Sunday Practice Session

Sunday, November 15: Practice Session Invitation

You are invited to attend.

Tetsugan Osho, Dosho Port

13 Nov 2026 • 2 min read

Maitreya Bodhisattva, Japan, 7th Century

Greetings,

Our upcoming group practice session will be offered from 10:00 to 11:15am Central Time. Following a brief period of zazen, Tetsugan Sensei and Dosho Roshi will give the second talk in our late fall study of the Buddha's teaching on "mind only" (aka, "mere perception"). This Sunday, we begin unpacking the great Zen ancestor Vasubandhu's ("Living Among Relatives") teaching on mere perception.

Regarding why this teaching is important, Woncheuk said:

"The Tathagata compassionately and skillfully taught the imperative that all dharmas are mere perception so living beings would abandon external objects. When external objects are abandoned, deluded consciousness accords with the cessation of afflictions. When deluded consciousness is extinguished, nirvana is verified."

In November and December, we are offering five talks on this theme, connecting the principle of mere perception with the awakening and post-awakening processes. This is a vital teaching for relying on and abiding in the Bodhisattva Vows.

You are welcome to attend any or all of the upcoming sessions and to study along with us. The complete text for this study period is here (page numbers for the sessions are below in parentheses).

Below, you will find the schedule of topics, session instructions, zendo guidelines, the Zoom link, and the opening and closing chants.

Upcoming Sunday Sessions

November 15: Mere Perception and Objects (pp. 7-13)
November 22: The Selflessness of Dharmas (pp. 14-20)
November 29: Matter and Perception (pp. 21-24)
December 6: Karma and Waking Up—One-Day Retreat (pp. 25-30)