Join us for Zazen
Chuoji Temple Zazen Group
Leader Kazuo MIYAURA
■ Joining the Zazen Group
● What do I gain by practicing seated meditation Zazen?
● How much do I have to study in order to master Zazen?
● Is Zazen that practice with legs crossed (as in yoga), staring at a wall and being
struck with a pole by time to time?
● Do I have to be a Buddhist believer or an adept of the Soto Zen school of Buddhism
in order to be allowed to practice Zazen at Chuoji Temple?
These are a few questions on the practice of Zazen you may have. In fact, the
practice of Zazen makes no distinction between young and old, men or women, religious
beliefs. It doesn't matter even you are adept of a certain religion or you are atheist,
if you speak Japanese or not.
Anyone can practice Zazen by simply seating without thinking about anything. Even
though the Buddhist asceticism can be a quite hard practice, Zazen only is called the
"Gate to ease", or the practice of pleasant sitting.
In Zen it is considered that body and mind cannot exist separated from each other
and that a right mental attitude comes from a right (straight) body posture. Therefore
a correct posture during Zazen is of utmost importance.
Zazen is a very simple practice, but with enormous benefits coming from regular
practice.
■ What is Zazen?
The Zen school of Buddhism believes that the human being receives by birth a pure
mind and the capacity of free open-minded thinking in any circumstance. However, in
time, people start having worldly desires that leads to suffering, to the atrophy and
even destruction of the qualities granted by the birth as a human being. To understand
this better imagine you are participating in a competition. Even though you might have
the qualities necessary for winning the competition, by continuously thinking "I want
to win! I want to win! I want to win!" it is possible to get stuck, to be unable to
display your full potential and to end by loosing the competition. Continuously
thinking "I want this or that" humans loose their original qualities, the original
self, ending in a boring and empty inner life.
The aim of Zen is to decrease or even eliminate these worldly desires and to regain
the original condition of the self. Being released by these desires, people gain
access to the correct judgment, the original spiritual strength and the ability to
behave appropriate in community. By practicing this you can reduce the stress in your
life and start living sincerely, totally every day of your life.
Even though the practice of Zazen has these benefits, sitting with the desire of
acquiring them you actually loose them by building a new desire.
Just sit without longing for anything. This is Zazen.
■ Zazen at Chuoji Temple
The Chuoji Temple regards the weekly practice of Zazen at the temple as an important
missionary activity. Every Sunday morning we sit for Zazen and receive lectures from
the abbot of Chuoji on sutras, topics concerning modern society, or how to live our
lives in the spirit of Zen teachings.
Our group of Zazen is made from about 50 persons, 20-40 persons practicing regularly.
Half men and half women. Every year several foreigners join us for experiencing
authentic Zen culture. If you are a beginner you can receive instructions of how to
practice Zazen in English of Japanese. The beginners are asked to come to the temple
30 minutes before the Zazen starts.
Time
|
Every Sunday 9:00 from April 1 to November 30.
Every Sunday 9：30 from December 1 to March 31.
It takes 2-3 hours.
|
Place |
Chuoji Temple, Zazen Hall
South 6, West 2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi |
| |
tel．011-512-7321 |
Fees |
Monthly 500 \ (First time free) |
Schedule (during the Winter
period, the schedule
is with 30 minutes
delayed) |
9:00 〜 9:30 |
Zazen |
|
|
9:40 〜 11:00 |
Teisho (Chuoji abbot's lecture) |
| |
(there might be changes in program) |
| |
11:00 〜 11:30 |
Sutra reading (Fukanzazengi in Japanese) |
| |
11:30 〜 11:50 |
Samu (cleaning the Zazen Hall) |
| |
12:00 〜 12:30 |
O-cha-kai (please have a cup of tea with us) |
|
Finally, please remember that the Zazen Hall is one of the places in a Zen temple
where you have to be absolutely quiet. For instructions, tea and other discussions
another room is used.
We also organize every year excursions for visiting other Buddhist temples and for
strengthening the friendship of our group members.
Join us for Zazen and a chance to change your life will be granted to you. After
Zazen you will feel at ease and refreshed.
Contacts: Chuoji Temple Desk Clerk tel． 011−512−7321
Zen Meditation Hall Section
(PC or CELL-PHONE) mail: CLICK HERE!
Zen Meditation Advisers Section
(PC or CELL-PHONE) mail: CLICK HERE! (English) |
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