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our spring fund Appeal is underway. Thank you for your participation, generosity, and practice.
Our Goal: $10,000 ------ Received so far: $2199.18
A gift of any size is welcome and appreciated -- as is your moment-by-moment practice. Thank you! |
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Join us for Soto Zen Buddhist practice in Bloomington, Indiana.
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We practice Buddhism within the Soto Zen tradition that comes to us from Japan, following the particular style of our immediate three ancestors: Kodo Sawaki, Kosho Uchiyama and Shohaku Okumura.
Some of us are lay practitioners and some are ordained clergy, but we all engage in the same practices and walk the Buddha Way together. Everyone, whether beginner or experienced practitioner, is welcome. |
Several of the links on this page and throughout this website will connect you to our continually evolving companion-site, Sanshin Source: an online multimedia library of resources, context, and in-depth information organized around our practice vision.
This week at Sanshin (May 18 - 25)Click on the boxes below for information and timing related to a given practice activity. All times listed are Eastern Time.
sunday morning (May 25): zazen, oryoki breakfast (click to sign up by Thurs, May 22) & dharma talk
Weekday morning practice (MOn - Fri)
Practitioners are welcome to participate in all or part(s) of morning practice activities as schedules allow, virtually or in-person. monday evening (May 19): ryaku fusatsu ceremony
Wednesday evening (May 21): zazen & dharma book discussion
Practitioners are welcome to participate in both zazen and discussion, or just one or the other, as schedules allow. During discussion, we take turns reading aloud from the text at hand and discuss our practice lives and understanding -- all are welcome to drop in, regardless of whether or not you are "caught up" on the text.
Sanshin skywatch
Tuesday 20 Raining during morning practice, with high humidity and wind gusts up to 23 mph. Rain continues during evening sewing. Excessive rain could cause minor flash flooding. Wednesday 21 Humid during morning practice. Chance of rain during evening book discussion, with wind gusts of 20 mph. Slight risk of severe thunderstorms. Thursday 22 Humid during morning practice, with scattered showers. Friday 23 Sunny and pleasant during morning practice. Saturday 24: Day off Sunday 25 May be raining during zazen, oryoki breakfast and dharma talk, with an indoor teatime. |
Throughout 2025, we're undertaking an exploration we've named Tangible Thusness, a deep investigation of the teachings of nyoho: things done or made according to the dharma. From May through August, we're focusing primarily on nyoho teachings related to food, from formal oryoki meals in a temple to what and how we eat at home, work, or school. What can we learn about attachment and interconnectedness through offering our attention to sourcing, cooking, eating, and cleaning up our everyday meals? LEARN MORE |
Looking ahead: |
June 3 - 8: Five-day sesshin (register by Tuesday, May 27th)
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For a complete listing of our regular practice schedule and upcoming extended practice opportunities, see our Schedules and Calendars page.
Our practice
Our main activities are zazen, sitting quietly and letting go of thinking; working together on food, clothing and shelter according to Buddha's teachings, and on developing wise and compassionate leadership; studying the teachings of the Buddha and the ancestors of our lineage; and engaging in ritual that brings our community together across space and time. We do all this in the context of our six practice guidelines (see below) and support each other in carrying forward this concentrated experience of interconnectedness throughout our everyday activities and communities.
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Our mission
Sanshin Zen Community enables the investigation of interconnectedness as it manifests in community, by engaging in six guidelines for practice within the Soto Zen tradition:
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• Zazen in a Buddhist context
• Keeping forms simple • Balancing peace and progress |
• Dharma study as a support for zazen
• Work practice as an investigation of community • Deeply inquiring into the teaching of ehou ichinyo: kesa and dharma are one |
LEARN MORE about our six practice guidelines as direct legacies of our twentieth century dharma ancestors, alongside Uchiyama Roshi's seven points of practice.
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We're grateful for the financial support of our many friends and community members worldwide. Coming together as a sangha to take care of our temple and practice in this way is simply an instance of the universe carrying out its functioning. Thank you!
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Got a question?Start with our FAQ, and if you still need help, contact us. |
Sanshin's foreign language sanghas |