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 encounter 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.

GROUP VISITS The Chicago Zen Center is more than happy to welcome interested school and other groups. A teacher or professor or leader may wish to bring the whole group at once; in other cases, individuals may be required to visit the center on their own time as part of an individual paper or project. The Center is able to accommodate both kinds of visit. A group visit to the Center will generally take place in the morning or early afternoon and involve a short talk on Zen and this temple, a tour of the building including a description of the various procedures that take place, and an introduction to the sounds of the Center (bells, drum, mokugyo, kesu, etc.). After that, the group proceeds to the zendo, where everyone receives basic meditation instruction and posture demonstrations. A short (usually 20 minute) period of zazen followed by questions wraps up the visit. If you are a teacher, professor, or group leader, and you would like to bring the group all at once for an introduction to the Center and Zen practice, email the center at least six weeks in advance of the tentative date to schedule your visit. There is no charge for such visits, although a donation to the Center is wholly appropriate. GROUP VISITS INDIVIDUAL VISITS FOR CLASS A group visit allows a large number of people the easiest exposure to practice at the Center, but it takes place outside of normal practice times. To experience practice in the company of sangha members, students or group participants might be asked to attend a sitting individually or by twos or threes. Anyone taking part in such a visit will be expected to participate in the formal rounds of meditation without fidgeting or distraction. If you are a teacher, professor, or group leader, and you would like your students or participants to come individually or in very small groupings, email the Center at least one month ahead of time to determine the advisability of such visits for your particular students or participants. Again, while there is no charge for such visits, a small donation to the Center is wholly appropriate. INVITE A SPEAKER If your school, community group, or religious institution would like to have a representative of the Center address your group on Buddhism, Zen, interreligious dialogue, or any of our particular practices, contact the Center to see about availabilty.

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, Ven. Jissai Prince-Cherry, 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)

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 signal 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

WORK 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.

GALLERY

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

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.

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