Our practice
Sitting, breathing, opening our eyes, letting go of thoughtCLICK FOR more
Our sitting practice is called zazen or shikantaza. We do only four things in our zazen; we sit in zazen posture, breathe deeply through the nose, keep the eyes open and let go of thoughts. That's all we do. Anything else is extra. Our shikantaza follows three aspects outlined by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, the teacher of Sanshin's founder, Shohaku Okumura: the study of the meaning of zazen in the context of Buddha's teachings, keeping forms and ceremonies simple in order to maintain their connection with zazen, and undertanding the significance of zazen in modern daily life. LEARN MORE |
Taking beneficial action
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Deeply understanding that zazen is good for nothingCLICK FOR MORE
Deep study of Dogen Zenji’s teachings as a means of truly understanding the practice of regular intensive shikantaza is one of the three elements of Sanshin's mission. It's an antidote to the "Zen sickness" described in the "Zazenshin" fascicle of his Shobogenzo. That danger can come with doing a lot of sitting with gaining mind—searching for a peak experience or some personal benefit. Thus dharma study is not an end in itself but assists our sitting practice. As our ancestor Kodo Sawaki Roshi often said, "All Buddhist scriptures are only footnotes to zazen." LEARN MORE |
Our style and spirit
Zazen's Buddhist contextCLICK FOR more
Soto Zen is situated within the Buddhist tradition, yet Dogen Zenji's zazen itself is a transparent practice that does not require a Buddhist container. Thus it can be colored by any number of influences and contexts, Buddhist and not. We do only four things in zazen: take the posture, keep our eyes open, breathe deeply and let go of thought. Anyone from any faith tradition or none can do this and is welcome to join us in our zazen practice, so it's helpful for us to understand the basis of this transparent practice within the Sanshin style and spirit. LEARN MORE |
Keeping forms simpleCLICK FOR more
Our practice includes a relatively small number of the forms and formalities present in other places of Soto Zen practice. This is not because forms are not important. We do a few forms and do them simply so that we can understand why we’re doing what we’re doing and keep the connection between forms and the mind of zazen. Without engaging in extras like using them to build our egos or compare ourselves to others, we just engage in forms and ceremonies and fold ourselves seamlessly into the activity of the community. LEARN MORE |
Practice in daily lifeCLICK FOR more
We live with a day-to-day tension between chasing after or escaping from things and avoiding taking any action at all in order to remain calm. Understanding the significance of zazen and study in modern daily life isn't about applying practice as a remedy for the stress of today's busy schedule or modernizing an ancient Asian tradition to make it relevant in the modern West. It's about seeing how, in the midst of the unfolding of our own karma and the working of the causes and conditions of this moment, we can manifest the equanimity that already exists in emptiness. LEARN MORE |
Our community
Sanshin sanghaCLICK FOR more
Our Bloomington, IN sangha is largely made up of lay householders who integrate their practice at Sanshin with family, work and school. Day to day practice leadership is provided by our founder and abbot, Shohaku Okumura, and vice abbot Hoko Karnegis as well as a leadership team of four other clergy. Administrative leadership comes from our board of directors, which includes four local and three out-of-town directors. LEARN MORE |
Sanshin soloCLICK FOR MORE
Even without a pandemic shutdown, many people who contact Sanshin live too far away from us or from any other center to practice there regularly. Even our own local sangha can’t be here every day. It’s harder to maintain practice on your own, but there are things you can do to create a meaningful Sanshin-style practice environment for yourself at home. LEARN MORE |
Sanshin style worldwideClick for more
Okumura Roshi and Hoko have lay students and dharma heirs around the world. Some of them have founded their own sitting groups, temples or Zen centers, while others teach and practice independently. Find the affiliated center closest to your hometown or your latest travel destination, and learn more about our Francophone and German-speaking sanghas. LEARN MORE |
Site map
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Our style and spirit
Zazen's Buddhist context Keeping forms simple Hand positions and bowing Practice forms for weekday mornings Practice forms for Sundays Practice forms for sesshin Zazen and study in modern daily life 
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