How to Cook Your Life: A 90-Day Online Commit to Sit Practice Period

Led by New York Zen Center’s Guiding Teacher: Koshin Paley Ellison

with Joan Amaral, Chimyo Atkinson, Chodo Campbell, Norman Fischer, Dai En Friedman, Issho Fujita, Ryushin Paul Haller, Taiga Ito, Genyu Kojima, Koyu Mori, Shinzan Palma, Sato Ryoki, Shishin Wick, Yuko Wakayama Yamada and Gyokei Yokoyama

Wednesday, January 12th – Monday, April 11th, 2022

Join Zen teachers from across the United States and Japan for an in-depth, 90-day exploration of Zen practice guided by our study text, How to Cook Your Life, Kōshō Uchiyama Roshi’s (1912 – 1998) classic commentary and analysis of 13th century Zen Master Eihei Dogen’s seminal Instructions to the Zen Cook.

Regarded with utmost importance, Dogen deemed the position of head cook at a monastery to be suitable only for those who had attained a deep understanding of study and practice. His instruction manual to the cook, enhanced and brought to life by Uchiyama Roshi’s commentary, provides a straightforward and practical guide for living, in the kitchen as well as in every moment.

Through weekly dharma talks, daily practice emails, group discussion, and meditation, we will learn to ground ourselves and show up unconditionally to all of the ingredients of our lives.

This unique practice period includes:

• Opening dharma talk Wednesday, January 12 at 7:30 pm ET; Closing dharma talk Monday, April 11 at 7:30 pm ET
• Weekly dharma talks, live-streamed Sunday (and some Thursday) evenings at 7:30 pm ET and available afterward via video recordings.
• Daily email reflections selected from the study text to support our learning.
• Daily opportunities to sit zazen in our Online Zendo with participants from around the world, with two additional dharma talks each week.
• Access to an online forum for discussion and reflection with other Commit to Sit practitioners.
• Additional resources to support you in deepening your practice.