Understanding Sanshin style sesshin
Leave others alone. Individuals must engage in their own spiritual practice. Everything must be done in silence. There must be no audible sutra reading or greetings.
-- Sesshin instructions posted at Antaiji
-- Sesshin instructions posted at Antaiji
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Actually, I think during sesshin each one of us is relying on others and other people are supporting all of us. Even as a teacher, I rely on other people sitting. It's very difficult to sit sesshin by myself. Actually, I never sat a five day sesshin by myself. I did three days. Fortunately, on Saturday someone came and sat, which was a great relief to me. But sitting alone 14 periods a day, no matter how much experience we have of zazen and practice, is very difficult. We are actually relying on others. That means we can do sesshin because there's support from other people. When we see this sangha as one thing, then there's no reliance, but within no reliance, there are many desires. That is compassion of our sangha. Dogen said, don't practice alone, practice within the sangha. He didn't recommend being pratyeka buddhas, practitioners who live and practice by themselves in the deep mountains. No reliance, without reliance, and within reliance are all interpenetrated.
-- Shohaku Okumura |
Context and approach:
Uchiyama Roshi's Opening the Hand of Thought, particularly Chapter 4: "The World of Intensive Practice" The purpose of sesshin The origin of our style of sesshin The sesshin day No one is forcing you to sit To stop being in relationship with others Enduring sesshin What we're really doing Sesshin is not for the fragile Your role in sesshin Zazen That Amounts to Nothing
Shundo Aoyama Roshi describes her experience of sesshin at Antaiji led by Uchiyama Roshi |
