Forms of practice

Daily Practice

We have Zen practice every morning at 5:30 AM. Practice sessions consist of sitting, chanting, and bowing Zen, and are free and open to all. We also provide meditation instruction at other times, by appointment. If you have any questions, please contact us. We also have retreats, workshops, and other programs scheduled regularly. Please see our calendar for those events.

Forms of Practice

Our tradition has three major forms of Zen practice: bowing, chanting, and sitting meditation.The forms are very simple, and once you’ve seen them it is easy to follow along.In the dharma room, these forms are done in unison. Our practice supports everyone else’s practice. We bow in the same rhythm. We chant together. We sit in silence until the end of each sitting period.
Most important is that whatever practice you are doing, that is exactly what you are doing. When you bow, just bow. When you chant, just chant. When you sit, just sit. That’s all.

Why We Sit

Traditionally, in China and Korea, only monks did Zen practice. But Zen has come to the West and here lay people also practice Zen. This has changed the character of Zen. Now our teaching is about Zen in everyday life. Sitting Zen all the time is not possible for lay people. Everyday-life Zen means learning mind-sitting. Mind-sitting means not-moving mind. How do you keep not-moving mind? Put down your opinion, condition and situation moment-to-moment. When you are doing something, just do it. This is everyday Zen. Sitting meditation is a particular kind of meditation, unique to Zen, that functions centrally as the very heart of the practice.
For lay people, the teaching of great love, great compassion and the Great Bodhisattva Way is very important. To attain that, it is necessary to keep a not-moving mind, then correct situation, correct function, and correct relationship appear by themselves in everyday life.

Read more about Zen practice:

The Human Route
What is Zen?
WHY WE CHANT? by Zen Master Seung Sahn