Everyone is warmly invited to participate in our fall practice period! You can register here for this donation-based program.

Practice periods are times when the whole community comes together with practice energy, encouraging participants to make commitments to daily practice, Sunday service, and community events. This practice period, we will be studying ancient Buddhist teachings on the nature of consciousness, as originally taught by Vashubandu in the 5th century C.E. and interpreted by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh for contemporary life. Participants will receive short teachings weekly via email and may also choose to participate in the Understanding Our Mind class on Thursday evenings.

Practice period participants are encouraged to commit to regular meditation, and to participate as you are able in other activities, including the Sunday program, classes, volunteering, participation in children and youth practice, and retreats or sesshins. This includes any or all of the following:

• Opening Ceremony, Sunday, October 6, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.

• Practice Period Class, Understanding Our Mind, six Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Oct. 10, 24, 31; Nov. 7, 14, 21

• Retreats or Sesshin (Oct. 11-13, Nov. 8-9, Dec. 1-8, Dec. 14)

• Repatterning Whiteness: Shifting Culture from the Inside Out, seven Tuesdays, Oct. 15 – Nov. 26, 6:30 – 8:30 pm

• Volunteer Service (Temple cleaning on the 4th Saturday of each month; serving as a greeter, audio or Zoom tech on Sunday mornings, or other roles)

• Youth Practice. Six Sundays, Oct. 6, 20, Nov. 3, 17, Dec. 1, 8.

• Morning, noon, or Wednesday evening Zazen with Clouds in Water (in person or via Zoom)

• Closing ceremony, Sunday, December 9.9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

After you register for the practice period, you will receive a survey asking for your practice commitments and whether or not you are interested in connecting with a practice partner for additional encouragement. You will also receive a list of gathas (short mindfulness verses), and an optional practice checklist that will support your daily practice.

Questions? Please reach out to Myoshin at myoshin [at] cloudsinwater.org

About Myoshin Diane Benjamin

Myoshin Diane Benjamin (she/her) is a lay dharma teacher, a path that reflects her deep interest and engagement in the ways that Buddhist practice both permeates everyday work and family life, and supports engagement in social change. Myoshin began practicing Buddhism in 1996 and received dharma transmission in 2022 from Sosan Flynn. She taught for over a decade in the children’s program at Clouds in Water, and has practiced at Hokyoji and Ryumonji monasteries and attended numerous retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and his community. She has worked for many years in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, and is also a musician. Additionally, she is fully certified to teach the Realization Process