If one has never attended Zen practice before, one must first attend and Introduction to Zen practice. The New Orleans Zen Temple on Royal Street offers introduction classes once a month, usually on a Saturday or Sunday early in the month. However, other introduction classes can be held for one to three people at anytime during the month.
The evening of November 4th was chilly and windy. The New Orleans Zen Temple is located on the upper floor of a tan building that has “Trans Oceans Marine Supply” and “World Wide Import Export & Supply” painted across the front. There is a door to the left of the building with a little wooden sign next to it indicating that the Zen Temple is indeed at that location. Upon entry, there was a wooden staircase with the door to the front room of the Zen Temple at the top of it.
The front room had two couches and a few chairs for the guests to sit in. There was a small area that had water and tea bags in a corner. A glass case containing supplies and incense for sale was located near one of the walls. There were pamphlets and brochures for those interested in Zen on top of the case. Also in the room was a set of short wooden shelves that sandals are kept in. First time guests are given a tour of the Zen Temple and are able to wait in the front room until it is time to begin the introduction.
To one side of the front room is the library. It contains bookshelves full of books and also a couch and table and other places to read or write. The bookshelves had books about Zen and other related topics on them. There is also a bathroom connected to the library. While in the library, we were told that different Zen Temples have different lineages. This temple’s lineage is traced from Japan to Paris to New Orleans. Master Taisen Deshimaru was the Zen master in Paris who taught Robert Livingston Roshi, the teacher of the New Orleans Zen Temple.
To the other side of the front room, there is an outside patio and an inside hallway leading past it to the kitchen. This is where the food is prepared for those who reside in the temple or for the visitors who share meals with the teachers. Beyond the kitchen are the residence quarters, where those who wish to stay at the Zen Temple sleep. The residents would sleep on thin mats or cushions. There is a sewing room that is still being set up next to the residence quarters. The task of sewing one’s own garments is an important way to practice Zen. One should concentrate on each stitch as it is being sewn and clear their mind of other things.
The dojo, where the actual Zen Practice takes place is at the very rear of the Temple. There is a small area just before the dojo where the cushions are located. This is where those who will be practicing remove their shoes. During the introduction, those in attendance are invited to select a zafu, a round cushion that one sits upon during meditation, and are shown the correct posture for zazen, sitting meditation. Everyone sits in the small area while the teacher comes around and checks posture. During this time, the teacher explains the practice of zazen.
One must sit on the zafu with one’s legs crossed in front of them. The lotus or half-lotus positions are best, but if one is not able to do those, the legs can be crossed as much as comfortably possible. The knees must be pressing against the floor so that the body is resting on three points. One must make sure there is nothing constricting one’s abdomen and should tilt the pelvis forward so that the abdomen falls naturally. The lower back is arched and the head presses toward the sky, so the spine is stretched. The breastbone is raised, the shoulders are back, and the face is perpendicular to the floor. Everything is relaxed, not stiffened into place. The jaw is relaxed, but the mouth is closed. The tip of the tongue touches the back of the upper front teeth and breathing is done through the nose. One’s eyes are open and cast down at a forty-five degree angle. One should keep one’s gaze steady and not be looking around, but also should not focus on anything. One should have one’s lower forearms resting on one’s upper thighs and touching one’s abdomen. The palms face up and the fingers of the left hand are resting on the fingers of the right hand. One’s thumbs should meet over the middle of the hands and touch lightly on a flat plane.
The correct way of breathing is also taught. A rhythm should be established that is slow and natural. One should concentrate on the exhaling, which should be long and calm. The abdomen should not be pulled in during exhalation, but a downward pressure should still be on the lower internal organs. Due to the lack of oxygen in the lounges, the inhalation should occur spontaneously and naturally.
After those in attendance have been taught the correct way to practice zazen, they are shown the proper way of entering the dojo. One must be barefoot to enter the dojo, and must enter with the left foot first. Upon entry, one must put one’s hands in the gassho position, which is palms together and fingers pointed upward, and then monshin, which is a bow from the waist with the hands in gassho. This shows one’s respect. One must walk counter clockwise to the place where one will be seated for zazen. Once there, one places the zafu on the floor and bows to it. Then one turns in a half circle and bows again. Then there is another half circle turn and bowing. One then sits upon the zafu and crosses one’s legs. The correct posture is found and the hands are placed in the eshu position described earlier. The kyosaku is a stick that is used to strike those meditating on the shoulders. It aids in one’s focus during meditation. There is a time during the first sitting when there is an opportunity to have the stick used on oneself. One must put one’s hands in gassho as the person with the kyosaku comes near. The person will bow, and then one must bow back while still seated. A person is struck once on each shoulder and then bows again to the person with the kyosaku; then one returns to their meditation position.
A brief explanation of kinhin, or walking meditation is given after a short practice sitting. One takes a step each time one inhales. The hands are placed in shashu position, where the hands are joined and the fingers are curled on the chest. One walks in a counter clockwise rectangle along with everyone else meditating. Then there is another period of zazen. The rest of the ceremony is described to those present and they are shown how to bow and sit for the chanting part. The gongs and the slab of wood are explained and demonstrated. After this, everyone goes back to the front room and can have tea and converse with the members of the Zen Temple who have come for their daily practice.
Those who had come for their daily practice obviously knew each other and were conversing amongst themselves as friends. It was evident that the practice of zazen brought people together to form a close community. The people who were there for the sitting were stretching as they talked to each other. After they had tea, they put their robes on for the meditation.
Tapping on the slab of wood called all those present to the dojo. The people there for the introduction also came along. Each person took off their shoes and selected a zafu. Pillows to rest one’s hands on were also available if one chose to use one. Everyone entered the dojo and went to the next available space to place their zafu. The ceremony took place as it had in the introduction. A gong was taped to signal the start of zazen. The first sitting of zazen was thirty minutes long. There was a single tone on a gong to signal the end of zazen and the beginning of kinhin. Another tone signaled the end of kinhin and the start of the second sitting of zazen. The other gong was sounded to signal the end of the second sitting and the call to the center of the temple. There was a period of bowing, then chanting along with a gong, then another bowing, another chanting, and a last bowing. Then everyone picked up their zafus and hand pillows and exited the temple walking clockwise. Before stepping out of the dojo, each person faced the back wall and did a monshin; then the right foot was the first to leave the dojo. The pillows and zafus were put away and everyone was able to put their shoes back on and return to the front room.
After the meditation is over and everyone is in the front room, the people who were there for the introduction are allowed to ask any questions they might have. We found out that the New Orleans Zen Temple is a training temple. The main thing that was talked about was why Zen is practiced in a group instead of individually. Because Zen comes from Mahayana Buddhism, the mentality is one of helping oneself through helping others; support is the greater purpose. One person quoted that a “fire burns brightly with many sticks.” Retreats are also important to the practice of Zen. At a retreat, one sits several times a day and lives at the temple. There, one has a teacher affirming one’s path and making any corrections that are needed.
Zen helps one to explore one’s mind and body more deeply and then one lets go of them. This practice helps one to be able to let go of things on a day-to-day basis. The continual practice of Zen meditation helps a person to live that way everyday. The breathing especially becomes natural. That type of breathing helps to energize a person because it focuses on the midsection where the energy is stored in the body. Strength is found in the exhalation. One’s energy as well as receptiveness to the universal life force is increased through the continuation of this style of breathing.