Starting in 30 Days
Wednesdays, Sept 9th – Dec 16th
Online
4:15 – 7:15 pm ET
The Diamond Sutra is one of the most beloved and influential texts in Buddhism. It is a short “perfection of wisdom” teaching that doesn't so much offer answers as cut through our ordinary ways of grasping for them.
This course invites you into a living relationship with this sutra and Buddha’s teachings on śūnyatā (boundlessness / emptiness / immeasurability) and the illusions we cling to about ourselves and the world.
This course is an immersive, exploratory practice that includes but is not focused on intellectual study. Together, we will read and recite the sutra, meditate on it, discuss it, and find creative ways to let it work on our lives; in our care for others, our relationships, our understanding of self, and our engagement with the suffering of the world around us.
Grounded in the realities of the present moment—grief, uncertainty, injustice—we will also discover how the Diamond Sutra's insights into generosity, non-attachment, and the bodhisattva path can offer genuine support for living with freedom, dignity, and compassion.
New practitioners and experienced students alike are welcome to come with fresh eyes.
This course is for anyone willing to explore and be changed by what they learn, whether you are new to Buddhism or have been practicing for years. While there will be very short talks during each class, the course is more focused on collective exploration, for those curious about applying the Dharma to everyday life and eager to learn alongside a community of fellow seekers.
Participants will be expected to read and recite the sutra between classes, engage wholeheartedly in dialogue, and bring their own questions and experiences to the teachings.
If you are drawn to study that moves from the page into your life, this course is for you.
In this short introductory video, Zen teacher Jisho Siebert shares how the Diamond Sutra invites us to meet suffering with wisdom, loosen the grip of craving, and discover a freedom that's available in this very moment. Learn what you'll explore in this experiential course and why these timeless teachings remain so relevant today.
Financial Support: NYZC endeavors to make our programs accessible. If the cost of this program is prohibitive, please choose the scholarship level. There are a limited number of scholarship seats available. If the scholarship level is not listed on the registration form, that means it is no longer available.
Sept 9th | Sept 16th | Sept 30th | Oct 7th | Oct 14th | Oct 21st | Oct 28th | Nov 4th | Nov 11th | Nov 18th | Dec 2nd | Dec 9th | Dec 16th
*Recordings of the class, not including breakout room discussions, will be made available to registered students.
Together, we will utilize Red Pine's translation of the Diamond Sutra as offered in the book Three Zen Sutras: The Heart Sutra, The Diamond Sutra, and The Platform Sutra (Counterpoints)
While not required, it is highly recommended that you purchase a copy of the text before the start of the class.
Register at this level if you need Masters Credit. You will also be required to write a 10-page paper. If you register at any of the audit levels, you can still participate fully in the class and will not be required to submit a 10-page paper.
This course is part of our certificate program which you can learn more about here.
Jisho Sara Siebert is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest who was led to Buddhism by the suffering around her and in her work to prevent domestic and sexual violence. Her path to understand suffering and joy led her to Los Angeles – where she first met her teacher, Gengo Akiba Roshi, then to Papua New Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, monasteries in Japan, and Haiti. She is recognized as an International Zen Teacher (Kokusaifukyoshi) by the Soto Shu and teaches at Zen Fields in Ames, Iowa.
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