This page will explain some basic terms and introduce you to the Sangha.
What is Zen?
Zen is the Japanese word for meditation. The word goes back to the Pali jhana, just as the Zen tradition goes back to the Buddha (fifth century BCE). The traditional definition of Zen is:
A unique transmission beyond scriptures, not dependent on words, that points directly to your mind – you see your true nature and become what you are: Buddha.
The basic Zen practice is zazen, or sitting meditation. Zen is based on experience rather than a set of beliefs.
What is the Jacksonville Zen Sangha?
A sangha is a group of people who support one another in their practice. Our sangha is a non-profit religious corporation led by Zenrin, a Rinzai Zen priest, who was for many years a resident monk at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, a monastery in New York State. (Here "priest" and "monk" are only the closest terms we have in English.) Our sangha is entirely self-supporting. Everything we have to work with is financed by dana (giving practice). The level of your dana is up to you and your resources.
What Goes on at a Sitting?
It varies somewhat according to the occasion. The following describes the Sunday morning sittings. Members come as early as necessary to prepare the Zendo (meditation hall, which is what the space becomes). An altar with a statue of the Buddha, flowers, water and incense heads the hall. First bow in gassho (the palms-together greeting) to the altar. [One difference between this bowing and idolatry is that it expresses gratitude and respect, not fear of retribution or expectation of reward.] Then bow to the sangha (facing directly across the hall, away from your cushion) before sitting down on your cushion (or kneeling bench or chair). We begin the first sitting by chanting the Heart Sutra --a text, the concise condensation of many texts, which succinctly states the situation we meditate in. The chanting helps calm us down, both our minds and our breathing. The first sitting ends with a bell. We gassho and bow sitting, rise carefully(!), and wait till everyone's up and the kinhin (walking meditation) leader's wooden blocks clap twice. At the second clap we bow to each other, then turn to walk clockwise for a few minutes. Clasp your hands over your belly, leave no big gap after the person ahead, and don't look around: continue with meditation as you walk. When the leader claps again, hold your palms together in gassho--and stand before your cushion when you next come to it. At the bell, bow toward the center and then sit.
The second sitting may be replaced by a Zen discourse by Zenrin.
The chanting leader will chant the first line of the Four Vows at the end of the last sitting. We all pick up the chant on the second line and repeat the chant three times, and then recite the English translation at the end. The leader will strike the bell once (gassho and bow seated), twice quickly and then accelerating (rise carefully and face the altar) as a signal for formal bows. We do three prostrations to the Buddha and one to the sangha. As after the first sitting, we then stand in gassho and bow at the second clap of the clappers. That's it.
Don't worry about remembering all this. Just follow what you see going on around you. You won't bother anyone if you don't get it right away.
What Equipment is Needed and Where Do I Get it?
All you have to bring is yourself. If you have questions or you're going to need a sitting cushion, bench or chair, call 398-6905. The important thing is just to sit up straight, alert yet relaxed. You'll probably need a zafu (the cushion) and a zabuton (the big mat). But the important thing is to sit up straight, alert yet relaxed. Older people, especially, find a chair, perhaps with a small cushion behind the waist to check any tendency to slump forward, best for this purpose. Others like the kneeling bench, which is ideal for keeping the waist forward, with no pressure on the ankles and little on the knees. Down on the floor with cushion(s), the most difficult position to cultivate--the full lotus--with the soles of both feet visible, is the easiest over the long term: it gradually becomes effortless. Next is the half lotus, with one sole visible, and then the Burmese, with the legs simply lying one atop (or before) the other like logs. In all these positions, the important thing is that the knees be firmly on the floor and the back straight, waist forward. Easier for beginners is the kneeling-posture-with-cushions, the cushion(s) between the legs, as in riding a horse--or between the ankles and seat.
Eyes
It's best to meditate with eyes open--how widely depending on the surrounding brightness--so that your condition meditating can become that of your everyday life. But if you're in turmoil inside, then it's best to meditate eyes closed until calm returns.
Breathing
To calm yourself down, both your breathing and your mind, the proven method is counting up to ten silently on the outbreaths, never minding if you lose count: just go back to one--and then, as that becomes distracting, follow your breath: count without the numbers.
How Can I Learn More?
The best way to learn is from your Zen practice, which will go well and get better if you sit regularly. Twenty minute sittings daily may be a good beginning target for your home practice. For reading, try the stories in Paul Reps' (with Nyogen Senzaki) Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, and Joko Beck's Everyday Zen.