Sesshin (Retreat)

Three-Day Sesshin with Jukai, March 20-22

Recurrent

Location
Boundless Mind Temple
326 Clinton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
View map
Description

In this in-person three-day sesshin (meditation retreat), led by BZC’s dharma teachers Sarah Dōjin Emerson and Charlie Korin Pokorny, the schedule will include periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), along with soji, service and dharma talks. Partial attendance will be permitted; a minimum of two days’ attendance is required.

The dharma talk offered during the sesshin on Saturday, March 21, at 11:20 AM ET will be live-streamed. For security reasons, we do not post zoom links publicly. Please sign up to “This Week at BZC” to receive the log in information.

Lunch will not be served. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch or go out for lunch (there will be an ample break in the middle of the day.)

Jukai Ceremony

At the end of the sesshin we’ll hold a Jukai ceremony, in which several members of our sangha will formally receive and acknowledge the sixteen bodhisattava precepts as an ongoing path in their lives. The Jukai ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2–4PM ET. If you would like to attend the ceremony and are not attending the sesshin, please plan to arrive between 1:30 and 1:45pm ET – no registration required!

Schedule

Friday: 7:00 AM–8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM–6:00 PM (Jukai ceremony practice at 6PM)
Sunday: 8:00 AM–12:00 PM (12-1PM Lunch; 1-2pm set up; Jukai ceremony  2-4PM)

Registration

Registration deadline — March 15, 11:59 PM ET
Financial assistance deadline — March 8, 11:59 PM ET

Fee (sliding scale) — $140–$330

  • See our Equitable Pricing Model here to determine your rate.
  • No one will be turned away due to financial constraints. If you’re unable to pay at the lowest rate, please use this form to apply for financial assistance by the deadline.

Questions? If you have any questions or concerns about registration, please contact us at info@brooklynzen.org.

Instructors

Sarah Dōjin Emerson’s formal practice in Soto Zen began in 1996. She lived and trained at Tassajara Zen Mountain center and other sites of the San Francisco Zen Center from 1997-2007. She received Dharma Transmission from Abbott Konjin Gaelyn Godwin of the Houston Zen Center in 2015. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, and has worked in the fields of mental health and pastoral care with children and adults. She experiences Bodhisattva Zen practice as deeply supportive to inquiring into, challenging and transforming systems of oppression, particularly racial inequities and the harm they cause within convert Buddhist sanghas, and in U.S. society generally. Sarah has also worked for many years in grief support- clinically, ritually and in community- specializing in child loss. She lives with her partner, Charlie Pokorny (who is also a Soto Zen Buddhist priest), their children (who are her most profound and constant teachers) and numerous pets in Brooklyn, NY.

 

Charlie Korin Pokorny (he/they) grew up in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago. Charlie received a masters in religious studies, focusing on Zen, from Stanford in 1994. He has been teaching graduate courses at the Institute of Buddhist Studies since 2011, including classes on Buddhist thought, history and practice, with a focus on traditions of East Asia and especially Zen. Charlie was ordained as a priest by Reb Anderson in 1999 and received dharma transmission in 2018. He practiced as a resident at Tassajara and Green Gulch Farm and studied koans with Daniel Terragno. Together with his wife, Sarah Dōjin Emerson, they served as head priests at Stone Creek Zen Center 2014-2022. They were then invited to become teachers at the Brooklyn Zen Center and moved with their children to Brooklyn in 2022.

 


Location Details

Boundless Mind Temple is located in the Parish House of Christ Church Cobble Hill, next to 326 Clinton Street. Enter the driveway on Clinton, go past the scaffolding, and through the double doors.

 


Stay Connected with BZC!

  • Subscribe to our mailing list for monthly newsletters and weekly agendas here.
  • Join the BZC Community Listserv for news and updates on offerings. Request to join the listserv here.

 


Donations

BZC relies on donations to sustain its spaces, teachers, and staff. Learn more about supporting us here.

 


Health & Wellness Policy

Our health and wellness policy for all visitors has been updated for our current post-pandemic times while still prioritizing community care.

Please see BZC’s Updated Health & Wellness Policy for more information.

Fee
$140–$330
Questions?
info@brooklynzen.org

To request a refund for this program you must notify BZC in writing at least 2 days before the beginning of the program. This supports the organizing effort involved in managing registrations and cancellations.

We are in an historical building which is not wheelchair accessible. There are two flights of stairs leading to the center, located on the second floor. Chairs, benches, and extra support cushions are available. If you have any additional questions about accessibility, please contact us at info@brooklynzen.org.
Three-Day Sesshin with Jukai, March 20-22
Register