Zen Studies Podcast and Digital Sangha

[Kokuu]

Hi all!

This week Domyo Burk talks about a subject dear to our hearts - digital sangha. In the next episode she will offer a perspective on physical Zendos, which she calls 'dirt Zendos', and Jundo terms 'bricks and mortar' centres.

Domyo's own sangha is a hybrid of digital and dirt, and this seems to be common now, with many sanghas maintaining some of the online activities they developed during various lockdowns as well as face-to-face sitting and practice. How does this work in practice?

https://zenstudiespodcast.com/dirt-zendo-cloud-zendo-sangha-1/

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Shinshi]

Thank you Kokuu.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Heiso]

Lovely, thanks Kokuu.

Gassho,

Heiso
StLah

[bakera3312]

Good to see more people using the web for such things!

Tony,

[Dogukan]

Thank you Kokuu. It is a very nice talk. I especially liked that she talked about not prioritising the bricks-and-mortar sangha over the digital one. I could not be more grateful to digital sanghas, especially here, on my own behalf. It is moving to see a lot of people from different continents and countries come together just to practice Dharma.

Gassho,
Doğukan.
Sat.

[Shonin Risa Bear]

Our local sangha aged out of the country house we all knew as Bird Haven Zendo and it is now a memory.

shot.jpg

Somewhat reduced in number for now, we currently run our activities through a web page, liberally cribbed from TL, and Zoom. Both ways seem to us good.

gassho
ds sat -- some lah

[Bion]

Our local sangha aged out of the country house we all knew as Bird Haven Zendo and it is now a memory. Somewhat reduced in number for now, we currently run our activities through a web page, liberally cribbed from TL, and Zoom. Both ways seem to us good.

gassho
ds sat -- some lah

The fact that more and more places either switch to digital or a hybrid of physical and digital makes me hopeful that eventually the “zen establishment” both in the West and in Japan will start taking the digital side more seriously.

I remember seeing change happen just a few years ago, as Soto-shu revamped their website, started organizing online zazen classes and sittings and became more active digitally. Nowadays, they hold 2 zazen sitting online each week and organize online events that bring together sanghas from all over the planet, which is lovely to see. All we need is patience and commitment!

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Tairin]

Interesting. They seem to be working really hard to integrate the Dirt and Cloud sides so they are seemless. I don’t think our technology is quite there yet but with AR and VR it won’t be long.

Also interesting that there is suddenly (last 2 years) so many opportunities to practice online with different teachers and Sanghas. Not that I plan on going anywhere. Treeleaf is my home.


Tairin
Sat today and lah