Toothbrush & toothpaste Shampoo Pillow and sleeping bag or bedding Bath towel Dark, non-patterned loose-fitting clothing for exercise periods Dark, non-patterned clothing for work period Dark, non-patterned shirt and socks (if needed) to wear under the robe during zazen Soft-soled shoes for outdoor kinhin on porch
What Not to Bring
Shaving articles Hair Dryer Cosmetics, non-medicinal creams, etc. Reading or writing material Personal food items Electronics
Silence
Sesshin is conducted in silence. If you need to communicate something
to the monitor, to your job supervisor or to a roommate, use the
notepaper and pens provided. If the matter is complicated, the monitor
or your work supervisor may take you to a place out of earshot where you
can handle the matter by whispering. Make sure your cell phone is OFF
before sesshin begins. Give the Zen Center number (847-475-3015) to
anyone who might need to contact you in an emergency. Phones are
checked for messages about 5 times a day, and you will be notified if
you have a message.
Work
Everyone is assigned a job for the duration of the sesshin. All
kitchen jobs report to the Head Cook; all other jobs report to the Head
Housekeeper. Go over your job description with your supervisor before
sesshin begins. During sesshin, do not leave your job until you have
checked with your supervisor.
Formal Meals
Breakfast and dinner are formal meals. You will be shown how these are
conducted before sesshin begins. Until you have memorized the meal
chants, be sure to take a chant card to your place as you enter the
dining area. Keep to your practice while eating. Do not look about the
room, etc.
Time
A system of bells, drum, umpan and mok-tok are used to signal events
during sesshin. The mok-tok is a wake-up or warning signal. Three
strikes on the big bell indicates that a formal round of zazen is about
to begin and that you should be in or headed to the zendo. The drum
begins and ends a work period or signals the start of teisho. The umpan
signals mealtime. You do not need to concern yourself with the clock
time, and no one but those in oversight positions may wear a watch.
Comportment
During sesshin the gaze should be lowered. Do not be making eye contact
or looking around. While walking about keep the hands close to the
body, preferably in a kinhin position (clasped at the sternum). Do not
just let the arms hang at your side or swing them. Be mindful of your
footfall, particularly during yaza (informal night sitting after formal
rounds) and as you leave and enter the zendo during formal rounds (after
your dokusan, for example). Be attentive to your motions, and do not
rush about. Do not loiter, but do zazen or rest or do kinhin during the
rest periods.
Sesshin Agreement & Liability Waiver
"I agree (1) that I will finish the entire sesshin or portion of sesshin for which I have applied, and, (2) understanding that sesshin is a period of strenuous traditional Zen training involving some 10 hours of formal meditation per day during which participants may be frequently struck with the kyosaku (encouragement stick), that neither the Chicago Zen Center nor any of its employees, officers, trustees, or trainees – nor any person acting as sesshin monitor or otherwise supervising, overseeing, or conducting any aspect of sesshin – shall be liable to me or to any other person for any loss or injury suffered by me in connection with my participation in sesshin, whether or not such loss or injury is caused by any act or omission of the Center or of any of the persons specified above."
