Weekend workshops with Hoko in 2024

​As part of our work practice in 2024, Sanshin will offer two short workshops on bodhisattva leadership as experienced through the positions of sangha stewards, both practice leaders and administrative leaders.  On April 5th and 6th, we explored the roles of tenzo ​(head cook) and ino ​(zendo manager & service leader). On October 4th and 5th, we'll explore the role of director, specifically in a sangha board of directors context (see description and registration info at right).  Workshops include both higher-level doctrinal context and practical applications. 

​These sessions are also aimed particularly at small sanghas in our region which may be ready to add more structure to their communities, to take on more traditional practices, or to move from being informal gatherings to legally recognized organizations.  Sanshin simply wants to contribute to the sustainability of smaller practice groups without resources in this area, helping them to get their feet under them, make good decisions, and continue to develop as healthy and viable sanghas.

​Once we become established as practitioners in our sanghas and demonstrate that we have some skills and abilities to share, it's not uncommon to be asked to fill various leadership roles: board officer, tenzo, committee member, ino, or other service positions.  Sometimes we may feel that these activities contribute to the development of our own practice, and sometimes we might find them distracting commitments of a large amount of time.  We might feel proud to be asked to serve, but resentful of the extra workload we've agreed to carry.

Being a steward of the sangha in any capacity is part of work practice, one of the three kinds of practice (zazen, work and study) in which we engage at Sanshin.  This kind of service is not simply volunteer work at the temple; it remains a practice of investigating interconnectedness by becoming intimate with the life of the community.  In that way, it's an opportunity to develop our own practice while offering our insights and expertise to our sangha friends.  It's also a chance to study bodhisattva leadership, which we can take out of the temple and into the other leadership roles we assume in our lives.  Including the examination of texts such as Dogen Zenji's Eihei Shingi adds an additional dimension to this kind of practice.

Logistical notes

For those traveling to Sanshin from out of town, note that Sanshin can provide neither guest rooms nor transportation to and from the temple each day. You may sleep in the zendo with your own bedding or camp in the yard with your own gear if you wish. See our zendo stay and camping guidelines here. Some may prefer to rent a nearby hotel room or other temporary housing. 

Virtual participation is welcome. The focus will be on what's happening in the room, but the content will be relevant and useful to those participating from home. There is no fee or registration for virtual participation - just join us through our virtual practice page during scheduled zazen periods and discussions as your own schedule allows.

Coming up: Introduction to the role of director 
Schedule & registration below (registration closes Monday, Sep 30th)
Oct 4 - 5

director workshop schedule

Friday, Oct 4
7:00 pm - Welcome meeting

• Introductions
• Opening comments from Hoko, referencing participants' submitted questions
• Further discussion/Q & A

​Saturday, Oct 5
7:00 am  Breakfast
8:10 am  Zazen
9:00 am - 12:00 pm  Morning session: The practice of administration
12:00 pm  Lunch
1:00 - 4:00 pm  Afternoon session: The administration of practice
4:00 pm  Cleanup, closing discussion, & break
5:10 pm  Zazen
6:00 pm  End of workshop
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Dinner on your own

Sunday, Oct 6: You are welcome to join our regular Sunday practice activities, which in this case will be a work day involving activities in the yard and inside the temple
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9:10 am  Zazen with the sangha
10:00  Setup/change into work clothes
10:10 am  Sangha work day (lunch included, ending by 3 pm)

Whether your sangha is new and/or small with a more hands-on working board, or a larger or more established community with a policy or governing board, service as a director can and should be a meaningful opportunity for bodhisattva practice, not just volunteer work.  Board responsibility falls into four general areas (ambassadorial, supervisory, policy-setting and stewardship) and directors need a basic understanding of each of them and how they’re related to your center’s practice -- and to your own.

In addition to those four functions, we'll discuss:

• getting clear about sangha identity and purpose
• board cultivation and training
• practicing administration and administering practice
• making and implementing plans

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Before the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to submit questions or topics they'd like to discuss, and the agenda for the day will reflect the particular needs and interests of the group.

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Recap from earlier this year: Introduction to the roles of tenzo & ino (registration closed)
April 5 - 6, 2024

See detailed schedule below

We'll begin with an evening discussion of dharma leadership in general and get a sense of what participants would find most helpful in adapting ancient traditions in their own North American practice communities.  

We'll spend the next morning looking at the underlying doctrines surrounding the work of the tenzo (head cook) as both an important steward of temple resources and a leader of kitchen practice, and review the content of the meal chant and what that means for the tenzo.  We'll turn to practical understandings of traditional meal planning and preparation in a Zen practice context, how to do the food sending ceremony, and how to work with meal donors.  Note that we will not be teaching the use of oryoki, though we will be referring to those forms.

Following a lunch prepared according to traditional guidelines to serve as an example, we'll move on to examination of the role of the ino, including the two main functions of managing practitioners and leading chanting.  We'll discuss the relationships between the ino, doan, jikido, administrator and head teacher, and how the ino supports the center's practice vision.  On the practical side, we'll look at ways to guide lay practitioners, what happens during sesshin, the qualities of chanting in the Soto Zen tradition, the structure of liturgy, and working with the doshi (officiant).

Tenzo & ino workshop schedule (click to expand)

Friday, Apr 5
7:00 pm - Welcome meeting

• Introductions
• Opening comments from Hoko
• Discussion/Q & A

​Saturday, Apr 6
7:00 am  Breakfast
8:10 am  Zazen
9:00 am - 12:00 pm  Introduction to the role of tenzo 
12:00 pm  Lunch
1:00 - 4:00 pm  Introduction to the role of ino
4:00 pm  Cleanup & closing discussion
5:10 pm  Zazen
6:00 pm  End of workshop
​
Dinner on your own

Sunday, Apr 7: You are welcome to join our regular Sunday practice activities
9:10 am  Zazen with the sangha
10:00  Setup
10:10 am  Dharma talk by Okumura Roshi
~11:15 am  Buddha's birthday ceremony
​Followed by a sangha potluck lunch

Resources & recordings (updates coming soon)

stewardship_tenzo_ino_handout.pdf
File Size:	94 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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