| Bodhidharma and the history of Zen Bodhidharma is considered to be the founder of Zen buddhism. There is no real historical proof of who he was and when he lived but legend says that he was born into a wealthy family in southern India in the middle of the 5th century a.d. It is said that he studied with a Buddhist teacher named Prajnadhara, who later sent Bodhidharma to China. There he sat in meditation (zazen) for nine years in a cave, and because of this he became known as "the wall staring monk". Afterwards, he settled in the Shaolin Temple on Su mountain in northern China. Bodhidharma's radical teaching of dhyana (concentration, absorption) focused on wordless meditation and one's own experience and insight. Bodhidharma described his teaching like this: "A teaching beyond words and letters, pointing directly to the human Mind". One of Bodhidharma's disciples was the chinese monk Hui-k'o, who became Bodhidharma’s successor. Hui-k'o and his successors continued Bodhidharma’s work and over the following centuries zen buddhism (ch'an in chinese) spread all over China. In the 12th and 13th century zen came to Japan with Japanese monks who had been studying and training in China. It also spread to Korea where it was called "son". Zen has always been influenced by, and adapted to, the culture and the circumstances of each new country in which it appeared. Today, when Zen has come to the West it is adapting again. Women, for example, play a much more prominent role both as students and teachers. But the zen that is practiced here in the West also has deep roots in the Chinese and Japanese zen-tradition, and the essence of zen is really beyond both time and culture.The word "zen" comes from the Sanskrit-word "dhyana" which means concentration and absorption, in other words: meditation. The most central in zen-practice is zazen; sitting meditation (za=to sit).In zazen, one trains one's mind to be more attentive and present. The mind also learns to function in a new way, to let go of old habits, ideas and views about the world, and to be fully present in the moment, letting everything be born again in each moment. Greater presence and openness also leads to the insight that everything is interconnected, and to a deeper understanding of other beings. Out if this grows compassion and a will to help others. Different aspects of practice Zazen. If one wants to practice zen seriously one has to do zen meditation regularly. Most practitioners who live "ordinary" lives may have time to sit for 30 minutes or an hour per day and once or twice a week go to a centre and sit together with others. Full-time training at Zengården contains at least four hours of zazen per day. Zen and daily lifeZazen is the basis of zen practice but it is in our daily life that we realize the practice, through attention and being present in each moment and with awareness of our responsibility for the world and all sentient beings. The Buddhist precepts and the Eight-fold Path (see Buddhism) can give us guidance as to how to live a good life together with our fellow beings here on earth. Teaching and guidance The relationship between the teacher ("sensei" or "roshi") and the student is an important aspect of zen practice. The teacher guides the students through dokusan and teisho. Dokusan is the individual meeteing with the teacher. Teisho is a zen lecture that the teacher holds for a group of practitioners during zazen. Chanting and ceremoniesThe most common form of ceremony is sutra chanting. It is often done just before or just after zazen. Perhaps the most important ceremony is Jukai. In Jukai one formalizes and deepens one's commitment to walk the Buddha's Way by receiving the buddhist precepts. Jukai can be taken several times a year if one wants to. Other occasions that are celebrated with ceremonies are: Buddha's birth Buddha'a parinirvana (death) Buddha's enlightenment Bodhidharma day New Year Memorial services, name-giving ceremonies for children and weddings are also held as and when requested. Sesshin. Sesshin is an intense retreat for either four or seven days. The schedule during sesshin is demanding with many hours of zazen per day. Sesshins are an important part of full-time training and also many zen practitioners who aren’t engaged in full-time training attend sesshin regularly. |
