ANGO @ One River Zen
Ango 2025
A Brave and Open Heart, Turned Toward the World
Each year, One River Zen enters into Ango—“peaceful dwelling”—a sacred period of concentrated practice that traces its roots to the time of the Buddha. Originally observed during the monsoon season, Ango was a time when monastics stayed in one place to deepen their commitment to the path. Over the centuries, it evolved into a powerful container for transformation, where silence, service, and shared intention forged the spiritual backbone of the Zen tradition.
This year, we are honored to practice under the leadership of Jōza Genpō Seth Myers, our Shuso (head monk). The Shuso role is a living rite of passage for senior students preparing to become Assistant Teachers. It is not simply a matter of personal development—it is a role of service, offering presence, steadiness, and Dharma to the community. Genpō’s practice will be tested for these qualities, and this Ango marks a significant step in his unfolding path. He’ll be leading a class on the Heart Sutra for this years’ Ango.
To fully honor the spirit of Ango, all non-Ango programming will pause, allowing our temple and community to give full attention to this time of focused training. Practice will be wholehearted and immersive: daily zazen, intensive sesshin, Dharma inquiry, and deep sangha connection.
In a special offering to mark this year’s journey, we will also be joined by an artist-in-residence, whose presence will help chronicle this time of shared devotion—not as outsiders looking in, but as fellow travelers capturing the heart of a practice that dares to open itself to the world.
This is the work of Ango: to dwell in stillness not as an escape, but as a vow—to cultivate a brave and open heart, and turn it outward in compassion, courage, and clarity.
2025 SEPTEMBER SIT IN FOR PEACE
ONLINE & IN-PERSON
SEPTEMBER 1-30, 2025
ORIENTATION AUGUST 27th AT 10A
Ango 2025 begins with a bold and compassionate vow: The September Sit-In for Peace.
As war, division, and restlessness touch every corner of the globe, we respond not with despair but with presence. For the month of September, we invite all practitioners to double their meditation practice—anchoring ourselves in peace and offering that peace as medicine to our community and the world.
Everyone who registers and pledges to sit at least 20 minutes daily will receive a free “Sit-In for Peace” t-shirt at orientation on Saturday August 27th at 10A, as a symbol of shared intention and support. Throughout the month, participants will also receive daily Metta prompts—brief reflections and practices to deepen lovingkindness and compassionate awareness in daily life.
The temple schedule for this period will include both in-person and online opportunities to sit together:
Monday–Friday: 6:30–7:15 AM & 6:00–6:45 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM
Sunday: 7:00 PM
Whether you join us in the zendo or from your own cushion at home, this is your invitation to begin Ango by stepping fully into the heart of practice. Together, let us cultivate the brave and steady peace our world needs.
TRANSFORMING THE HEART AND MIND | SEVEN-DAY MEDITATION RETREAT
WEEK-LONG RETREAT STARTS 10/3/25
RESIDENTIAL, COMMUTER OR ONLINE
This seven-day retreat marks the beginning of our Ango, or "peaceful dwelling" period—an ancient Zen tradition of intensified practice during the change of seasons. For centuries, practitioners have entered this sacred time to deepen their commitment, clarify intention, and return wholeheartedly to the path.
SHUSO INSTALLATION CEREMONY
OCTOBER 4, 2025 at 10A
Honoring Jōza Genpō Seth Myers as Head Monk of Ango 2025
Please join us for the formal Installation of the Shuso (Head Monk) as we officially enter Ango 2025 at One River Zen. This ancient rite marks a powerful turning point in the training of senior students—where personal practice matures into spiritual leadership, and the vow to serve the Dharma becomes visible in form.
On Saturday, October 4 at 10:00 AM, we will gather in the zendo to witness and support Jōza Genpō Seth Myers as he takes up the mantle of Shuso for this Ango period. The ceremony includes traditional chanting, a formal installation by the Abbot, and the beginning of Shuso’s teaching period with a brief talk.
A HEART SUTRA JOURNEY
FIVE WEEK CLASS SERIES BEGINS OCTOBER 15
ONLINE & IN-PERSON
As part of our Ango 2025 training period, we invite you to dive deeply into one of the most beloved texts in the entire Buddhist canon: the Heart Sutra.
Chanted daily in temples around the world, the Heart Sutra is both poetic and profoundly liberating. It invites us beyond concept, beyond belief into the living truth that “form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” This short but potent text distills the essence of Prajñāpāramitā—the Perfection of Wisdom—and continues to awaken all who approach it with sincerity.
FUSATSU: RENEWING OUR VOWS
SEPTEMBER 9th, OCTOBER 7th, NOVEMBER 11th at 7:00P
Held Monthly During Ango
A Vow to Begin Again, Together
Fusatsu is one of the oldest and most intimate rituals in the Zen tradition—a ceremony of atonement, recommitment, and renewal of vows. Practiced since the time of the Buddha, it offers a powerful opportunity to return to the heart of practice: acknowledging our missteps, restoring harmony, and reaffirming the Bodhisattva Path.
During Ango 2025, One River Zen will hold monthly Fusatsu ceremonies as a way to keep the training period grounded in humility, integrity, and collective support. In the spirit of “no hindrance, therefore no fear,” we come together not to judge ourselves, but to courageously meet our lives, recommit to the precepts, and vow again to live with wisdom and compassion.
SHUSO HŌSSENSHIKI | ANGO CLOSING CEREMONY
DECEMBER 6th at 10 AM
As Ango 2025 comes to a close, we gather in deep respect and celebration for the Shuso Hōssenshiki—the Head Monk’s Dharma Encounter Ceremony—and the formal Closing of the Ango training period.
On Sunday, December 14 at 10:00 AM, our Shuso, Jōza Genpō Seth Myers, will take the Dharma seat and present a talk before the sangha. He will then engage in live Dharma encounter, fielding spontaneous questions from teachers and community members alike. This ceremony is a traditional (and fun) way for the Shuso to demonstrate their insight, stability, and readiness to serve as an Assistant Teacher in the future.
This event also marks the Closing Ceremony of Ango—a time to reflect on the vows taken, the teachings received, and the transformation that has unfolded, both individually and collectively.