Starting in 30 Days
once a month on saturdays, sept 2025 – july 2026
In-Person and Online
9:00 – 4:00 pm ET
This radiant and poetic scripture has inspired Buddhist practitioners for centuries with its bold vision of universal awakening. In this course, we will immerse ourselves in the Lotus Sutra’s rich teachings and vivid imagery as a guide for how to live with courage, clarity, and care—even in the midst of difficulty.
With monthly daylong sessions and structured practice throughout the year, this course invites you into a living relationship with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, yourself, and your community. Together, we will explore what it means to awaken in everyday life: how we breathe, how we speak, how we relate, how we love.
Over the course of ten monthly classes (with opportunities for practice and connection in between), we will engage in a vibrant rhythm of sitting meditation, close textual study, discussion, and personal reflection. Each session includes both a morning of shared practice and an afternoon of guided inquiry.
Together, we will explore teachings that offer:
Whether you are new to Zen or have been practicing for years, this course is for anyone drawn to a spiritual path of depth, honesty, and compassion. You do not need any prior experience with Buddhist texts—just a willingness to show up with curiosity and care.
Join us for this transformative year of study and practice as we enter the world of the Lotus Sutra and discover how its ancient wisdom can illuminate the path of everyday life.
Financial Support: NYZC endeavors to make our programs accessible. If the cost of this program is prohibitive, please choose the scholarship level. There are a limited number of scholarship seats available. If the scholarship level is not listed on the registration form, that means it is no longer available.
Sept 13th | Oct 18th | (No Class Session in Nov) | Dec 20th | Jan 31st | Feb 28th | Mar 28th | Apr 18th | May 16th | June 13th | July 11th
This hybrid model class allows students to attend the program remotely (via Zoom) or in person. Please choose which option best suits your needs during registration.
There are a limited number of in person spots available.
The course schedule includes participation in NYZC’s monthly Half-Day retreats (whether virtually or in-person) from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm ET and the Catch Your Mind class from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET*.
In between monthly classes, there will be required readings, discussion forum participation, and an assigned “buddy” to connect with and engage over the course material.
*Recordings of the class, not including breakout room discussions, will be made available to registered students.
Please be sure to add this to your registration if you’d like to receive CEs for this course. You will also be required to complete an evaluation form at the end of the semester in order to receive CEs. NYZC is an approved provider of SW CEs through the NYSED State Board for Social Work. If you are licensed outside of New York State, please check with your local SW Board to make sure they’ll accept these CEs.
Register at this level if you need Masters Credit. You will also be required to write a 10-page paper. If you register at any of the audit levels, you can still participate fully in the class and will not be required to submit a 10-page paper.
This course is part of our certificate program which you can learn more about here.
Our course Living an Ethical Life: A Study of the Zen Precepts is offered (mostly) on the same weekend of each Catch Your Mind class. Many students opt to register for both classes and treat each monthly weekend as a semi-retreat and study intensive.
Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After many years as a chaplain and psychotherapist, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Koshin is a world renowned thought leader in contemplative care. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications, 2019) and the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications, 2016). His work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, and Tricycle Magazine among other publications.
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