What is Ango?
During the time of the Buddha, and coinciding with India’s monsoon season, the sangha paused their wandering to come together for shelter, support, and practice. Together, they were protected from the rains, in community and under the Buddha’s guidance. The monks and lay practitioners celebrated this period by turning inward and intensifying their spiritual practice. In the years that followed, Buddhists in China, Japan, and beyond continued this cyclical form of practice called ango, “peaceful dwelling.”
Why Practice Ango Today?
With this schedule, the intensity of a year of Buddhist practice ebbs and flows, moving from the intensive focus of ango to a more open and active awareness and back again, each period supporting the other. Likewise, sitting practice (zazen) encourages us to remain present and aware in our daily activity, and vice versa. Over time, we see that this cyclical rhythm is essential to deepen our awareness, and also to keep our practice balanced and grounded.
To learn more about why we continue this practice today, and about the role of the shuso or chief disciple during ango, listen to the talk below by by Guiding Teacher Zuisei Goddard. The video of this talk, transcript, and related resources to explore, are available here.
Ango at Ocean Mind Sangha
If you would like to take part in ango formally, plan to join us for Fall Ango 2026. Registration will open late summer 2026.
At OMS these periods of practice take place twice a year. In preparation, Ango participants are asked to reflect on how they might deepen their Buddhist practice during this time, and to share this with Guiding Teacher Zuisei in their Ango Commitment Form before the period begins.
Opportunities to Intensify Practice
Below are all excellent opportunities to structure and intensify practice:
In-person Sesshin is an intensive silent mediation retreat, together with Zuisei and the sangha, in person, over a long weekend. As an online sangha, the biannual In-person Sesshins are the only in-person events held at OMS, and they take place every ango. These are open to all, though ango participant registration is prioritized.
Buddhist Study Series OMS offers Buddhist Study sessions throughout the year. During ango, ango participants are strongly encouraged to attend the four-part online Buddhist Study Series, open to all. Registration is open throughout the series and recordings are available for any missed sessions.
Private Teaching Participants are required to commit to at least one session of Private Teaching with Zuisei.
Participants are also welcome to join OMS for Daily Zazen and Evening Zazen and extended periods of sitting like Half-Day Sit, as well as the Dharma Encounter that is part of our In-person Sesshin. While many of these opportunities are also available throughout the year, during ango we commit to showing up more often and consistently.
What is a Dharma Encounter
OMS offers one Dharma Encounter each ango during the In-person Sesshin, often engaging the subject of the Buddhist Study Series, which changes each season. In the audio below, Zuisei and the sangha engage in an encounter, delving into the teachings of the bodhisattva Vimalakirti. Watch the video here.
Each encounter is an intimate meeting between the teacher and sangha and a live, spontaneous engagement of the dharma. It takes the directness of daisan (private interview) and opens it up so everyone can learn from the exchanges between teacher and students. It helps to test and sharpen their understanding and realization of the dharma. Encounters are modeled on the Buddhist Chan tradition of Dharma Combat between Buddhist masters and their disciples in 9th century China.
Ango for Homedwellers: Your Practice
Sitting for longer or more frequent periods, devoting time for a separate study of a Buddhist text, committing to silent, mindful meals are a few examples of the ways in which we can choose to intensify our practice offline. Everyone is encouraged to choose or create a practice that is meaningful to their own path. Every moment and every activity is an opportunity for rich spiritual practice. Listen to this talk by Zuisei on the Power of Bow for an example of how even a simple act may become a powerful, transformative practice.
Shuso Brian Ryuan Pontolilo and Zuisei Goddard bow to each other at the OMS Fall Sesshin. Photo by Alexandra Komyo Brown.
Join us for Fall Ango 2026, registration will be open here in late summer. To stay informed about all upcoming events at Ocean Mind Sangha, sign up for here.
To stay informed about our events, sign up for here.
*Banner photo by Casey Olsen
