The Basics of Sitting in the Zendo

We have a few simple practices we follow for sitting together in the meditation hall (zendo). They help us organize and harmonize our collective activity and provide guidelines on how to enter, walk, sit, and act in the zendo. They are adaptations of traditional practices developed in monasteries millennia ago, but they are not rituals performed for rituals' sake. They remind us to maintain mindful awareness of our actions and to avoid getting lost in thought.

By observing 'the practice forms,' we are also encouraged to move and act as one body and to be kind and compassionate toward others we sit with. The forms give us a way to express ourselves as an integral part of the Zen Center community and not to act solely out of our own needs and gratification.

Watching others is the best way to learn the forms. Don’t worry about making mistakes—we all do, both newcomers and old timers. The point of the forms isn’t to be perfect. Rather, they are useful tools in helping us to wake up.