Frequently asked questions
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Virtual practice
Can I practice with you online?
Sanshin offers virtual practice six days a week as well as sesshin; complete information is on our Schedules and calendars page in the English section. If you'd like to participate in the activities listed there, please email our office and we'll send you the link to our virtual practice page. I live in another time zone or another country.
Can you change the schedule to accommodate me? We recognize that people from around the world have for a long time been interested in what's happening at Sanshin. However, for the most part Sanshin's virtual practice activities are not designed to accommodate a global audience across multiple time zones. They are simply meant to allow participants to "look through the window" and join in while Sanshin carries out its regular Bloomington practice schedule with those who are here. If you live outside of the Eastern time zone (US) and are struggling with timing, we encourage you to connect with one of the Sanshin Network sanghas that's closer to you geographically and temporally. Can I meet virtually with a teacher for mentoring and guidance?
In general, Sanshin doesn't offer regular individual practice direction, either in person or online. We suggest participating in our virtual practice offerings for awhile to build relationships within the sangha. Discussion and Q&A opportunities might help answer your questions and sangha friendships may form that will provide support and encouragement for your practice. You may also wish to contact one of the teachers within the Sanshin Network to see whether practice direction is available from him or her. Reading and study
I'm new to Soto Zen. What should I read?
Opening the Hand of Thought is a good place to start; it's a classic book written by Kosho Uchiyama, our abbot's teacher. Living by Vow, written by our abbot, Shohaku Okumura, uses some of our most common chants to provide a broad introduction to basic teachings. For additional study materials, publications and audio and video recordings, please visit our education/publishing division, the Dogen Institute. Sanshin practices in a particular style that's somewhat unusual in the world of Soto Zen. If you're interested in practicing with us, please download our free booklet Understanding Sanshin Style and become thoroughly familiar with it. Reading books by Uchiyama Roshi and Okumura Roshi is not enough to understand what we do here. While reading and study are an important part of Zen, they're not enough by themselves. Engaging in regular zazen is the core of our practice. It's essential if one is to really understand and embody Buddha's teachings. Zen is not a philosophy or an intellectual exercise, it's an intimate and wholehearted practice -- something we do. It's necessary to learn to sit from a human teacher and to practice with others, even if only occasionally. I can't make any sense of the shobogenzo.
What should I do? Reading the Shobogenzo on your own without the guidance of a qualified teacher (or at least a good written commentary) is very difficult. Like all medieval Asian literature, it's highly allusive and embedded in its culture. Simply translating it into a Western language is not enough to make it accessible to a Western audience. Without a well-established zazen practice and knowledge of canonical languages, Buddhist history and the medieval Asian context, it's easy to find the text beautiful but impenetrable. Fortunately, Okumura Roshi has made it his life's work to facilitate Western practice with and understanding of the Shobogenzo. Most of his writings and recordings are in some way an explanation of Dogen's thought. Visit our Dogen Institute for free study materials as well as books and audio available for purchase. Sesshin and retreat
I don't live in Bloomington.
Can I come to retreat/sesshin at Sanshin? Some events offer a limited number of non-local practitioners the chance to participate in person depending on availability. If open seats remain once local practitioners have finished their own registration, those seats may be offered to non-locals who have placed themselves on a standby list and whose names are drawn by lot. Non-locals must be fully vaccinated and prepared to travel and participate on short notice (likely about two weeks). You may sleep in the zendo with your own bedding or camp in the yard with your own gear if you wish. Sanshin can provide neither guest rooms nor transportation to and from the temple each day. We'll contact those remaining on standby when all seats are filled. A virtual look-in option is often available as well. If you already have access to our virtual practice page, you can go there and join as you please. If you're new to our virtual practice, please email here for the link you'll need. While sitting at or with Sanshin can be a useful and meaningful element of your practice, please also continue to engage with and support your local or regional dharma center. You need it and it needs you. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RETREAT AND SESSHIN AT SANSHIN?
Retreats are less intensive, are not silent, and offer activities other than zazen, such as lectures, work periods or study time. Sesshin are entirely silent and include only zazen, meals and sleep. Read more about sesshin here. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE FOR SESSHIN AT SANSHIN?
Before sesshin, please familiarize yourself with Understanding Sanshin Style, the sesshin guidelines, and the forms we use. Reading the chapter of Opening the Hand of Thought that explains "sesshin without toys" is also a very helpful preparation. If you're not used to sitting 50-minute periods, try a few before you arrive here for sesshin. DO I NEED TO BRING THESE THINGS FOR SESSHIN OR RETREAT?
IF I'M TIRED, CAN I SKIP PARTS OF THE SESSHIN OR RETREAT DAY IN ORDER TO GET MORE SLEEP?
It's probably safe to say that nobody gets "enough" sleep during sesshin. A look at the daily schedule will show you that you will get six hours a night at most if you're staying on campus, and perhaps less if you're commuting. If your roommate snores, if you've traveled across time zones to get here, if you have sleep disorders or if you don't sleep well away from home, you will be additionally fatigued. The retreat day starts an hour later than the sesshin day, and there may be some personal time in the afternoon during which to take a short rest. In general, however, you can put aside any expectations about being "well-rested" during sesshin or retreat. How much of the sesshin or retreat to miss in order to nap is your decision. However, unless you have a tent or a car, there is nowhere for you to sleep at Sanshin during the day. Also, please don't skip meals since 1) meals are practice and 2) the food we will have bought and prepared for you will be wasted. I WANT TO LEAVE EARLY ON THE LAST DAY OF THE SESSHIN OR RETREAT. IS THAT OK?
Leaving early is strongly discouraged, and not just because you yourself will miss out on part of the event. It's important to consider the adverse impact on the sesshin or retreat and all the other participants. Participating in a sesshin or retreat is not like going to the theatre, buying your ticket, taking your seat and enjoying something that is performed around you by others. No one minds if you sneak out of the show early; there's simply an empty seat in the audience and the show goes on. Sesshin and retreat are not like this at all. You are not a spectator or a consumer. Participants are the material of the retreat, and without them there is nothing going on. Sesshin and retreat are created by and out of their practitioners, so when one suddenly disappears, a vital element is missing and the integrity of the structure is weakened for everyone. A community is built on interdependence. No matter how quiet you are, it's not possible to leave early without disturbing others. On a practical level, staying for all the juicy content and then leaving before the final cleanup and close means that all of the work lands on the people who remain for the duration. Also, temple resources are lost when we've purchased and prepared enough food for meals and suddenly practitioners aren't there to eat it. More importantly, as people begin to silently disappear one by one, the energy built up by the community over the course of the sesshin/retreat trickles away. The event goes flat and ends with a whimper for those who are still around rather than ending strong and together with attention and intention. Of course, illness and emergencies do come up, and only you can decide what's necessary for your life and circumstances, However, we ask that you not decide casually to just slip away. The message you send is, "Now that I've gotten everything I want out of this event, I'll be on my way and leave it to the rest of you to wrap things up. I have better things to do." Facing a long drive home is not a special circumstance; everyone coming from out of town has the same situation If you feel that you cannot get home at a reasonable time if you leave after the close of the sesshin/retreat, it's better to stay one more night, carry out your work assignments, finish strong with everyone, get some rest and leave the next morning. That will indeed require taking one more vacation day or one more day away from family obligations. It's part of the practice commitment of being at sesshin/retreat. DO YOU OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP COVER EVENT FEES?
Our aspiration is to turn no one away due to inability to pay. For information about financial assistance, please use the contact form. Can you accommodate my special diet during sesshin or retreat?
Meals during sesshin and retreat are vegetarian; you may email us to indicate food allergies and medically necessary dietary needs. We do our best to honor reasonable requests but if your diet is quite limited we may suggest that you bring your own food so that you can be assured of having acceptable meals. |
Being at Sanshin
What should I wear at Sanshin?
Our zendo is not like a gym or an exercise studio; it's a place of spiritual practice. When coming to engage in practice at Sanshin, please wear modest, neutral-colored loose clothing that covers the shoulders and legs. We do not wear shorts in the zendo in order to keep our cushions clean and free from body oils, and we avoid jewelry or scents that others would find distracting. We leave shoes and hats at the door; socks are permissible but may be slippery on our wood floor. You may find it helpful to review our zendo guidelines. No particular outfit is necessary in the zendo; our lay sangha simply wears everyday Western clothing. Please do not go out and buy practice robes or samu-e or shave your head in order to practice here. There is no need to add anything extra by trying to look like a "monk." Most of our practitioners are laypeople and we respect lay practice as a complete and sincere manifestation of the dharma. If you routinely wear lay robes at your home temple and you'd like to wear them here, that's fine. Ordained sangha are welcome to wear their robes as they wish. What should I call the teacher?
Hoko is now the senior dharma teacher, succeeding founder Shohaku Okumura, who was called the abbot. Just call her Hoko We used to call Okumura Roshi "Hojo-san" when he was at Sanshin itself; now we call him "Todo-san" when he's there. ("Todo" means Eastern Hall, and is the traditional name for a retired abbot.) "Okumura Roshi" is used in all other cases. We do not call our founder by his first name. In Japanese culture, the use of a first name indicates a close personal relationship. Other than "Todo-san" we do not append -san to names when speaking English at Sanshin. Visitors sometimes believe that using it shows respect, but it's not a title and has nothing to do with Zen; it's simply a particle of Japanese grammar that has no use or meaning in English. For Americans speaking English to Americans in America, it's an unnecessary affectation. how can I join your sangha or become a member?
Sanshin doesn't have a membership program and there is no process for "joining" the sangha. There are those who donate funds on a monthly basis, but they receive no benefits or special consideration. Anyone is welcome to practice in our style and to participate in our retreats, sesshin or day-to-day practice as their lives permit. No formal commitment is necessary. Those who are interested in what we're doing may wish to add themselves to our contact list and receive our monthly e-newsletter and occasional event promos. Does Sanshin practice vegetarianism?
Food served at Sanshin itself is typically vegetarian. However, practitioners are not required to adopt any particular diet. WHAT ABOUT covid-19 AND PUBLIC HEALTH?
See our public health protocols here. These precautions may limit, but do not eliminate, the risk of contracting an illness while practicing at Sanshin. Individuals must determine for themselves whether or not they feel comfortable living and practicing in a community which is not closed or cloistered, and in which they will frequently come into contact with the public, including people who are traveling to Sanshin from out of town. Committing to practice
can I become Okumura Roshi's student?
Okumura Roshi has stepped back from day-to-day leadership of Sanshin and is no longer accepting requests to receive lay precepts; that function at Sanshin has shifted entirely to Hoko and other transmitted teachers here. Okumura Roshi is also no longer taking on new novices for ordination; his focus now will be to complete the process with those already underway. There are various resources for studying Okumura Roshi's teachings available from our Dogen Institute. You may also watch and listen to some of his talks on Sanshin's YouTube channel. Can I come to Sanshin to take the precepts?
Lay precepts are given annually during roughly the first week of July, though the process of meeting, sewing and preparation begins well beforehand. Please see this page. If it's possible to take precepts with a teacher in or closer to your hometown, please engage with and support that group rather than traveling to Sanshin to do so. You need your local or regional sangha, and it needs you. Continuing your practice of living with the precepts is much more difficult without in-person practice with a sangha, even if it's only a few times a year. CAN I TAKE THE PRECEPTS VIRTUALLY?
Precepts must be given and received in person; it can't be done virtually. Following an in-person meeting with a preceptor (and preferably having established a practice with the sangha), one must come for a week-long retreat in the spring during which one sews a rakusu, and return in the summer for another week-long retreat to study the precepts. The ceremony is conducted at the end of that retreat. Can I ordain in Sanshin's lineage?
The worldwide Sanshin Network offers multiple opportunities to formally join our lineage as a novice by ordaining with one of its members. Sanshin Network members are usually transmitted disciples of Okumura Roshi or Hoko. Some have fulfilled the requirements for Sotoshu recognition and are authorized by the denomination as overseas (outside of Japan) teachers. You may begin by contacting the network member closest to your hometown or one who speaks your native language and starting a conversation about his or her requirements and expectations for ordination as a novice. Okumura Roshi himself is no longer taking on new novices. Longer-term practice
Can I live and practice at Sanshin for an extended period of time?
It may be possible to come to Sanshin for 30-day periods of temporary residential practice, living in the zendo with your own bedding or camping on the grounds. However, there is no residential community at Sanshin and you will be on your own for much of every day. There is usually no one on campus to give you direction or assignments, discuss teachings or practice, or share meals. Please contact us if you'd still like to discuss the possibility. What is a practice period (ango) like at Sanshin?
Ango is the busiest time of year at Sanshin, with various retreats, ceremonies and events happening over the three month period between the first week of April and the first week of July. The ango includes activities from each of the three areas of our practice: zazen (sesshin), work (sangha work days) and study (genzo-e retreat). A head novice (shuso) is appointed by the abbot and as part of his or her clerical development takes on various leadership responsibilities such as giving dharma talks and officiating at services. Toward the end of the ango, official ceremonies are held to mark the completion of the shuso's term. Outside of sesshin and retreats the day to day schedule remains as usual. Other questions
Can Okumura Roshi participate in my event, class or research project?
Okumura Roshi has stepped back from day to day leadership at Sanshin and his travel and teaching schedule is completely filled for the foreseeable future. He is not taking requests for virtual talks except for those from within the Sanshin Network or from Sotoshu. He may occasionally give interviews on topics directly related to Soto Zen Buddhist practice as it's carried out at Sanshin. He is unlikely to agree to interviews that seek to intersect Zen with something -- Zen and productivity, Zen and psychic phenomena, Zen and technology, etc. Can you provide guidance to our sitting group?
There are a number of small sitting groups within several hours of Sanshin, and we are happy to make resources available to them to help support their practice. Formal affiliation with Sanshin or Soto Zen is not necessary; we simply want to offer what we can to these small groups of wholehearted practitioners, which may be practicing without a teacher, a formal organization or a dedicated facility. LEARN MORE I want to become an exotic superhero. Can you help me?
This question sometimes takes a form like Last weekend I [read a book, saw a movie, looked at the internet] and now I want to become a [ninja, samurai, warrior monk, wizard). Can you help me? The answer is no. We don't know anything about that stuff. If you're looking for something romantic or magical, you won't find it here. We just sit zazen. I want to become a renunciant or mendicant. Can you help me?
No. All practitioners here work to support themselves and their families. We're just normal folks living normal lives. Uchiyama Roshi wrote, "The sixth type (of six-realms zen) is heavenly zen. The people who practice this want to be hermits or saints. Lots of Americans seem drawn to this type of zen. I guess they want to escape from the noisy, materialistic society of America and live in remote mountains enjoying the silence. This is zen undertaken as a hobby or a fad. It has absolutely nothing to do with the buddhadharma." [Opening the Hand of Thought, p. 155] Occasionally, someone finds himself homeless and decides to reposition that situation as a special holy Buddhist calling, expecting that on that basis Sanshin or our practitioners will provide him with material support. We will not. Our practice does not require us to step outside of the economic structures of our society, and "Buddhism" is not an excuse for panhandling. Alms rounds as they are practiced in Asia are done with and on behalf of the sangha or practice community and whatever is collected goes to the temple, not to individuals. There is nothing personal about it. In short, Sanshin is not a human services agency and is not an alternative to homeless shelters or other resources available in Bloomington. Can my sangha become part of the Sanshin network?
The Sanshin Network offers no means of affiliating teachers and sanghas from lineages outside of Okumura Roshi's. We do, however, encourage our dharma cousins to be in touch with the network sanghas closest to them (geographically or linguistically) to see whether there are opportunities to work together, offer joint events, etc. The Sanshin Network is made up of direct dharma heirs of Okumura Roshi and their own direct dharma descendents. Network members share a commitment to teach and practice in the style of Okumura Roshi, Uchiyama Roshi and Sawaki Roshi and cooperate with and help each other as opportunities arise. Sanshin provides no direction, teachings, financial support or other resources to them; they function independently. The network is simply the family group that has arisen naturally from the direct teaching and transmission of Okumura Roshi and his descendants It's not a membership organization and provides no benefits. Can you help me practice in japan?
We can answer some basic questions, but we do not make contacts in Japan on your behalf or make travel or living arrangements. If you are a novice interested in training toward Sotoshu certification, please work with your own teacher. |