According to the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha, it was a common theme in his teaching and his last word, encouraging his followers to fare forward with appamada—with energetic care. He often compared appamada to an elephant's footprint, which is so large that it can contain the footprint of all the other animals. In the same way, the Buddha said, appamada—mindful, clear care—contains all of his other teachings.

We have adopted this name for our community of practice and inquiry because it reflects not only our aspiration as teachers, but our sense of the community as a whole, and its contribution in the world. (You can learn more about the name here.) Our practice follows the tradition of the American Zen teachers Joko Beck and Shunryu Suzuki. In our teaching we draw on the Zen teachings and tradition we were trained in, as well as other Buddhist teachings and contemporary work in psychology, interpersonal neurobiology, language, the sciences of complexity and ecosystems, the arts, community, and philosophy.

“It is precisely Buddhist conduct that is the Buddha.”

—Hui Neng, Sixth Zen Ancestor

OVERVIEW

What does it mean to live a life of practice? What does it look like to respond, moment by moment, with care and clarity rather than habit and compulsion?

Appamada’s Precepts Class is a year-long personal inquiry into the Bodhisattva Precepts. The class is not a rulebook review or a behavioral audit. It’s not about becoming a better person, or even a good one. Instead, it’s a radical invitation to observe, without flinching, how our actions arise, how they land, and what they reveal.

The Buddhist precepts are not commandments or moral laws. They are intimate descriptions of awakened conduct- showing how a person might move through the world with clarity, compassion, and responsibility. Historically, the Precepts emerged as part of the Buddhist monastic code, but in Zen they’ve evolved into something subtler, serving not as rules to obey, but as living questions to carry. Rather than prescribing behavior, they illuminate the terrain of our choices. We don’t “follow” the precepts so much as investigate them. We test, observe, and refine how our actions express (or obscure) our deepest vows.

The Precepts are portals to intimacy, responsibility, and liberation.

The class will be led by Sandra Medina Bocangel, Ann Lipscomb, Kim Mosley, Nathan Smalley, Jessica Steinbomer, and Jon-Eric Steinbomer.

STRUCTURE

Over the course of 10 monthly hour-and-a-half long sessions—culminating in an optional ceremony in July—we’ll explore each of the precepts through the lens of our own lives. We meet not to master material but to metabolize it.

Each session includes:

A brief period of zazen (5 min)

Personal reflection on previous precept (15-25 min)

Study and dialogue on one precept (45–60 min)

Shared closing with chant and the Bodhisattva Vow

Between sessions, participants are encouraged to maintain a modest daily sitting practice and engage with the precept in the wild terrain of daily life. During each session we’ll invite reflection on the previous precept at each session. What showed up? What surprised you? What challenged your sense of who you are? This is not a linear curriculum—it’s a spiral, a conversation, and a mirror.

PARTICIPATION

Hybrid Format: Classes are offered via Zoom and at the Appamada Zendo (913 E. 38th St., Austin).

Schedule: Thursday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM CT

Commitment: Monthly attendance, a daily sitting practice, and wholehearted engagement

Who it's for: All are welcome—first-timers and returners alike. No prior Zen experience is required, just a willingness to show up and look closely.

Texts: Our core text will be Waking Up to What You Do by Diane Rizzetto We'll also weave in wisdom from assorted teachings by Reb Anderson, Robert Aitken, David Loy, and others.

SCOPE & SEQUENCE

September 11—Introduction: What Are the Precepts?

October 9—Practicing with the Precepts

November 13—Speaking of Others with Openness

December 11—Meeting Others on Equal Ground

January 8—Cultivating a Clear Mind

February 12—Taking Only What Is Freely Given

March 12—Respectful Intimacy

April 9—Letting Go of Anger

May 14—Supporting Life

June 11—Sustaining the Sangha

July 12—Precepts Ceremony (Sunday, 10:20 AM CT)

FINAL NOTES

This is a class, yes—but more truthfully, it is a container. A space for honest reflection, deep listening, and shared inquiry. You don’t need to be polished or “ready.” Just bring your wholehearted practice. Everything unfolds from there.

Active Hope: The Work That Reconnects

Facilitators: Nathan Smalley and Peg Syverson

Sunday, September 14 to Saturday, September 20

There’s no need to catalog the perils we face right now—what has been called a polycrisis. But one thing is clear—we cannot face them alone. We need each other and the community of practice and vow that we can trust.

July 19, the world lost a brilliant mind and heart, Joanna Macy. (Learn more in the lovely tribute in Lion’s Roar) Her work in the world is unmatched, and well-described in her book title, World as Lover, World as Self.

We’ve often shared her teachings in the Sangha; they are foundational for Appamada. So, Appamada’s September Integrated Intensive, led by Nate and Peg, will focus on her essential teachings in The Work That Reconnects. It is a way to bring the sangha together through her four-part method: Coming from gratitude, sharing our pain for the world, finding our deep connection with each other, and preparing to serve the world.

In this way we can best honor Macy’s life and work while affirming the life-giving nourishment of our community and its Bodhisattva Vow. Nate and Peg warmly invite you to join us!

Please indicate on the response portion of this form whether you are applying for onsite, online, or some combination. Be sure to specify which times you would like to participate onsite, as we have a limited number of places in the Appamada zendo.