PROGRAMS: ZEN MEDITATION
The purpose of Zen is thus not to give you something new, or to help you do something new. It is to know the true nature of your existence, and to manifest the freedom that comes from that wisdom. To practice Zen is to discover what a human being truly is. Through Zen, one's entire life becomes the dojo: a place of enlightenment. Zen shows us that the path of wisdom and compassion, our true path, has always been right here at our own feet:
At this moment, what is there you lack?
Nirvana presents itself before you!
This very place is the Pure Land,
This very body, the Buddha.
- Hakuin Ekaku Zenji (1685-1768)
Shinjinkai shares its space with Daiyuzenji, a Zen temple; Moore Sensei, our Director, is a Zen master and one of the guiding teachers of Daiyuzenji. Shinjinkai members interested in Zen practice are invited to participate in Daiyuzenji events and to join the Rinzai Zen Community (www.rinzaizen.org), the asssociation of Zen practitioners to which many of us belong.
Contact us to set up an appointment to visit Shinjinkai and begin your training. See our Schedule page for a full listing of class times. Registration and fee information may be found here.
“Zen” comes from the Chinese word ch’an, which is from the Sanskrit word dhyana: meditation. The Zen lineage of practice arose within Buddhism and was transmitted from India to China in the 5th century. From there it has spread throughout Asia, and now to the West.
What am I? What is this life for? Why is there suffering? These are universal human questions. A person comes to Zen when such questions can no longer be ignored. Zen, however, is not fixated on dogma: it is a practice of body and mind. Through practice, questions are resolved within the insight arising from our own being.
3717 N Ravenswood, #113 » Chicago, IL 60613 » 773.425.9911 » info@shinjinkai.org
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