7 a.m. I leave my apartment in downtown Manhattan around 6:50 a.m. to open the Village Zendo by 7. I sit for half an hour with the other practitioners who come.


roshi pat enkyo o'hara

8 a.m. Then I offer dokusan (private interviews) to students, some in person and some via Skype. We have a short service and wrap up by 8:30.


roshi pat enkyo o'hara10 a.m. After grabbing an Americano, I make my way to the Writers Room, a nonprofit writing space, where I write and study at a standing desk for several hours. Right now I’m working on a teaching about the koan “Nanquan’s Peony.”


roshi pat enkyo o'hara

1 p.m. Lunch break: I eat in Washington Square Park, where I listen to the musicians, take photos, or just hang.


roshi pat enkyo o'hara

3 p.m. Next is a swim at the Chelsea Piers Sports Center, before stopping back home and returning to the Zendo for evening meditation at 5:30.

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