Elements of Zen Practice
Zazen
Zazen, shikantaza, “just sitting” is the touchstone of our way, a seated form of practice that allows us to settle our bodies, minds, and hearts and be present for life in a full and stable way that transforms.
In zazen we establish a posture in our body, heart and mind, of welcome, stability, and flexibility. Zazen is a place of meeting, ourselves, our lives, the world, with care, compassion and groundedness. It is a way to deeply investigate the nature of our lives. In this way we build confidence and come to know what is most true about ourselves and all beings.
We do this practice not to gain anything, not to prove something to ourselves or to improve ourselves. In zazen we let that striving, acquiring mind go. Change happens, growth happens, and opening to mystery happens. That is what we do and what we are. See our weekly zazen schedule. Learn more about zazen, including video instruction.
For more information on zazen and kinhin, please see this Soto Zen resource.
Practice in Community
Practicing together in community is a rich and vital part of the Sōtō Zen Way.
At the Zen Center, sitting zazen, chanting, rituals and ceremonies, sutra copying, meeting with a teacher, Dharma talks and study, informal gatherings, and care for our zendo and each other are all a part of our practice in community.
This way of living in relationship is equally important to our life with friends and family, at work, and in the larger world. No relationship is excluded.
Learn more about Zen Practice in Daily Life.
Relational Practice &
The Precepts
How we treat one another is central to our way. Kindness, honesty, courage, respect, generosity — these are the essential characteristics of a healthy community in which the teachings and the practice are alive and well. In such environments we all flourish and grow and have something to give to each other and to the community. In Sōtō Zen Buddhism, our intention us to follow the Bodhisattva Precepts and live in a way that benefits all beings and guides all aspects of our lives together.
Dharma Talk & Study
We listen to the dharma in order to open our minds to teachings that transform our lives. We bring our questions to a vital engagement with what we hear and make it real for ourselves. Listen to dharma talks here.
In study, we take the time to engage quietly and deeply with the teachings and if we are studying with others, we bring our questions, thoughts, and confusion into dialogue, we learn together and from each other. We know that accumulating facts or knowledge is not the point, it is being touched by the teaching that matters.
We offer regularly scheduled opportunities to study in community at Ocean Gate. You are invited to join us for any Saturday morning dharma talk and discussion as well as upcoming classes. See calendar for details and contact us with any questions.
Walking Meditation (Kinhin)
Walking meditation is an integral part of Zen Practice and offers a path of meditation in and of itself. Most often, in a formal group setting, it is done slowly, as a group, in single file, gaze resting on the floor in front of you, one small step with each breath - but kinhin can also be done at a normal pace, or quickly, and is alternated with periods of sitting meditation.
Walking meditation (kinhin) can also be done in ordinary settings - a kind of stealth meditation available to you almost any time anywhere. Simply walk, aware of your breath, your feet, your body, with your attention widely focused and open. At rest in this moment in all its fullness. For more information on zazen and kinhin, please see this Soto Zen resource.
Forms & Ritual
In Sōtō Zen Buddhism, we have inherited ritual forms of practice that provide another way to receive, and enact bodily, the wisdom of the tradition. Some of these forms are simple – for example how we enter the zendo, and how we take our seats. Some are more involved – for example, the bowing we do in service, or the ceremonies we do at certain times of the year. You are welcome to join any of the services and ceremonies at Ocean Gate, or not, as you choose.
There is no “wrong” way to do forms and rituals that will result in a rebuke. We take care with how we do them to discover their teaching for us. Always with a sense of curiosity, respect, and ease.
Becoming familiar with and participating in the forms is a way of practice in and of itself - it takes time, patience, kindness, and a sense of humor. There is much to be learned by doing these things together in community with this spirit. If you are new, someone will guide you and you will not be left to flounder on your own. And, again, questions are always welcome.
The forms we do have power – they directly communicate the teachings to our bodies, through our physical acts. For example, when we bow to another person, we express respect and honor – for them and for us – and we learn something, are something, that we may never be able to be fully express in words. Offering incense, bowing, chanting together, all of these have this power.
Bowing
Bowing is a simple gesture of deep respect. We put our palms together (gassho) and attend to the truth and the beauty of the other – and ourselves. In bowing we step outside thoughts and judgements and simply join with others in a sacred reality. In some settings we also do a full formal bow in which we bow with our palms together, kneel, lower our head to the floor, and stand up again.
Bowing can also be a quiet, invisible practice that we can do anytime anywhere – simply the thought of bowing can transform a situation. You might pause in your day, and either bring your palms together in gassho, or simply breathe a bow – to another person, a rock or tree, a pet, a sunset – even a desk at work.
Chanting
Chanting is an ancient practice of reciting quietly or aloud, alone or with others, texts, dedications, or other words and sounds most often with a particular meaning.
Buddhist chants deepen our intention in practice. They are done before or after we sit zazen, before or after a meal, during service, or they can be done in any situation.
When we end a session of zazen or the recitation of a sacred text, we dedicate our activity to the benefit of all beings. For example after chanting a sutra, we might say:
Having chanted the ______________, may the merit of this recitation benefit to all beings.
You can also create your own dedication, and/or dedicate the recitation to a particular person or circumstance. For example, to someone who is sick or troubled, to all beings impacted by the climate crisis, or anything that has meaning for you.
All the chants we do at Ocean Gate Zen Center can be found in our chant book.
Tracing the Sutras
The ancient practice of tracing the sutras (Buddhist texts) by hand with care and awareness is a form of meditation. Sitting down to copy a sutra, we sit down with ourselves and bring a kind and welcoming mind to our efforts – whether our handwriting is good or not, whether we make mistakes or not. We can also dedicate our practice to others, if we choose. Check the calendar for upcoming Sutra Copying - beginners are welcome.
Relating to a Teacher
Establishing a relationship with a teacher is a respected part of Zen practice. The support and guidance provided by an experienced teacher is a rich resource as you enter and develop in the path. As with all aspects of practice at Ocean Gate the door to practice with our teachers is open and you are invited to enter.
Caring for Our Environment
Caring for our world with respect and gratitude is deeply valued in Soto Zen practice. So we take time regularly to care for the cushions we sit on, the floor we walk on, the implements that are a part of our zendo life. All are Buddha, all deserve our thanks for making our life of practice possible. We then extend this attitude of practice to all aspects of our world.