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Welcome to the Isthmus Zen Community
What
is the Isthmus Zen Community?
The Isthmus Zen Community (IZC) was established
in 1996 and is part of the Kwan Um School of Zen, which was founded in the
early 1970s by Zen Master Seung Sahn, the first Korean Zen Master to live
and teach in the West. We meet in order to support each other in the practice
of Zen, and to make group practice and Zen training available to others.
The IZC is a sangha, a Buddhist term for a community dedicated to
supporting each other in the practice of Zen. We come together from many
different backgrounds, and while some of us have been practicing for years,
others of us are just beginning to explore Zen.
What is Zen?
Zen Master Seung Sahn has said that Zen is very
simple. "What are you?" Zen Master Dae Kwang, the Abbot of the Kwan Um School,
has described Zen as understanding yourself and helping other people.
Click here for more on What
is Zen?
Why do we practice Zen ?
People come to Zen for many different reasons:
to satisfy curiousity. relieve stress, improve physical health, enhance mental
concentration, promote emotional well-being, develop a spiritual practice-even
to fulfill school assignments!
All of these reasons are okay. The best reason to practice Zen is to attain
our true nature-to deeply understand "What am I?" and then use that understanding
to help everyone around us.
How do we practice Zen ?
When sitting,
just sit. When bowing, just bow. When chanting, just chant. Just do it. If
thoughts such as "'I like doing this" or "I don't like that" arise, simply
notice them and return to the practice.
Don't worry
about making mistakes. Simply be mindful of what others are doing, and follow
along as best you can. There is a certain amount offonnal ritual in what
we do, and this is simply part of the practice.
The Dharma Room and Altar- The Dharma room is
where we come together to practice. The altar is the physical focus of the
Dharma room and will generally contain a statue of Buddha, candles, and incense,
as well as other items related to practice. Practice begins with the opening
of the altar, at which time candles and incense are lit and we all bow.
Bowing- Bow upon entering and leaving the Dharma
room and before sitting on your mat. Much of bowing practice concerns the
s~atue of Buddha. In bowing to this, we are not bowing to the statue itself,
or to the historical Buddha, rather we are bowing to the Buddha that is each
of us.
Chanting- Once the altar has been opened, we
do chanting practice, which is another fonn of meditation. It is a way of
doing together action. Chant loud enough to hear your own voice and soft enough
to hear everyone else's. When thoughts such as "I like chanting" or "I don't
like chanting" arise, simply notice them and return to just doing it.
Our three
main chants are the Evening Bell Chant, which is done solo, the Heart
Sutra in English, and the Great Dharani, which
is in transliterated Sanskrit. Chant books are distributed at the beginning
of practice, and a moktak (a small wooden percussion instrument) is
used to keep time. Hold the book in hapchang (hands folded in front
of you as if in prayer with the book resting between your thumbs and index
fingers). Follow along as best you can, and don't worry about making mistakes.
When chanting, just chant. When we've finished, place the book to the right
of your cushion.
After the
chanting is finished, the altar is closed. Bow with everyone as this ceremony
concludes, and then gather any extra cushions you may need for the seated
meditation period.
Sitting Meditation- At the IZC, we sit for periods
of 25 minutes with the beginning and ending of sitting meditation indicated
by three claps of the chugpi (a wooden slapstick).
Posture: How you sit is less important
than that you sit, and many different postures are possible. The important
point is to find a posture that allows you to sit silently and comfortably
and remain awake. Using extra cushions is fine. Sitting in a chair is fine.
Even standing for the meditation period is fine. Hold your back in its natural
curve and keep your chin tucked in with your eyes open and softly focused
on the floor at a 45-degree angle. Hold your hands in your lap with your
palms facing up, the left hand resting on top of the right hand and your
thumbs gently touching. Breathe naturally.
Mind: Some meditators count their breaths, often from one to four
or ten then starting over. This is fine. In the Kwan Urn School, we teach
a mantra practice. On the inhalation breath, we silently say, "Clear mind,
clear mind, clear mind," and then on the exhale, "Don't know." Similar to
posture, what you focus your attention on is less important than that you
focus your attention. When your mind wanders, this does not mean you that
you are doing it wrong. Just notice those thoughts as thoughts, let go of
them, and gently come back to your practice. Meditation is this coming back
process.
Sitting Etiquette: Both for the sake of your own practice and that
of others, we ask that you do not fidget. Even the slightest movement can
be distracting when doing sitting meditation. If you find it necessary to
move during sitting meditation, we ask that you give a small bow and then,
as slowly as you need to, get up, stand behind your cushion, and hold your
hands in hapchang. You can stand this way until the problem works itself out
and then bow and resume your seat, or, if you wish, you may remain standing.
Reading-
Sitting meditation ends when the Head Dharma Teacher strikes the chugpi
three times, and you are then free to shift positions as we take turns reading
a]oud from the works of Zen Master Seung Sahn. Read as much or as little as
you wish. When you're done, point to where you have left off as you hand the
book to the next person. If you do not wish to read, simply give a small bow
and pass the book on.
Practice
closes with announcements from the IZC Abbot and recitation of the Four Great
Vows on the back of the chanting book. Afterwards, we have tea and cookies
and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your practice.
Where does the IZC meet and what is our schedule?
We meet every Wednesday and Sunday,
starting at 6:30 p.m., at 408 South Baldwin Street (near the
intersection of Baldwin and Williamson streets) in Madison, Wisconsin. Our
phone number is (608) 257-7970, and our web address
is: www.isthmuszencommunity.org.
On Wednesday
evenings, we hold short practice, especially designed for beginners (though
beginners are welcome anytime), which lasts approximately one hour. This includes
three chants, sitting meditation, and reading. On Sunday evenings, we have
long practice, which lasts for approximately two hours. This includes five
chants, two rounds of sitting meditation with ten minutes of walking meditation
in between, and reading.
For more information about the Kwan Um School of Zen, check out www.kwanumzen.com.
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