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1. Does it cost anything to practice with Big River Zen Practice Group?
   

2. What should I wear?
   

3. How do you sit?  Do I have to sit cross-legged on the floor?
   

4. What happens during regular practice?
   

5. What should I be thinking during practice?
   

6. What is a retreat like?
   

7. What about the six-hour retreats?
   

8. Can I come for just part of a retreat?
   

9. The fees for the retreat are too much for me, but I still want to come.  What can I do?
   

Does it cost anything to practice with Big River Zen Practice Group?  

    No.  We ask for donations to pay for supplies.  BRZ is working to become affiliated with the Kwan Um School of Zen at which time we will encourage regular participants to consider becoming a member to support us and the School.  Retreats have fees, but they can be reduced or waived if they present a hardship.

What should I wear?

    Loose, comfortable clothing; minimal or no scent is kind to your fellow meditators.

How do you sit?  Do I have to sit cross-legged on the floor?

    The main point is to find a position you can keep for 30 minutes without moving and without major discomfort. 

    The standard way to sit is cross-legged on a set of cushions.  You can use additional cushions to support your knees if necessary. 

    You can also put a cushion or two between your legs and sit Japanese-style, knees forward with your heels under you. 

    It is also fine to sit in a chair.

    Keep your back and neck erect, eyes always open and looking gently at the floor.  Hands are held together in front of you, palms up, left over right, tips of thumbs just touching.  The thumbs are even with your navel, hands held gently against your body.

    Until you’re accustomed to meditation, no position is comfortable for long, so we allow for adjustment this way: you make a small bow and stand up behind your cushion with palms together (“hapchang”) until you are ready to sit again.  Hapchang once more, then sit, choosing another position, or the same.  You can use the standing option as much as you need.  The point is to be clear and attentive to everything you do, to stay in meditation even while accommodating your sore legs.

What happens during regular practice?

  On Wednesday evening, practice starts at 7:30 sharp with the Evening Bell Chant, a short solo chant, then four more chants done together: the Homage to the Three Jewels, the Heart Sutra in Korean and then in English, and the Great Dharani.  The Homage to the Three Jewels pays respect to the Buddha (our True Self), the Dharma, (the True Way), the Sangha (the True Community).  The Heart Sutra is the central text of Zen Buddhism and speaks to the nature of being.  The Great Dharani is a long mantra and is untranslatable.

    After chanting we sit in silent meditation for 30 minutes, followed by a reading from the words of Zen Master Seung Sahn, founder of the Kwan Um School of Zen.

    Sunday morning practice is the same except we begin with the Four Great Vows and three bows, and the bell chant is omitted.  Then after chanting we sit for two 30 minute periods separated by 10 minutes of walking meditation.

What should I be thinking during practice?

   During the chanting, just chant as well as you can.  Chanting is “together-action”.  Notice your voice and those of others.  Follow the moktak (wooden instrument that gives the pulse.) 

    During sitting just notice your thoughts.  There is no particular thing to be thinking--your mind will supply plenty of thoughts!  Just watch them and don’t get sucked in to any of them.  Notice your posture and keep it well.  Notice that your eyes are open and seeing the floor.  If your mind starts to drift, notice that and come back to sitting and looking.  If you start to doze, notice that and try to stay awake (you can stand behind your cushion if you can’t shake the sleepiness).

    It can be helpful to keep a mantra going.  In our practice we often use “Kwan Seum Bosal”, the name of the bodhisattva of compassion, or “Clear mind, clear mind, clear mind” while breathing in, and “Don’t know!” while breathing out.  It is also possible to count breath cycles.  Count four cycles and then start again.

What is a retreat like?

   A weekend silent meditation retreat, called a “Yong Maeng Jong Jin” (Leap Like a Tiger While Sitting) is essentially the same as regular practice, only with more of it, and with a teacher present guiding the retreat and offering teaching interviews.  It typically starts with wakeup at 4:45am and 108 Bows at 5:00.  Then, after a short break, the morning chants (same as evening but with a different bell chant) and a couple periods of sitting.  Then breakfast.  Then work period, break, and sitting from 10-12noon.  Lunch.  Break.  Sitting from 1:00-4:30.  Break.  Dinner. Break. “Special Chanting” consisting of two long chants, then regular evening chanting, then sitting from 7:00-9:30, then two final chants,and bedtime at 9:45.  The next morning starts the same and continues through lunch and a short sit after lunch, followed by a “Circle Talk” where participants can share about their retreat experience.  Then ICE CREAM!

    All meals (except the ice cream at the end!) are eaten silently in formal style, and are considered part of practice.

    During the retreat, participants have interviews with the teacher where they can ask questions about Zen or their lives, and the teacher presents kong-an practice.

What about the six-hour retreats?

   These are simply sitting (30 min) and walking (10 min) from 9:00am to 3:00pm--no bowing, no chanting.

Can I come for just part of a retreat?

   Though we encourage people to attend a full retreat, you may come for just a portion.  We ask that you plan to come for at least one full section of a YMJJ, and two hours of a six-hour retreat.  Sections of a YMJJ are: 5:00am - 8:00am (Bows through breakfast), 10:00am - 12:30pm (2nd sit through lunch), 1:00-4:30pm (3rd sit), 6:00-9:45 (chanting and 4th sit).

The fees for the retreat are too much for me, but I still want to come.  What can I do?

   Call Big River Zen and talk to Tom or Ryan.  No one will be kept from a retreat because of cost.