The following are recommended prerequisites and guidelines for attending a Sanshin Zen Community sesshin.  Sesshin can be challenging in many ways, involving fourteen periods of zazen and complete silence. We therefore ask that if you have any questions about sesshin practice or if you cannot meet all of the following recommendations, please contact the Sanshin Zen Community ino (zendo manager) at 812.339.2635 or 812.320.9324, or by email at ino@sanshinji.org .

• We recommend that you attend a Sanshin Zen Community Genzo-e Retreat or Community Retreat before participating in one of our sesshins, but experience with other intensive retreats at other Zen centers may meet this requirement. Please contact the Sanshin Zen Community Ino to discuss this requirement if you are new to our community yet have intensive practice experience from another Zen center.
• Please read the chapter entitled “The World of Intensive Practice” in the book Opening the Hand of Thought by Kosho Uchiyama (Wisdom Publications).
• Please observe complete silence during sesshin if at all possible. If you need something or have a question after sesshin has begun, please leave a note for the ino on the upstairs bulletin board or give the note to the ino directly.
• Participants may chose to attend an entire sesshin or any part it. You may, for example, attend one or two full days of sesshin, or you may chose to attend certain portions of all five days. However, in order to plan for meal attendance and zendo occupancy, we do ask that when you register you specify the portions of sesshin you will attend.
• Because we aim to create an environment of harmony and continuity during sesshin, we hope that participants will be able to attend all sesshin activities they have signed up for. However, we realize that it may be necessary for some participants to take an unscheduled break in order to take care of themselves. We simply ask that you inform the Ino if you will not be in attendance for a meal or scheduled period of zazen. Also, if you must leave sesshin earlier than expected for any reason, please inform the Ino.
• Please do not read or write during sesshin unless it is absolutely necessary to communicate with someone in writing.
• Meals during sesshin are taken oryoki style. Since our oryoki style differs from the style of many other Zen centers, we recommend that you participate in a Sanshin oryoki instruction session before participating in your first Zen Community sesshin or retreat. Oryoki instruction is usually held at 5PM on the day of sesshin/retreat orientation.
• There will be work assignments such as serving meals, cleanup, and doanryo. If you have some experience and would like to be trained to help as a server or doan, please contact the ino . Training is usually held on the day of orientation, at 4PM, just before oryoki instruction.
• To register for this sesshin, please print our Event Registration Form and mail the completed form to Sanshinji, using the address shown on the form.
   

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