you on your Zen meditation journey through a structured and supportive community and environment led by renowned teachers in the US and Japan.
This unique program features:
88 Generations of Wisdom
The guiding text for this Winter’s Commit to Sit will be The Record of Transmitting the Light: Zen Master Keizan’s Denkoroku. We share more on this prolific Zen classic below.
Daily Video Teachings
Short video reflections from NYZC’s Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei will be sent to you via email, highlighting key learnings from the text and expounding upon it in support of your journey.
Weekly Dharma Talks + Q&A Sessions
Acclaimed Zen teachers from across the US and Japan will join us for a weekly talk and interactive Q&A—live-streamed Monday evenings at 7pm ET and available afterwards via recording.
Daily Live Meditation Opportunities
Learn and practice in our Online & In-Person Zendo (the “One-do”) with participants from around the world. Foster a sense of community wherever you are.
Connection with Sangha
Engage in reflective discussions with fellow Commit to Sit practitioners through a private online forum.
...and more!
An International Group of Sōtō Zen Teachers
13 esteemed guides from the US and Japan support you in your journey to connection.
Commit today
The standard cost of this program is $108 — all payment levels offer the same access to the program.
Please choose a payment level that works for your financial situation. Supporter level and above pricing is available for those who wish to increase their support of NYZC and our work to make the dharma accessible to all.
What do You love about Commit to Sit?
“An opportunity for accountability for zazen practice with the NYZC. I have no Zen center near me in South Carolina, so it has been wonderful to be able to participate in this period with you all. I believe this is my third one!”
“This has been a reawakening and a deepening of my practice. Through the text and discussions I was able to see through my limited experience to a deeper understanding that allowed my practice to bloom. Moments of clarity and tempering expectations helped me find the dedication to maintain my practice. I have never had a stronger practice with the continued understanding to let it be what it is. This has been life changing.”
“I have participated in every Commit to Sit. I do it, and will continue to do it, because it provides me things that I lack in my own practice: structure, discipline, and community support. CTS is gentle, reliable, well organized, and consistent.”
“This has been very special for me – communal support to deepen my practice. I’m a long-time meditator going mostly solo. The daily emails with the texts and the weekly dharma talks and the sense of sangha have been incredibly supportive. This is my first CTS with NYZC and I’m so grateful.”
“Commit to sit has become my primary engagement with the broader Buddhist community. It is a way for me to be part of a sangha. It deepens my practice and understanding and provides motivation to sit regularly.”
“Commit to Sit has come to mean a lot to me. I feel that through my association with NYZC via Commit to Sit that I’m able to access the larger Sangha. Commit to Sit enables me to have a regular structured practice within Sangha relationship that fits my schedule and inclinations. I especially appreciate the abilty to access dharma talks videos after the fact as I’m not often able to be present for the live Zoom sessions.”
“Extremely generous offering of the dharma. So many thanks for the huge amount of work this took.”
“For me, the daily readings and the dharma talks are very important. The writings that have been selected for the sessions and the associated dharma talks have opened my mind to a greater understanding of Zen practice and meaning.”
Why this book?
Why this book?
The Record of Transmitting the Light (Denkoroku) by Zen Master Keizan is a cornerstone of the Soto Zen lineage. This profound text illuminates the awakening stories of 88 generations of Zen ancestors, weaving together the rich tapestry of their unique experiences and universal truths.
This book invites us to explore the nature of true connection and encourages us to embody authentic kindness. As we sit together during this practice period, we will use this guiding text to inspire our efforts, ground our reflections, and deepen our understanding of what it means to illuminate the path—both for ourselves and for others.
Expand your practice this winter
The standard cost of this program is $108 and all payment levels provide access to the same program materials. Please choose a payment level that works for your financial situation.
