The Essential Dogen

This is a text-study course rather than a retreat intensive: six weeks of online sessions devoted to reading Dogen. The course text is The Essential Dogen: Writings of the Great Zen Master, an anthology of the thirteenth-century Japanese master's writings. Dogen (1200–1253) founded the Soto school of Zen in Japan, and his essays and recorded talks remain central reading in that tradition. An anthology course with guided discussion is one of the more common ways into his work.

The sessions

Each 75-minute session follows the same shape: sitting practice first, then reading and discussion of Dogen's teachings. In a Zen context, sitting practice means zazen (seated meditation), so this is not a pure lecture series — every session includes actual meditation. The listing doesn't say how the 75 minutes divide between sitting and discussion, or how often sessions meet within the six weeks.

Teachers and practicalities

Joel Barna and Kim Mosley co-lead the course. The listing includes no biographical information about either teacher, so if teaching background or lineage matters to your decision, ask the center directly.

What the listing does establish:

• Fully online format
• Six weeks, May 27 to July 8, 2026
• 75-minute sessions combining sitting practice with reading and discussion

Not specified: session day and time, the meeting platform, and cost. Check appamada's signup page or contact the center for those details before registering.