Resources for Understanding Ceremony in Zen

[Seth]

Hello,

I was wondering if there are any resources that I can reference in regards to expectations during Zazenkai. More specifically, what to do and what to expect during these sessions and why we do them. I am one of those people that want to understand why we do what we do.

I am looking to start attending these sessions again, and I just want to make sure that I am doing things right.

Gasshō

Seth
stlah

[Bion]

Hi, Seth. Our Zazenkai is quite simple in its ways. We do some chanting of the Heart Sutra, or of the Sandokai, to remember and honor those teachings, we offer incense, good fragrance to the Buddha, the ONENESS, to all beings, to ourselves, sort of like a pleasant gift and we recite a dedication, or wishing of good things for all creatures, especially those in great suffering or going through great challenges. We also bow or prostrate, as a sign of respect, but we bow and honor the teachings, the teachers, the dharma, those before, those now, those who will come.

Here are some resources we have about our simple ceremonial ways:

Our chant book:

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?7032-Chant-Book-For-Weekly-and-Monthly-Zazenkai

Bowing during ceremony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6POpsXh9Q

Basic Zendo (Zen practice space) decorum at home and on zoom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ3LvIzX0I0

Small things about ceremony in the zendo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx-bsQKlHPE

Here's our latest weekly or short zazenkai. The ceremony parts are beginning and end, and you can see what happens, how people show up on the screen and what we do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM1MmW5HZc8

As for our monthly Zazenkai, it is sort of like a mini retreat.. It is longer and includes more zazen, a longer talk and some dancing and Metta offering practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRyovi3GywY

Hope this helps! And please, don't feel intimidated. Just join the Zazenkai and follow along. We bow together, learn together and make mistakes together. ☺️


🙏🏼 Sat Today lah

[Nengei]

Hi Seth,

This is the question that has given me a lot of social anxiety over the years, and has kept me from doing things I could have been doing. How will I know how to do things "right?" Most of the time, and this is one of them, there is no need to worry at all. Watch what others are doing, and follow along. Here, there really is no need to stress. Just come, just watch, just follow. Allow yourself to make mistakes.

The best resource for you if you want to prepare a little, is to take a look at some of the older zazenkai on the forum: https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/foru...TTING-NETCASTS. A lot of good information is generally given in the first post in each thread.

The form, such as it is, for all of these is the same. There are some extra chants and zazen periods during the 4-hour, monthly zazenkai, but the format is the same. Watch when people put their hands in gassho, and when they bow. You can watch Jundo, but know that when he is leading, he has a few extra bows in the beginning. The form that we use in our ceremonies is basic, and it is ours. It bears resemblance to what you will see in other Soto zendos, but there are differences in most places.

If it is your first or second zazenkai, it is perfectly fine to just sit and watch, and do what you can.

If it is your first or second or 100th or 1043rd zazenkai, it is perfectly fine to make "mistakes." In fact, if you don't make any mistakes, you'll make the rest of us look bad.

This is a good, core list of threads on all sorts of helpful, practice-y things: https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...to-Newer-Folks

Every zazenkai thread has a link to our chant book. If you print that out, you can use it during zazenkai. In it, you might familiarize yourself with the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra (in English), the dedication that follows, the Verse of Atonement, and the Four Vows. For the longer, monthly zazenkai, you might like to read over the Identity of Relative and Absolute. When I say "familiarize yourself," I just mean read them over once or twice.

Here is a list of nice threads about virtually every chant you will hear in zazenkai: https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/foru...reeleaf-Chants

And if you have any specific questions, do what you just did, which is ask.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Jundo]

Lovely guidance from the fellows above.

I would just add that, if you want a couple of more areas to understand ritual, I would recommend our "Recommended At Home Liturgy" area, of small and large practices that one can (if something resonates, no need to do everything) do at home, some of which are found in our Zazenkais too (such as Metta).

RECOMMENDED 'At Home' Liturgy

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?193-RECOMMENDED-At-Home-Liturgy

And, if one really wants to dive in deep on the significance and history of some Chants we do (and why we don't do some others), there is this section:

About our Treeleaf Chants

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?291-About-our-Treeleaf-Chants

There are also a couple of good books on Liturgy and Ritual in Zen:

Bringing the Sacred to Life: The Daily Practice of Zen Ritual by John Daido Loori Roshi

http://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Sacred-Life-Practice-Communications/dp/1590305337

Shohaku Okumura's "Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts"

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?10219-%28ANOTHER%29-The-most-important-book-about-Zen-in-the-West

Now, all of the above, recommended by me and the others, not only will keep you busy for awhile, but is certainly more than you truly ever need, want or should know about this.

When we sit Zazen or Chant, put all the books down for a time and Just Sit, Just Chant.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Seth]

Thank you, Bion, Nengei, and Jundo.

This is exactly what I was looking for!

[Koriki]

I discovered the best way to know when to bow during Zazenkai. Just bow when Bion bows. He is flawless and always there.

Gassho,

Koriki (Mark)

s@

[Bion]

I discovered the best way to know when to bow during Zazenkai. Just bow when Bion bows. He is flawless and always there.

Gassho,

Koriki (Mark)

s@

Oh my!!! Thank you! I’ll make sure to stay visible always, then! [emoji2309] [emoji2309]

[emoji1374] Sat Today lah