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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 deeply personal spiritual development in a relationship with a teacher 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 may 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 that 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.

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, which include all materials (except needle and thread) and instructions, are available at the Center to those who have been a Center member for at least a year or who have become one of Shodhin's formal students. 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 then inscribes it with one's Dharma name. Finished rakusus are presented to their wearers in a short ceremony, generally held in conjunction with Temple Night/Jukai, emphasizing the connection between wearing the rakusu and living in line with the refuges and precepts.

CEREMONIES Zen, like all other expressions of the Dharma, has always had we might call a devotional aspect to it—employing space, sound, smell, and imagery to stir the mind of awakening and to give it bodily expression. We are fortunate to have a facility in which we are able offer a full range of Buddhist ceremonies, and the yearly cycle of ceremonies and celebrations is an integral part of Center life. TEMPLE NIGHT & JUKAI Twice a year, the main indoor areas of the Center are transformed into temple settings where richly appointed altars are set up. These will generally have the figure of a bodhisattva prominently enshrined, 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 by taking turns pouring sweet tea over the Baby Buddha. The birth narrative is read, and 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 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, chanting, and all the noise the kids can make. 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.

SESSHIN GUIDELINES WHAT TO BRING WHAT TO BRING WHAT NOT TO BRING WHAT NOT TO BRING 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 or white non-patterned T-shirt (if needed) to wear under the robe Dark or white non-patterned, matching socks (if needed) Soft-soled shoes (no boots or hard heels) for outdoor early morning kinhin Prescription medications Shaving articles Hair dryer Cosmetics, non-medicinal creams, etc. Reading or writing material, personal journal, etc. Personal food items (unless needed to take with medication, but clear this first) Electronics SILENCE 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 and stowed before sesshin begins. If you do not trust yourself to leave it alone, you may deposit it with the monitor for the duration of sesshin. Prior to sesshin you will be given a phone number to share with anyone who might need to contact you in an emergency. That phone is checked for text and voicemail messages about five times a day, and you will be notified if you have a message that requires your swift attention. WORK 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 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. You may also want to familiarize yourself with the meal chants before coming to sesshin; see the "Meal Chants" section of the pdf of the Rochester Zen Center Chant Book . Keep to your practice while eating. Do not look about the room, etc. TIME 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 AGREEMENT/ WAIVER To register for sesshin: REGISTRATION COMPORTMENT During sesshin the gaze should be lowered. Do not be making eye contact or looking around. This does not mean becoming oblivious to your surroundings , however, and you should have enough awareness to blend in with whatever activity (chanting, kinhin, prostrations, etc.) is going on. 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. You should not rush about, but neither should you move in super slo-mo; an everyday, relaxed pace is best. Do not loiter; if you are not resting in your room during rest periods, do zazen or kinhin.

THE WIDER SANGHA The Chicago Zen Center is part of an extended family of centers that trace their teaching tradition back to Philip Kapleau and the Rochester Zen Center. While these centers and groups are for the most part self-governing, independent sanghas, they all share a common spirit of practice and aspiration that characterized Kapleau's teaching. The CZC has been pleased to host some of their teachers and sangha members from time to time, and members of any of these centers may attend CZC sesshins at the member rate. Auckland Zen Centre, (Ven. Amala Wrightson, Roshi) Berlin Zen Group , Germany (Robert Goldmann, Sensei) Casa Zen , Mexico City Casa Zen de Costa Rica, Heredia, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica (Ven. Bodhi Murillo, Sensei) Cloud Water Zen Centre , Glasgow (Karl Kaliski, Sensei) Helsinki Zen Center (Ven. Sangen Salo, Sensei) Madison Zen Center (Rick Smith, Sensei) Montreal Zen Center Mountain Gate New Mexico (Ven. Mitra Bishop, Roshi) Rochester Zen Center (John Pulleyn, Sensei, Ven. Dhara Kowal, Sensei) Roma Zen Center (Ven Amala Wrightson, Roshi) Toronto Zen Centre (Ven. Taigen Henderson, Roshi) Vermont Zen Center (Ven. Sunyana Graef, Roshi) Windhorse Zen Community North Carolina (Ven. Sunya Kjolhede, Roshi; Ven. Lawson Sachter, Roshi) Zen Center of Denver (Karin Ryuku Kempe, Sensei; Peggy Metta Sheehan, Sensei) Zenbuddhistiska samfundet Sweden (Ven. Sante Poromaa, Roshi; Ven. Kanja Odland, Roshi)

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. After your first visit you are free to take part in all scheduled sittings, ceremonies, and the like. On Sundays and weekday evenings there is always someone in the front room 30 minutes before the start time; don't hesitate to ask them any questions about the practice structure or procedures that are not yet clear. Anything related to your personal practice should, however, only be brought up in dokusan.

SESSHIN SCHEDULE The structure of the sesshin day is designed to create a framework for throwing oneself completely into practice. While demanding, it is not onerous. While it looks constricting, it actually opens up a liberating space where everyday concerns can be set to the side. A "Round" is 50 minutes of zazen with a posture change at the halfway mark, followed by 10 minutes of kinhin. Dokusan is offered in Blocks I, III, and IV. BLOCK I 0430 Wake-Up 0445 Outdoor Kinhin 0500 Round 0600 Half Round 0625 Chanting Service 0650 Breakfast 0710 Work Period 0810 Rest Period BLOCK II 0930 Half Round 1005 Open Block 1155 Half Round 1220 Lunch 1230 Rest Period BLOCK III 1330 Round 1430 Round 1530 Chanting Service 1545 Calisthenics 1640 Half Round 1705 Dinner 1720 Rest Period BLOCK IV 1900 Round 2000 Teisho 2100 Half Round 2125 Bedtime/Yaza ROHATSU SESSHIN SCHEDULE Rohatsu Sesshin commemorates the Buddha's awakening on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Held around that date according to our calendar, it offers an opportunity to enter even more deeply into practice. Added time in the zendo and a redoubling of our effort signals our trust in the inevitability of our own awakening. BLOCK I 0400 Wake-Up 0415 Outdoor Kinhin 0430 Round 0530 Round 0630 Chanting Service 0650 Breakfast 0710 Work Period 0810 Rest Period BLOCK II 0930 Round 1030 Open Block 1155 Half Round 1220 Lunch 1230 Rest Period BLOCK III 1330 Round 1430 Round 1530 Chanting Service 1545 Calisthenics 1640 Half Round 1705 Dinner 1720 Rest Period BLOCK IV 1900 Round 2000 Teisho 2100 Half Round 2125 Bedtime/Yaza

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 the Harada-Yasutani tradition of Zen on American soil and beyond. 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 strong 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 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

ABBOT EMERITUS YUSAN GRAHAM In 1989, having just moved to the Chicago area with his young family, Yusan took his search for direction in his budding meditation practice to the Yellow Pages (kind of like the internet, but tree-based), and found the Chicago Zen Center. Yusan took on lay ordination (a formal commitment to greater service) in 2004, followed by full ordination by his teacher, Sensei Sevan Ross, in 2010. Later that year he succeeded Sevan Ross as abbot of the CZC. He stepped down from the role of abbot in 2023. Yusan and his wife Debbie are now empty nesters, following with great interest the adventures of their two kids. At present they live in Texas caring for elderly family members. Prior to his retirement, he worked in the field of Assistive Technology at a local university.

Chicago Zen Center is a Zen Buddhist temple in the Rochester (Kapleau) lineage offering the full range of Zen training and practice. Chicago Zen Center The doors of the Chicago Zen Center are open to all who wish to know and live the Dharma of the Buddha in an atmosphere of sincerity and trust. We welcome all who wish to join us in this great undertaking. COMING UP Intro to Practice Tues, Sept 1, 7:00pm Nathaniel N. Namowicz Priest Ordination Sun, Sept 27, 10:00am Center Closed Mon, Sept 28 Intro to Practice Tues, Oct 6, 7:00pm 4-Day Sesshin Weds, Oct 14, 7:30pm–Sun, Oct 18, noonish Registrations due Fri, Oct 9 Center Closed Tues, Oct 13 for set-up Center Closed Mon, Oct 19 Fall Sangha Meeting Sunday, Oct 25, 9:00am Informal sitting starting at 8:00am Temple Night / Jukai Thurs, Nov 20, 7:00pm Ceremony of Gratitude Sun, Nov 22, 10:00am 4-Day Rohatsu Sesshin Weds Dec 9, 7:30pm—Sun Dec 13, noonish Applications due Weds, Nov 25 Center Closed Tues, Dec 8 for set-up Center Closed Mon, Dec 14 STARTING PRACTICE SESSHIN SUPPORT & MEMBERSHIP Receive CZC Email Notifications First name Last name Email I want to subscribe to your mailing list. Submit Thanks for submitting! Chicago Zen Center 2029 Ridge Ave Evanston, IL 60201 contact@chicagozen.org

OUR PEOPLE The Chicago Zen Center was founded in 1974 by a small group of folks 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 from late adolescents through octogenarians (small children, for whom zazen would be a rather bizarre kind of time out, are more than welcome at our special ceremonies throughout the year). What unites us all is our diligent pursuit of the Dharma. Leaving our self-definitions to the side, here we practice simply as human beings in pursuit of the Way. If you have any questions, contact the Center: contact@chicagozen.org .

CALENDAR If you have any questions about a given scheduled event, contact the Center at contact@chicagozen.org You are seconds away from getting this done. 🤩 
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