What is a Zendo?
Zendō or senbutsu-jō is a Japanese "meditation hall".
In Zen Buddhism, the zendō is a spiritual dōjō where zazen is practiced.
We bring this sense of spiritual dojo to our online Zendo.
In our online Zendo, you can join us for meditation periods (see our calendar on our home page. )
Your home zendo can be a room, a closet, or a corner in a room. Your zendo might be your bed. It's any place you can come away from the busyness of life for a time and "just be." Keep it simple. You don't have to go buy "all the things" to practice.
At Rising Lotus, we encourage bringing water to meditation. We also encourage moving as necessary to
avoid stiffness, and accommodate injured, aging or otherwise weakened bodies.
Upaya Zen Center, Zendo, curtsey of Joan Halifax on Flickr
FINDING THE ONLINE ZENDO
All of our services and groups are held via Zoom. Links can be found by clicking on an event on the calendar found on our Home Page.
First Things First
Before you enter the online zendo, you may want to prepare your own sacred space, although this is not necessary. This can be done simply by lighting a candle or a stick of incense, or just by placing your hands together and bowing as a symbol of gratitude. Don't forget to have a water bottle handy.
Dress comfortably but modestly. Loose fitting pants and shirts are best so movement and blood flow are not restricted! Leggings or looser gym or yoga pants are appropriate for our online community. We discourage jeans because they are too tight for sitting in meditation comfortably.
Entering The Online Zendo
Plan to sign in 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. When you enter the Zoom room, please say hello and introduce yourself. This is to accommodate people in our group with visual disabilities who can’t see your name.
Saying hello and introducing yourself is a nice way to “break the ice'' and lets those with visual challenges know that someone new has entered the space.
Some of us have unusual names that are our Dharma names, like Kyoji, Kyodo, and Shinjin,
If you prefer not to appear on camera, you may keep your camera off. We hope that as you become more comfortable, you will elect to be on camera with us.
If you arrive on time or late, please make sure you are muted.
When the priest or practice leader announces that it’s time to begin, everyone mutes their microphone. They will give any announcements and a brief introduction to the practice.
The bell will ring three times, and practice begins. At the end of practice, two bells will ring.