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Gifts of support to Sanshin Zen Community: Please visit our Giving to Sanshin page.
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Street Address
Sanshin Zen Community 1726 S. Olive St. Bloomington, IN 47401 Mailing Address
Sanshin Zen Community Box 1577 Bloomington, IN USA 47402 Please note that only the postal service will deliver items to our PO box. If you're sending items by delivery services such as UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc. please ship them to our street address. Phone: 812-339-2635
Please be aware that our phone will always go to voicemail and there will be significant delay in returning your call. The question form at right is likely to get a more timely response. |
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Visitng Sanshin
GETTING HERE
By car from Indianapolis
From Indianapolis, take Interstate 69 South for about 40 miles. Take the first Bloomington exit, College Ave. Travel several miles (College Ave. will become Walnut St.) into and through town until you get to Miller Drive where you will go left. About a mile down the road is Olive Street. Turn left and travel about 1 block. Sanshinji will be on your left.
By train
Amtrak operates rail service to Indianapolis; the train station is 52 miles from Sanshinji. From the station one can take a bus to the Bloomington Transit Center and a taxi, Lyft or Uber to Sanshin.
By air
Indianapolis International Airport is the closest airport to Sanshinji; by the shortest route it's 49 miles away. Rental cars are available at the airport and it may also be possible to get a bus from the airport to the Bloomington Transit Center and a taxi, Lyft or Uber to Sanshinji.
Airport shuttle service
There are also several shuttle services available between the airport and Bloomington. GoExpressTravel operates a shuttle service between the airport and Bloomington; it stops at Hyatt Place, about 2.2 miles from Sanshinji. From there one can take a taxi, Lyft or Uber.
From Indianapolis, take Interstate 69 South for about 40 miles. Take the first Bloomington exit, College Ave. Travel several miles (College Ave. will become Walnut St.) into and through town until you get to Miller Drive where you will go left. About a mile down the road is Olive Street. Turn left and travel about 1 block. Sanshinji will be on your left.
By train
Amtrak operates rail service to Indianapolis; the train station is 52 miles from Sanshinji. From the station one can take a bus to the Bloomington Transit Center and a taxi, Lyft or Uber to Sanshin.
By air
Indianapolis International Airport is the closest airport to Sanshinji; by the shortest route it's 49 miles away. Rental cars are available at the airport and it may also be possible to get a bus from the airport to the Bloomington Transit Center and a taxi, Lyft or Uber to Sanshinji.
Airport shuttle service
There are also several shuttle services available between the airport and Bloomington. GoExpressTravel operates a shuttle service between the airport and Bloomington; it stops at Hyatt Place, about 2.2 miles from Sanshinji. From there one can take a taxi, Lyft or Uber.
STAYING HERE
Please note that Sanshin no longer rents the building next door that had been used as guest accommodations.
Those participating in sesshin or retreats may sleep in the zendo with their own bedding or camp on the grounds with their own camping gear. Participants have the use of bathroom facilities for the duration of the event.
Other options
AirBnB's Bloomington listings
City of Bloomington's website
Those participating in sesshin or retreats may sleep in the zendo with their own bedding or camp on the grounds with their own camping gear. Participants have the use of bathroom facilities for the duration of the event.
Other options
AirBnB's Bloomington listings
City of Bloomington's website
ARRIVING AT SANSHIN
Timing
Procedure
- Note that extended practice activities such as sesshin typically begin with a 3 pm welcome meeting. If possible, it's best to arrive sometime during the first day of the sesshin/retreat, at least half an hour before the welcome meeting. Sanshin's operations manager or a volunteer sangha member will be present at Sanshin at least two hours ahead of the welcome meeting - if you arrive before then, you'll need to wait outside the temple, which will be locked.
- Because our weekday practice activities begin early in the morning, please plan flights and rides such that you arrive at Sanshin before 8 pm on a given day. This gives you a chance to settle in and get enough sleep before early morning practice the next day and minimizes disturbance to others. Note that there are no morning practice activities held on the first day of a sesshin or retreat.
- If you cannot arrive by 8 pm, we ask that you stay somewhere in town for that night and arrive at Sanshin the next day.
Procedure
- A day or two before your arrival, we'll email you some important information about how to get into the building. Be sure to print this out, write it down, or otherwise have access to it when you arrive.
- If you're staying in the zendo (1726 S. Olive St.), let yourself in at the door with the grey pillars and stow your bedding and belongings out of the way under the clothes rack at the bottom of the stairs. Label any food you've brought for meals outside of your retreat/sesshin and store it in the kitchen next to the zendo.
- If you're camping, you can choose a spot on the lawn (not the wildflower planting or the moss garden) and set up your tent and gear. Be aware that there is a large streetlamp in the middle of the front yard that comes on sporadically and situate yourself so that you are not disturbed by the light.
- Please note that the Okumura residence has a separate private entrance at the back of the building; do not knock at or use this entrance.
- You may make your way to the zendo anytime to choose a seat. Seats directly next to the altar on the same wall or that have bells, robes or belongings on them are spoken for, and you may wish to leave something of yours to claim your seat as well. Please sit in the main part of the zendo and leave the alcove seats open for those who are dropping in for parts of the event. Extra cushions, benches and pads are available for your use.
- Check the event schedule posted in the entryway or outside the zendo to determine when you need to be in the zendo or meals area. Typically, there is a welcome meeting in the zendo at 3 pm, and the first period of zazen begins after some opening words at 5:10 pm.
- You may wish to have a flashlight handy if you're arriving after sunset. It can be dark on the Sanshin grounds and if you're the first to arrive the porch lights may not be on.
- Those camping or sleeping on the zendo floor have the use of the bathrooms and shower down the hall from the zendo. There may be small baskets above the toilet where you can keep small articles for the duration of your stay.
- Those sleeping in the zendo need to be up and have their belongings stashed and the zendo in working order by the time the jikido arrives to prepare the altar in the morning, usually at least 15 minutes before the doshi arrives.
- When sleeping in the zendo, out of respect for the Buddha please point your head toward him rather than your feet.