The daily mind is the way

The heart of the practice: zazen

Zazen is the posture of awakening that has been passed down from Shakyamuni Buddha to the present day. We sit cross-legged, back straight, breathing calmly, body and mind unified. We turn our gaze inward, without any spirit of achievement. In this way, everyone naturally transcends the limits of egoism and directly experiences the awakening to their true nature.

Everyone is welcome to come and practise zazen, whether in town during the week or at the temple at the weekend (although please note special times for sesshin).
We practice zazen wearing a black kimono or a loose-fitting dark garment. If required, we can lend you a zafu (round cushion).
Please arrive 15 minutes early.
Session fee: CHF 12, payable in cash on site.

Whenever possible, please register by e-mail – especially if you’re coming for the first time; you can benefit from an introduction to the posture if you arrive 30 minutes before the start of the session.

Liturgy

At first glance, we might think that this term is more closely associated with Christian religions.
But, if we look a little more closely, we can transpose it to the Buddhist religion, if we start from the premise that Buddhism is a religion.

For the record, the word liturgy (from Greek λειτουργία / leitourgía; ‘the service of the people’) is the set of rites, ceremonies and prayers dedicated to the worship of a religious deity, as defined according to rules that may be codified in sacred texts or tradition.
Religions have survived the centuries thanks to their rituals.

Zen liturgical prayer could be translated as ‘zazen’. Za: to sit, the problem of the body; zen: comes from chan, dyana: meditation, concentration, the problem of the mind.
The human being, seated, body and mind in unity, not separate, can return to silence. Practise meditation.

Silence is the point of convergence for all religions. It is the basis from which everything can exist.
The source of the spirit is quiet.
We must be silent within ourselves. Return to peaceful.

After the period of zazen and meditation, the monks and nuns recite the sutras (Buddha’s teachings). This is a way of giving back or dispensing the merits ‘obtained’ through meditation.
These sutras are addressed to all human beings, to help them, among other things, to resolve the problem of suffering.

Master Dōgen (13th century, founder of the Soto Zen school) says in the ‘Kankin’ chapter (kan: to observe; kin (gyo): sutra) of the Shōbōgenzō:

Those who preach non-Buddhist doctrines for the sake of gain and honour cannot practise the Buddha’s sutras. And this is because the book of sutras is written on trees and stones, the fields and villages spread it, an atom of dust stages it and the vast space comments on it.

Zen practice contains rituals, as do all practices.
Our lives contain rituals; we all have ‘little personal rituals’ that punctuate our days.

Life itself is a ritual.
In Soto Zen practice, everything is ritual. Everything is concentration, on the gesture and on the here and now. On being present to the world, to others and to oneself.

Meals are rituals, as are washing, walking, sleeping, etc.
There are more than 150 ‘gathas’, little texts that accompany us throughout the day in every action we take.

CThis reminds us that our practice is concentration, that everything is practice, not just sitting or reciting the sutras.
Everything has the same value; one activity is not more important than another.

Cooking, reciting the sutras, cleaning the toilet – everything is ritual, everything is concentration and the practice of the ‘here and now’.

Oryoki

In the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, monks received their only food in their alms bowls. In some Buddhist traditions, this way of giving has remained the same over the centuries. Others, such as Zen, have developed different ways.

Today, Zen monks in the modern world work, cultivate their gardens and prepare meals. But the bowl has retained its deeper meaning: it expresses the non-separation between the giver, the receiver and the gift.

We could translate ‘oryoki’ as ‘container for receiving the right amount’, exactly what is needed for each person.

The practice of eating meals together in silence, using bowls according to a precise ritual, is part of temple life and helps to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and generosity. Food eaten in this spirit becomes a perfect gift and supports the practice.

Along with the kesa, the oryoki bowls are among the objects of transmission that monks receive on ordination.

Samu - the activity of all Buddhas

Presence in the moment, without judgement, without any particular spirit, without any expectation of personal benefit – this concentration is expressed in all the gestures and activities of daily life.

Samu enables us to put this attitude at the service of the community by continuing the action of all the Buddhas in the work necessary for the temple to function, together, simply.

This activity is an integral part of Sōtō Zen practice – like zazen, kin-hin, rituals, and oryoki. Everyone can take part according to their physical abilities, with the support of the community.

Kesa - the unlimited garment

The Kesa – Body and mind of the Buddha

 Master Kodo Sawaki (1880-1965) constantly repeated ‘my school is the school of the kesa’, or ‘zazen and kesa are like the two wings of a bird’.

He transmitted Master Dōgen’s teaching in its practical and living dimension.

The ‘Kesakudoku’ chapter of the Shōbōgenzō, ‘the merits of the kesa’ are used as a basis for the teachings given at the temple.

Every Sunday afternoon, registration required.