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CEREMONIES The Chicago Zen Center offers a full range of Buddhist ceremonies and devotions. They skillfully help turn us in the direction of practice by providing occasions to awaken aspiration, to express gratitude, and to acknowledge change, transformation and loss. The yearly cycle of ceremonies and celebrations is thus an integral part of temple life at the Center. TEMPLE NIGHT & JUKAI Twice a year, the main indoor areas of the Center are transformed into temple settings where richly decorated altars are set up. These will generally have the figure of a bodhisattva prominently displayed, and flowers and incense fill the rooms with fragrance. The Kannon altar also serves as our Memorial Altar, where pictures of our sangha's deceased and other loved ones are set in remembrance. At the start of the evening the lights are dimmed and the candles lit. Persons may do zazen, offer incense, or do prostrations. A chanting service is held halfway through the evening, and those who have sewn rakusus receive them in a short private ceremony. TEMPLE NIGHT & JUKAI The evening concludes with everyone present gathering in the Buddha Hall for Jukai. Together we recite the Repentance Gatha acknowledging our lapses in body, speech and mind; then we take together the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts, thereby entering into, or reaffirming our belonging in, the family of the Buddha. VESAK VESAK In the height of spring the Center joins the whole of the Buddhist world in the celebration of Vesak, the commemoration of the Buddha's birth. We start the event by taking turns pouring sweet tea over the Baby Buddha. Our attention is then brought to the import of the birth narrative as part of our own story as men and women on the path to awakening. We then wrap up the celebration with a pot-luck buffet of sangha members' delicious cooking. CEREMONY OF GRATITUDE CEREMONY OF GRATITUDE On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we celebrate what Philip Kapleau called "the most Buddhist" of American holidays by gathering to recall all that we are grateful for. This is a family event, and the children sometimes become the teachers as they express thanks for things we adults often overlook. After a short chanting service and a talk, particular points of gratitude written on slips of paper by the participants are read aloud. Then those present may, if they wish, voice further expressions of gratitude. After the ceremony, we enjoy a potluck of foods members have prepared. NEW YEAR'S TEMPLE PURIFICATION NEW YEAR'S TEMPLE PURIFICATION At the dawn of the new year we take stock of our lives, acknowledge our past unskillfulness, and rededicate the temple and ourselves to further practice in the year ahead. We begin with a repentance ceremony in the Buddha Hall. We then follow the priests as they makes their way from altar to altar throughout the Center, purifying them to the accompaniment of shakujos and chanting. Then, ourselves and the temple renewed, we gather to share a meal and renew our ties with one another. WEDDINGS WEDDINGS It was never part of the task of the first Buddhist monks and nuns to perform marriage ceremonies, and Buddhism has by and large considered marriage a civil, rather than a religious, affair. Nevertheless, one of the signs of Buddhism's adaptation to American culture has been the expectation that one may marry at a temple with a monastic or priest officiating. The Chicago Zen Center is happy to be part of that adaptation. In recent years weddings have been held at the Center for members and non-members alike. Priests have also be called upon to officiate at ceremonies in the wider community. FUNERALS & MEMORIAL SERVICES FUNERALS & MEMORIAL SERVICES The Buddha squarely faced the utter inevitability of sickness, old age, and death, and our sangha has experienced its own losses. We come together at such times to commend our sister or brother to the loving and compassionate care of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as he or she makes the journey on. We offer incense and food, chant sutras and dharani in the sure expectation that our friend will one day find his or her True Home. Priests at the Center have also been called on over the years to conduct Memorial Services in the community for those not expressly connected with the Center. Email the Center if this is something you are considering for yourself or for a loved one.

YOUR FIRST VISIT We welcome everyone who would like to get to know more about Zen practice in general and our Center in particular. Anyone may take part in any of our scheduled sittings, though because of the nature of the practice (one cannot just be a spectator) we ask that you plan for your first visit. The first option is to attend one of our Intro Nights, held on the 1st Tuesday of most months (see below). If you cannot make that, or if you want to get started before the next scheduled Intro Night, we ask that you arrive a full half hour (30-40 mins) before the start of any listed sitting to get oriented before formal rounds begin. Though it is not necessary, an email alerting us that you will be coming is helpful on this end (contact@chicagozen.org ). INTRODUCTION TO ZEN Held on the 1st Tuesday of most months, our "Intro Nights" offer a chance for persons with little or no experience of meditation to get a feel for practice here at the Center. These are led by one of the Center's ordained members, and they provide an overview of the practice, help getting established in a workable sitting posture, and time for questions before participating a round of zazen (two 25-minute periods of sitting with 5 minutes walking meditation in between) with Center regulars. Intro Nights begin promptly at 7:00pm . There is no charge, and no registration is required.

ORDAINING The Dharma continues from one generation to the next because it is carried on the shoulders of those who have offered to devote themselves to keeping it alive. As one's practice deepens, one may come to be grateful for those who have carried it to this moment, and one might begin to sense an eagerness to pay it forward by taking their place and upholding the Dharma for those who will follow. In such a case, one might consider ordaining as a priest. In our lineage priesthood ordination is relatively rare, for it is relatively rare to find a person with the depth of practice and insight, the soundness of character, and the strength of commitment to undertake it. Still, they are to be found, and our tradition has continued because we have been fortunate to have men and women who have stepped up to do what they can to pass it on. Ordination in our lineage is an offer of dedication and responsibility, not a marker of rank. It is entirely distinct from sanctioning as a teacher. It is an entry into a life of selfless service to the Three Treasures out of a wellspring of compassion for all still subject to dukkha. If one begins to feel a tug in the direction of ordaining, a first place to start is the description of ordination and the ordaining process here .

BECOMING A FORMAL STUDENT From its earliest days, the Dharma has been transmitted from individual teacher to individual student, and Zen makes that one-on-one connection the foundation and backbone of practice. Here, one is not just a member of a large congregation engaged in a common, communal activity; instead, one engages in a very personal spiritual development in a relationship built on candor and openness. While anyone who comes to the Center may freely avail themselves of everything the Center and its teacher have to offer, f or some, formally establishing that teacher-student relationship will emerge as a skillful way to make the best use of these resources. B ecoming a formal student marks a new phase in one's practice life. From the side of the student, it signals in concrete terms one's aspiration for awakening and the recognition that realization is come to more surely in an environment of open, selfless honesty with a trusted guide. From the side of the teacher, it implies an even deeper commitment to the student along with the student's express permission to utilize whatever skillful means are fitting for the task at hand. The move to become a formal student is initiated by the student. A teacher does not solicit students, nor should anyone ever feel pressured to become a student. When one is ready to take this step, one simply brings it up with the teacher in dokusan. Soon thereafter, the teacher will arrange a brief ceremony that marks the formal beginning of the student-teacher relationship. The student-teacher relationship is spiritually intimate, as over time one comes to see with the same eye with which the teacher sees. The student-teacher relationship is never personally, sexually or otherwise intimate, and the Chicago Zen Center has developed a set of policies and an oversight structure to insure that the profoundly liberating space the student-teacher relationship opens up is cherished and protected as far as it can possibly be.

OUR PEOPLE The Chicago Zen Center was founded in 1974 by a small group of people who were interested in practicing Zen as taught by Philip Kapleau in the Harada-Yasutani tradition. Since then it has grown into a complete practice center, under the guidance of established teachers, offering the full spectrum of Zen training and practice opportunities: daily sittings (all with dokusan), weekly teishos, a regular schedule of sesshin retreats, and a full complement of Buddhist celebrations and devotional services. The men and women who practice here come from every walk of life across all age ranges. All are welcome to come and experience the richness of Zen Buddhist practice. If you have any questions, contact the Center: contact@chicagozen.org .

SUGGESTED READING The Dharma taught by the Buddha and carried across generations to our day is not something to read about but something to experience and know directly for oneself. That said, there are times when a word or phrase might just prompt one to explore more deeply or help to clarify a point of confusion. While there are any number of "Buddhist" or "Zen" books available, one can do no better than to read in the sources themselves. One should always remember, however, that until one has come to some measure of insight, they should be read with humility and caution; their meaning is bound to be obscured by the everyday, ego-driven mind, and one can end up thinking things about the Dharma that are simply not the case. Still, these titles are offered so that one might at least get a sense of the breadth and depth of what practice entails. Buddhist Basics Gethin, Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford University Press The Words of the Buddha Ñanamoli and Bodhi, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha. Wisdom Bodhi, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Wisdom Bodhi, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Wisdom Walshe, The Long Discourses of the Buddha. Wisdom Bodhi, The Suttanipata. Wisdom Fronsdal, The Dhammapada. Shambhala Mahayana Texts Pine, Three Zen Sutras: Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Platform Sutra . Counterpoint Pine, The Lankavatara Sutra, Counterpoint Watson, The Lotus Sutra. Columbia University Press Thurman, The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti. Penn State University Press Santideva, The Bodhicaryavatara . Oxford University Press Lamotte, Suramgamasamadhisutra. University of Hawai'i Press Nagarjuna, On Generating the Resolve to Become a Buddha. Kalavinka Zen Guides Kapleau, The Three Pillars of Zen. Vintage Pine, Zen Roots. Counterpoint

ROBES Anyone taking part in a scheduled sitting will notice any number of people in brown robes. These are lay robes (as distinct from the blue or black one a priest wears). They are worn for several reasons. Fist, they are comfortable. Second, they help the mind settle into the practice (think of gearing up for sports or dressing for work). Finally, they introduce a degree of commonality and plainness to the atmosphere of the zendo. While no one is required to wear one (except during sesshin), many will find that they wear a robe for any or all of the above reasons. A lay robe does not mark any degree of distinction (they are not a sign of rank ), and anyone may wear one. We have men's and women's loaner robes available in the men's and women's changing rooms. If you find that you are interested in wearing one while here, ask someone to help you get into one the first time (there is some business with the string ties that is not intuitively obvious). As you come to make regular practice at the Center an integral part of your life, you might want to have your own, custom-made one. They are available through the source the Vermont Zen Center uses for theirs ( vermontzen.org/ticorobes ) at a reasonable price. They are well-crafted and will last a lifetime of practice. RAKUSUS The rakusu is an abbreviated form of the kesa (kasaya ), the outer robe worn by the Buddha and his disciples. One wears it as a reminder to oneself of one's own commitment to practice; it is not worn as a display to anyone else. In keeping with the tradition, one sews one's own rakusu. Kits, including material and instructions, are available at the Center. Once sewn, the person gives the rakusu to the Head of Zendo, who stitches the mark of our lineage on the neckpiece before passing it on to the teacher, who inscribes it with one's Dharma name. Then, in a very short ceremony, often in conjunction with Temple Night, the teacher presents it to the student. Kits are available for anyone who has been a member for at least a year and who has taken (or is about to take) the precepts. Speak with the teacher or Head of Zendo if you have questions.

OUR LINEAGE Practice at the Chicago Zen Center has from the very beginning been built upon a strong teaching tradition. Philip Kapleau, the Center's founding teacher, is widely recognized as one of the major contributors to the establishment of an American Zen in the Harada-Yasutani tradition. His Three Pillars of Zen continues to serve as a sure guide for anyone interested in getting to know something of Zen from the inside out. At its founding in 1974, the Chicago Zen Center was an affiliate of the Rochester Zen Center, where Kapleau was abbot. When Kapleau passed on the abbotship of the RZC to his Dharma heir, Bodhin Kjolhede, responsibility for the CZC was passed on as well. Both Kapleau and Kjolhede would travel to the Midwest (Chicago or Madison, WI) at least twice a year for short sesshins, and CZC members often made the trip to Rochester to attend longer sesshins there. Their dedication to the Chicago sangha helped the Center to grow, and by 1996 the CZC was large and established enough to warrant its own resident teacher. Sevan Ross, who had trained extensively in Rochester, moved to Chicago that year and was made its first autonomous teacher in 1997. At the same time, the CZC became financially and administratively independent of Rochester, but the CZC continues to maintain Dharma ties with RZC and the other sanghas throughout the world that have their roots in the Kapleau teaching tradition. After almost a decade and a half of tireless service, Ross decided the time was right for a new teaching generation to guide the Center. Yusan Graham was sanctioned as a teacher in 2009, ordained a priest in 2010, and installed as the new abbot that same year. Under his leadership the sangha stabilized and grew both in numbers and in the spirit of dedicated practice. In 2021 Yusan sanctioned Shodhin Geiman, a priest of the Center since 2010, as a teacher in his own right. In 2023 Yusan retired as abbot and designated Shodhin as his successor. Philip Kapleau Bodhin Kjolhede Sevan Ross Yusan Graham Shodhin Geiman

ZENDO JOBS Drum Play the taiko drum at the start of sesshin and before teisho. Han Strike the han that signals the beginning of the rounds of zazen and calls to teisho or chanting. Greeter Welcome new visitors and give them a brief orientation to practice. Lead Chanter Conduct the chanting services and assist at other ceremonies such as Jukai. Mokugyo Keep time during chanting on the mokugyo. Offices Offer incense at the Center's altars, chanting and ringing a small handbell between them, before morning sittings. Timer Ring the big bell, strike the clappers, and keep time with the inkin bell during formal rounds. When there is no monitor, the timer also announces and kicks off dokusan. As an essentially lay, non-residential sangha, we have to rely on each other's readiness to step up and commit to the work of making formal practice a reality. Not only is this a way to keep the temple functioning, it also provides yet another occasion for one to learn to step out of the way and let things just as they are unfold. One place to begin is demonstrating a willingness to train at the various instruments and jobs that sustain our common practice. Some of the instruments and jobs almost anyone can be trained to play or do. Others require particular skill sets. Talk with the Abbot or the Head of Zendo if you'd like to take a stab at training up at any of these:

SESSHIN We are fortunate to have an ample building that makes it possible to accommodate up to 24 people for frequent live-in, multi-day retreats known as sesshin. There is no question but that sesshin is the highest expression of Zen training and a vehicle second to none for developing a focused, concentrated practice. Most anyone who has established their practice at the Center may take part in sesshin, and we warmly welcome practitioners from other Dharma centers, regardless of practice tradition. We offer sesshin five times a year, ranging in length from four to six days. The next scheduled sesshins are Dec 10, 7:30pm–Dec 14, 2025, noonish Feb 25, 7:30pm–Mar 1, 2026, noonish May 20, 7:30pm–May 24, 2026, noonish July 20, 7:30pm–July 26, 2026, noonish Oct 14, 7:30pm–Oct 18, 2026, noonish Dec 9, 7:30pm–Dec 13, 2026, noonish All participants live at the center, take part in daily cleaning and cooking activities, and spend upwards of ten hours a day in formal zazen (there is no Zoom option). The day is broken up by meals, a work period, a calisthenics period and a rest period. Two chanting services are held, and teisho is offered daily. Dokusan is generally offered three times in the course of a normal sesshin day. While full-time attendance is optimal, work and family commitments may make such attendance difficult, so it is possible to attend sesshin part- or short-time. Part-time attendance means that one will need to excuse oneself from some part of the sesshin day. Short-time attendance means that one will attend complete sesshin days, but not all of the days of sesshin, e.g. Friday-Sunday rather than a full Wednesday-Sunday. If one is coming part- or short-time, please make every effort to plan your arrivals/departures so they fall between two blocks in the sesshin schedule. Because sesshin is not just a bunch of rounds of zazen but is instead a full practice involving all the components of the sesshin day, no one will be accepted for sesshin if they only wish to attend isolated blocks. Simply put, if your intentions for sesshin attendance do not involve being on hand for any meals, teisho, work periods, and chanting services, then it is not sesshin that you are looking for. Consult with or email t h e Head of Zendo (nathaniel.namowicz@gmail.com ) if you have any questions. For more specific details about sesshin proper, consult our Sesshin Guidelines . For the run of the sesshin day, consult the Sesshin Schedule . To register for sesshin: REGISTRATION

WORK PRACTICE While the residents are charged with general upkeep, larger projects that require many hands at once do crop up from time to time. On such occasions, members are encouraged to give of their time and energy to the extent to which they are able. SANGHA WORK DAYS Projects that require many hands and some hours of dedicated effort may be scheduled periodically on a weekend day or two. Check the calendar for any upcoming work days. VOLUNTEERING There are always more jobs to do than there is time to do them. If you have a couple of hours of your time you'd like to spend on upkeep, maintenance, or gardening, contact the Abbot or Head of Zendo to see what needs doing.

A TYPICAL WEEK SUNDAY 8:00 am - 10:00 am One 50 minute round* of zazen (with dokusan), followed by chanting and teisho. Bagels, tea, coffee, etc. (optional) afterwards MONDAY 5:45 am - 6:35 am One 50 minute round* of zazen (with dokusan) TUESDAY 7:30 pm - 8:55 pm Three 25 minute rounds of zazen (with dokusan) with 5 minutes kinhin in between WEDNESDAY 5:45 am - 6:35 am One 50 minute round* of zazen (with dokusan) THURSDAY 7:30 pm - 9:25 pm Two 50 minute rounds* of zazen (with dokusan) with 10 minutes kinhin in between FRIDAY 5:45 am - 6:35 am One 50 minute round* of zazen (with dokusan) * There is a posture change at the halfway mark (25 mins)