Six tasks of religious education

and examples of engagement

These are the six standard tasks of religious education in North America, cast here within the Soto Zen tradition.  As a system, these tasks aim to create practitioners and sanghas prepared to engage in a comprehensive life of practice, giving them a well-rounded set of skills and understandings.  They include all four aspects of our practice (zazen, work, study and ritual) and can be positioned within the Sanshin style.

Teaching the dharma and the Soto Zen approach to practice

• Four noble truths, eightfold path, three treasures, etc. as the basis for further study and practice
• The most important sutras in our tradition (Lankavatara, Vimalakirti, Avatamsaka, Lotus, Prajnaparamita literature)
• The basics of Dogen’s teaching covering his ten major themes
• Sotoshu’s 24 key terms
• Sanshin style as appropriate

Teaching people to do zazen

• Zazen instruction and opportunity to sit together
• Study of relevant texts and talks that go beyond the basics of zazen
• Understanding of the context for zazen and the relationship between zazen and the other elements of practice

Facilitating understanding of and participation in liturgy

• Training in forms and skills related to liturgy for both leaders and participants
• Understanding the role of liturgy in the human spiritual experience and within Sanshin style
• Study of texts chanted during services

Sangha building and participation in the life of the practice community

• Creating and participating in structures for governing the sangha and making decisions
• Carrying out the functions of ambassadorship inside and outside of the sangha, stewardship of sangha resources, creating and carrying out policies and procedures, and managing human resource needs (staff and volunteers)
• Offering opportunities to participate in caring for the sangha, the practice and the temple
• Fostering healthy relationships within the sangha and maintaining transparency, morale and goodwill

Teaching and practicing precepts

• Studying the precepts and relevant literature
• Offering the opportunity to receive the precepts
• Holding monthly ryaku fusatsu
• Incorporating the precepts into the sangha’s governance and ethics policies
• Creating ways to openly discuss breaches of the precepts within the sangha and work for reconciliation

Encouraging and facilitating service in the world as bodhisattva practice

• Understanding of beneficial action as moving people toward seeing interconnection and cause and effect
• Study and practice of bodhisattva vows
• Doing the work of enabling practice: ringing bells, cooking meals, maintaining the temple
• Engaging as a sangha in caring for the earth and providing direct help to those who need basics for living
• Equipping practitioners as individuals to engage skillfully with the community issues they find meaningful

Five elements of spiritual health

• A balance between or integration of individual and universe, or self and whole
  
• A feeling of hope or optimism that one is capable of getting through tough times and an understanding of where to turn for help
  
• An underlying sense of peace and wellbeing
  
• A sense of purpose in life and that life has meaning
  
• A clear understanding of one’s inner truths and on what these are based