Fall Practice Period: The Six Paramitas: Bodhisattva Practices for an Uncertain World

A practice period is the traditional Zen format for extended, intensive communal training — not a weekend or a week, but a sustained stretch of structured practice. This one runs September 30 through December 5, 2026 at San Francisco Zen Center's City Center and is described as an eight-week intensive. Its organizing theme is the Six Paramitas — generosity, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom — the core virtues of the bodhisattva path. The subtitle, “Bodhisattva Practices for an Uncertain World,” signals an emphasis on carrying these classical practices into contemporary conditions, though the listing doesn't name specific talks or classes.

The components named in the listing are zazen (seated meditation), dharma talks, classes, and small groups, with sesshin (an intensive retreat centered on sustained zazen) folded into the period. That is the full extent of what's published: no daily schedule — wake-up time, number of sitting periods, meal structure — and no lead teacher is named. For a two-month commitment, those are fair questions to put to the center directly.

Ways to participate

The period is offered in three modes:

• Residential — participants live at City Center for the duration.
• Commuter — attend in person while living elsewhere.
• Online — join remotely. The listing doesn't describe how the online track works (livestreamed talks versus a fuller parallel schedule), so ask before registering if the mechanics matter to you.

The listed price is $3,089. The calendar entry gives a single figure without breaking out residential, commuter, and online rates, and it doesn't state whether an application is required — both are worth confirming with the center.