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Information for Newcomers
If you are
coming to meditation practice for the first time, this page should help to
answer some of the most common questions, and provide most of the
information you will need. Orientation: Orientation
takes place at 6:00 on Wednesday evenings, immediately before our regular
meditation practice. Please plan to arrive a little early (just before 6:00
PM) so that the orientation can start on time. You don’t need to call ahead of time;
orientation is always available. Who is
the orientation intended for? The
orientation is for anyone, regardless of previous meditation
experience. Every meditation center
has its own style that it follows.
Although many of the people who go through the orientation are
beginners, experienced meditators who have not previously practiced with
our group will also benefit from going through the orientation. How
long is the orientation, and what is covered? The
orientation takes just under 25 minutes. We cover the basics of sitting
meditation and explain what you can expect during the evening’s
session. You’ll get a basic feel for
our “form”, i.e. how we do the things we do with respect to sitting,
chanting and walking meditation. Chanting
meditation? What's that? In
chanting meditation we use some traditional Buddhist chants as a form of
meditation. What if
I want more in-depth meditation instruction? There are many
opportunities for this. During
Sunday Practice there are private interviews available with Is Zen
Meditation a Religion? Zen
meditation practice does not include any form of religious indoctrination,
nor does it imply any particular religious affiliation. While Zen comes
from the Buddhist tradition, Zen students can be Christian, Jewish, Muslim,
atheists - whatever (even Buddhist).
According to tradition, the Buddha was the first Zen Master, so
practicing Zen does imply that the Buddha is a teacher, but not to he
exclusion of other teachers (like Jesus, Lao-Tzu, etc.). What do
people wear during meditation? It is
strongly recommended that you wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes. It
is also recommended that you avoid bright colors, tight or revealing
clothing, perfume, jingly jewelry or any other kinds of clothing that could
be distracting. Do I
have to sit in some uncomfortable posture? No. Chairs
are available for anyone who wishes to sit in a chair. You should sit in a
posture that encourages mindfullness - but not one that causes unnecessary
discomfort. Is Zen
Meditation difficult to do? Probably
the most difficult aspect of Zen meditation for the beginner is simply
sitting still for 30 minutes. But this gets easier with practice. Its OK to
sit in a chair if you prefer - sitting still in a chair is much better than
fidgeting on a meditation cushion. For
an in-depth description of sitting meditation: http://www.mro.org/zmm/meditation/index.html I still have questions! Great! Feel free to ask any questions during
orientation or contact Will Zen
answer all of my questions? No - but
it will question all of your answers!