Program Focus: Intensive Practice
by
Members
of the Shao Shan Temple Sangha
Introduction
Sitting meditation or zazen is at the heart of Zen Buddhist
practice. Shao Shan Temple offers sangha members a variety of programs to
explore their meditation through intensive practice sessions. Intensive practice
at the temple refers to meditating for several hours during the course of a day
or for several days in a row. After one or many days of meditating in silence,
one’s mind tends to become calmer and more settled. The usual mental chatter
starts to slow down and it becomes possible to observe the functioning of the
mind with a great deal of objectivity, compassion, and precision.
At Shao Shan there are four intensive practice programs: Zazenkai,
Sesshin, Mini Summer Practice Period, and Rohatsu Sesshin. All intensive
practice programs are by donation.
Zazenkai
Zazenkai is a
one-day silent retreat. The programs are held on the third Sunday of most
months beginning at 9:30 am and ending at 4:00 pm with an optional discussion
and tea. Practitioners alternate between sessions of zazen, lasting no longer
than 40 minutes, and kinhin (walking meditation) of approximately 10 minutes
duration. A vegetarian lunch is served midday, followed by a food offering walk
through the temple’s expansive grounds. A Dharma talk is presented by Taihaku
or Kenzan in the afternoon. At some point during the day, participants usually
have the opportunity for dokusan -- a
private meeting with Taihaku or Kenzan. Participants are required to make a
commitment to be present for the entire day’s program. Temple guidelines
require that a person have experience practicing at Shao Shan Temple prior to
participating in the Zazenkai program.
Sesshin
Sesshin is a
three-day, silent meditation retreat. Typically Sesshin begins on Friday
evening at 6:30 pm with an entrance ceremony, followed by sitting and walking
meditation until 8:30 pm. On Saturday the day begins at 5:30 am with sitting
and walking meditation, followed by morning service, breakfast, and Study
Group. The remainder of the morning is spent in sitting and walking meditation,
followed by a vegetarian lunch and a food offering walk. Practitioners spend
the afternoon in sitting and walking meditation until dinner at 5:00 pm. Saturday
concludes with evening sitting and walking meditation. Sunday
begins with morning sitting and walking mediation followed by a brief service
and breakfast. The remainder of Sunday follows the Zazenkai schedule as
described above. Practitioners may stay overnight at the temple or come and go
each day. Unlike Zazenkai, partial participation on Friday
and Saturday of Sesshin is a common practice. For the Sunday Zazenkai, participants
are required to make a commitment to be present for the entire day’s program. As
is the case for all intensive programs, non-sangha members who have never attended a meditation program at
Shao Shan Temple should contact the temple prior to the beginning
of a Sesshin to arrange for a first-time visit.
Mini Summer Practice
Period
The Mini
Summer Practice Period offers the opportunity to immerse oneself into temple
life for six days. This retreat is scheduled in July of each year. The program begins
on Tuesday evening and ends with Zazenkai
closing ceremony on Sunday. Each day consists of a monastic-like schedule
with four meditation periods, services, two periods of work practice, opportunities
for dokusan, participation in regularly scheduled programs, and meals. There
are ample breaks during the day. Though the Mini Summer Practice Period is not
a silent retreat, participants are encouraged to limit conversations to
necessary communication related to the tasks at hand. Practitioners may participate
for the full intensive practice period or participate in select parts of the
program. Overnight accommodations at the temple may be arranged. There are
shower facilities available for those who stay overnight.
Rohatsu Sesshin
Rohatsu Sesshin is
a time of silent, concentrated practice to commemorate Shakyamuni Buddha’s
enlightenment upon seeing the morning star. Rohatsu sesshin is scheduled each
year from December 1 to December 8. Rohatsu Sesshin includes sitting and
walking meditation from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm, daily oryoki breakfast, work practice, daily
dharma talks which tell the story of Buddha's life, food offering walks,
the possibility for dokusan, and delicious garden produce meals. There are ample breaks during the day for walking, resting, stretching, chores and personal hygiene. Silence
is a major aspect of this Sesshin. On the final morning, when the weather is permitting,
participants go outside for walking meditation in hopes of seeing the morning
star – the star that Shakyamuni saw when he was enlightened. Rohatsu Sesshin
closes with tea and discussion. Practitioners may participate for the full
intensive practice period or participate in select parts of the program. Overnight
accommodations at the temple may be arranged. There are shower facilities
available for those who stay overnight.
Sangha members share their experiences about Intensive Practice Programs at Shao Shan
A period of time unhooked from electronics, chores, news, noise,
talking/listening, and aimless thinking.
A time to yield to a fixed schedule and activity -- to let go of that
control.
A time to notice my inner processes -- thought spirals,
self-centered thinking/worrying/planning.
A time to let that cognitive cloud settle so that I can experience my
fears, anger, sadness, joy, love --
move from I WANT/DON’T WANT to I AM.
All in the company of folks on a similar spiritual path; an expression
of and strengthening of our connection to that path and to each other. -- Judy Harden
I resist taking a whole day to be still. Ironically, ‘just being’ has
become a luxury in my 'go -go' life. One Sunday a month, I bypass the
noise in my head and take a luxury day at the Shao Shan “mind spa.”
The sweet smell of wood smoke and something delicious on the stove
greet me in the temple parking lot. However, the real shift doesn’t start
until I see the first person walk up the temple path beside me. That’s
when I realize: I am not only sitting for myself, I am here for everyone
else who is also making effort. The first plunge into group silence is often
jarring. A surface is broken and the mundane is left behind. The air crackles
with possibility. I never know what will arise in a day of stillness-
that's the best part. -- Raven NK Bruce
Early on, the idea of Zazenkai intimidated me. How could my body handle
a full day of sitting and walking mediation, when even one 40-minute period of
zazen was painful? When I finally made the commitment to attend Zazenkai, I
found it feasible, even satisfying - though my back was in agony through the
afternoon sittings. I now attend whenever possible, and have since frequented
parts of Sesshin. Over time my back seems to have learned to settle into a
comfortable position in zazen, making a day-long retreat more enjoyable. The
container created by the schedule, the meals, teas in the Little Hall, the
space to stretch, and Taihaku and Kenzan’s dedication and warmth make me feel
very taken care of. The Temple absorbs the energy of many people sitting, and
this enhances and supports practice. --
Julie Hand
On October 22, 2017, I jotted down on my calendar, “Zazenkai – Finally
glimpsed ‘the mind of God’ in me.” When I read it again recently, I had no idea
what I was talking about. This was at the culmination of a year of stress and
anxiety, but the next day I found the answer to my worries. Last month I ended
the Zazenkai feeling totally exhausted and starting to get a headache. The next
day I was filled with positive energy that lasted all week. I really don’t
understand a thing about it. -- Kathleen
Daye
I had not been to Zazenkai for nearly a year, due to medical issues
with my legs. I attended three morning Rohatsu sessions this December with a
dear sangha friend. We both agreed it was so good to come and go together. The
zendo was warm, wood crackling; then the zendo was cold. Lunch was quiet with
delicious soup. On the food offering walk I was grateful to be walking again. Intensives
definitely deepen and enrich practice in tangible ways. -- Scott Fields
I am a relative newcomer to Shao Shan and did my first intensive
practice sessions during Rohatsu Sesshin. I attended two morning sessions
during the week-long retreat. Meditation practice, both at home and as a member
of a sangha, has become an important part of my life. Sitting at Shao Shan to
lengthen and deepen my practice feels like a natural thing to do. Meditation
has become a life changer for me, and I am grateful for it. My way of “being”
in the world is better because of it. I guess, in sum, the longer I sit, the
longer I want to sit. -- Cathy
Hartshorn
Trying to quiet the mind and meditate, especially for longer than an
hour, is a very challenging exercise for me. If one could keep a log of my
usual thought patterns and emotions, it would be interesting to divide it
up into three groupings: 1) concerning the past; 2) concerning the future; and
3) concerning the present. Most likely, the analysis would reveal that my
constantly active mind is rarely concerned with the present moment. But after
attending Rohatsu Sesshin, even for only a half day, I felt I had a sense
of what it’s like to experience the present moment. Thank you for the
opportunity! -- Clara Bruns
I believe we are all born Buddha. Our human destiny is to use zazen in
order to dissolve all accumulated thoughts, worries, and emotions into the
original Big Mind. Intensive retreats allow me to go deeper and stay
longer inside to safely do the work of rediscovering my full Buddha nature.
With food, shelter, ritual, and caring guidance all given freely my attention
has but one task. I am so thankful that Shao Shan is in my life to provide the
opportunity. -- Brian Hebert
The
opportunity for intensive mediation really helped me understand my meditation
practice. You begin to see patterns that you might miss when you just meditate
for 40 minutes a day. The Sesshin totally envelopes you. Everything from your
regular life fades away and your focus is exclusively on your practice. The
silence intensifies the experience even further. I used to wonder what I would do
with myself during all of that time. In reality one period of sitting just
blends into the next. I never gave it a second thought once I settled into the
routine of Rohatsu Sesshin. -- Max Schlueter
It has been
a while since I have done an intensive Sesshin retreat. The reason why I like
and dislike sitting is that it allows me some possibility to empty myself of
all the constructions and preconceived notions I have of the world and the
self. Empty myself of myself. Hmmm, not so easy but not impossible either. At
times I find it quite entertaining to notice how the mind is always moving and
how it tries to seduce the body into this same distraction. To sit without
moving for an hour is not so tough, to sit without moving the mind, very tough.
Now and then, however, there is a taste of the vast void. Bioelectricity
surging unhindered through the body, synapses being fired spontaneously and
there we are.... -- Dunja Moeller
The next Zazenkai is February 18. The next Sesshin
begins on February 16.
