*No morning practice on Tuesdays or Sundays. No saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (see full practice calendar for details).

5:45 AM 108 bows
6:10 AM Morning chanting
6:35 AM Sitting meditation

Daily Practice at CZC

Morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.

Daily Regular Schedule



Daily Morning Practice

5:45 AM 108 Bows
6:10 AM Morning Chanting
6:30 AM Sitting meditation

Daily Evening Practice

6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting Meditation

*No morning practice on Tuesdays and Sundays. No Saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (See practice calendar for details.)


Weekly Special Programs



TUESDAY EVENING PROGRAM

5:30 PM Join us for community dinner!
7:30 PM Long sitting with kong-ans*

Thursday EVENING PROGRAM

6:15 PM Intro to Meditation Class
7:30 PM Dharma Talk (replaces sitting)*
8:30 PM Refreshments!

Sunday morning program

9 - 11 AM Long sitting with kong-ans*
11 AM Refreshments!
12:30 PM Young Zen


6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting meditation

In the dharma room, we practice in harmony with other people. Each person’s practice supports every other person’s practice.

  • When entering and exiting the Dharma room, we bow to the Buddha.

  • Walk behind the cushions to take your seat and not through people’s line of sight.

    Keep silence during sitting meditation and avoid excessive shifting. If needing a rest, simply stand behind your cushion.

    Allow monastics and teachers to exit the room first.

    Watch and follow what others aroundyou are doing.

  • Long bottoms are encouraged. Gray meditation robes are provided by the Zen Center.

learn about

Practice forms

Sitting meditation

Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don’t worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes. You must not be attached to the coming or the going.
— Zen Master Seung Sahn

Chanting practice

The Kwan Um school is named after Kwan Seum Bosal (Ch.: Guan Yin 觀音, lit. “Perceive Sound”) the bodhisattva of compassion, who perceives the world’s suffering. This refers to the compassionate awareness that hears and responds to the suffering of all beings.

Chanting together in the Dharma Room cultivates our together-action. We chant at a volume where we may hear ourselves but also everyone around us.

Do not worry if you do not know the chants. Simply let the sound become the focus of your awareness.

  • Morning Chanting
    Morning Bell Chant (Booklet p. 2)
    Heart Sutra in English (Booklet p. 8)

    Special Chanting
    Thousand Eyes and Hands Sutra
    Kwan Seum Bosal Chanting

    Regular Chanting

    • Evening Bell Chant

    • Homage to the Three Jewels

    • Heart Sutra in Korean

    • Heart Sutra in English

    • Great Dharani

Kong-an practice

During long sits, Dharma students have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a teacher to ask any questions about life and Zen practice.

During these meetings, students may choose to participate in kong-an practice. Kong-an practice, from the Korean 공안 (derived from the Chinese gong’àn, meaning “public case”), is a Zen method of contemplation using paradoxical questions or dialogues from the Zen tradition to cut through conceptual thinking and awaken direct insight into reality.

Guiding teacher Zen Master Bon Yeon talks about Kong-an practice in this video.

Daily Practice at CZC

Morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.

Daily Regular Schedule



*No morning practice on Tuesdays or Sundays. No saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (see full practice calendar for details).

Daily Morning Practice

5:45 AM 108 Bows
6:10 AM Morning Chanting
6:30 AM Sitting meditation

Daily Evening Practice

6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting Meditation

*No morning practice on Tuesdays and Sundays. No Saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (See practice calendar for details.)


5:45 AM 108 bows
6:10 AM Morning chanting
6:35 AM Sitting meditation

Weekly Special Programs



TUESDAY EVENING PROGRAM

5:30 PM Join us for community dinner!
7:30 PM Long sitting with kong-ans*

Thursday EVENING PROGRAM

6:15 PM Intro to Meditation Class
7:30 PM Dharma Talk (replaces sitting)*
8:30 PM Refreshments!

Sunday morning program

9 - 11 AM Long sitting with kong-ans*
11 AM Refreshments!
12:30 PM Young Zen


6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting meditation

about

Practice forms

Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don’t worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes. You must not be attached to the coming or the going.
— Zen Master Seung Sahn

about

Practice forms

Kong-an practice

During long sits, Dharma students have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a teacher to ask any questions about life and Zen practice.

During these meetings, students may choose to participate in kong-an practice. Kong-an practice, from the Korean 공안 (derived from the Chinese gong’àn, meaning “public case”), is a Zen method of contemplation using paradoxical questions or dialogues from the Zen tradition to cut through conceptual thinking and awaken direct insight into reality.

Guiding teacher Zen Master Bon Yeon talks about Kong-an practice in this video.

Chanting practice

The Kwan Um school is named after Kwan Seum Bosal (Ch.: Guan Yin 觀音, lit. “Perceive Sound”) the bodhisattva of compassion, who perceives the world’s suffering. This refers to the compassionate awareness that hears and responds to the suffering of all beings.

Chanting together in the Dharma Room cultivates our together-action. We chant at a volume where we may hear ourselves but also everyone around us.

Do not worry if you do not know the chants. Simply let the sound become the focus of your awareness.

about

Practice forms

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming and events, morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.


DAILY REGULAR SCHEDULE

Daily Morning Practice

5:45 AM 108 Bows
6:10 AM Morning Chanting
6:30 AM Sitting meditation

Daily Evening Practice

6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting Meditation

*No morning practice on Tuesdays and Sundays. No Saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (See practice calendar for details.)

5:45 AM 108 bows
6:10 AM Morning chanting
6:35 AM Sitting meditation


*No morning practice on Tuesdays or Sundays. No saturday evening practice on retreat weekends (see full practice calendar for details).

5:30 PM Join us for community dinner!
7:30 PM Long sitting with Kong An interviews

Thursday EVENING PROGRAM

TUESDAY EVENING PROGRAM

6:15 PM Intro to Meditation Class
7:30 PM Dharma Talk (replaces sitting)
8:30 PM Refreshments!

Sunday morning program

9 - 11 AM Long sitting with kong-an interviews
11 AM Refreshments!
12:30 PM Young Zen

6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting meditation

About

Long sits & Kong-an interviews

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming and events, morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.

DAILY REGULAR SCHEDULE

5:45 AM 108 bows
6:10 AM Morning chanting
6:35 AM Sitting meditation

*No morning practice on Tuesdays or Sundays.


TUESDAY EVENING PROGRAM

5:30 PM Join us for community dinner!
7:30 PM Long sitting with Kong An interviews


Thursday EVENING PROGRAM

6:15 PM Intro to Meditation Class
7:30 PM Dharma Talk (replaces sitting)
8:30 PM Refreshments!

6:30 PM Special Chanting
7:00 PM Regular Chanting
7:30 PM Sitting meditation

Sunday morning program

9 - 11 AM Long sitting with kong-an interviews
11 AM Refreshments!
12:30 PM Young Zen

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming and events, morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming and events, morning and evening practice are offered every day, following a traditional monastic temple schedule. We have three primary forms of practice—bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation—which are common among all Kwan Um temples in the world.

All are welcome to join daily practice. Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time.

About

Dharma Talks

In the Dharma Room, we practice in harmony with other people. Each person’s practice supports every other person’s practice.

  • We're a team of passionate thinkers and doers, dedicated to building with purpose and clarity. Collaboration and curiosity drive everything we do.

  • We believe in keeping things simple, smart, and human. Every project starts with listening and ends with something we're proud to share.

  • From startups to seasoned brands, we partner with people who care about doing things right—and doing them well.

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming & events, morning and evening practice are offered every day. All are welcome to join daily practice. If you are new to the Cambridge Zen Center or meditation practice, we recommend starting with the Introductory Class. If you haven’t been to the Intro Class, just let someone know it’s your first time to receive a brief orientation.

Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time. You may enter and exit practice between chanting or sitting periods.

DAILY REGULAR SCHEDULE

5:45 AM 108 bows

6:10 AM Morning chanting

6:35 AM Sitting meditation

6:30 PM Special chanting

7:00 PM Regular chanting

7:30 PM Sitting meditation

TUESDAY EVENING

* No regular morning practice due to residents meeting

Midday sitting meditation

Community dinner

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Long sitting meditation

12:30 PM

5:30 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

THURSDAY EVENING

Midday sitting meditation

Introductory Class

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Dharma Talk

Tea & Snacks

12:30 PM

6:45 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

8:30 PM

SUNDAY

*no regular Sunday programming on retreat weekends

Long sitting meditation

Young Zen

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Sitting Meditation

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

12:30 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM

“Clear mind is like the full moon in the sky. Sometimes clouds come and cover it, but the moon is always behind them. Clouds go away, then the moon shines brightly. So don’t worry about clear mind: it is always there. When thinking comes, behind it is clear mind. When thinking goes, there is only clear mind. Thinking comes and goes, comes and goes. You must not be attached to the coming or the going.”

Zen Master Seung Sahn

Daily Practice at CZC

In addition to our weekly programming & events, morning and evening practice are offered every day. All are welcome to join daily practice. If you are new to the Cambridge Zen Center or meditation practice, we recommend starting with the Introductory Class. If you haven’t been to the Intro Class, just let someone know it’s your first time to receive a brief orientation.

Please arrive 10 minutes early to get settled in the Dharma Room before the posted start time. You may enter and exit practice between chanting or sitting periods.

DAILY REGULAR SCHEDULE

5:45 AM 108 bows

6:10 AM Morning chanting

6:35 AM Sitting meditation

6:30 PM Special chanting

7:00 PM Regular chanting

7:30 PM Sitting meditation

TUESDAY EVENING

* No regular morning practice due to residents meeting

Midday sitting meditation

Community dinner

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Long sitting meditation

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12:30 PM

5:30 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

THURSDAY EVENING

Midday sitting meditation

Introductory Class

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Dharma Talk

Tea & Snacks

12:30 PM

6:45 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

8:30 PM

SUNDAY

*no regular Sunday programming on retreat weekends

Long sitting meditation

Young Zen

Special chanting

Regular chanting

Sitting Meditation

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

12:30 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

7:30 PM