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GLOSSARY Here we use English terms unless there's good reason not to (e.g., since zafu simply means sitting cushion, we just say cushion ). Still, there are limits to some translations, and below are some of the non-English, practice-related words one will hear at the Chicago Zen Center: Daisan: One-on-one meeting with a senior student concerning one's practice and practice-related concerns Dokusan: One-on-one meeting with the teacher concerning one's practice, koan work, and the confirmation of insight Gassho: Hands held palm-to-palm, and, depending on the context, accompanied by a bow Han: The wooden block that is struck before formal rounds, teisho or chanting Inkin Bell: The bell that is used to mark time and movement Kentan: Morning review and greeting of the zendo by the teacher Kesu: Metal bowl gongs used during chanting and other services Kinhin: Walking meditation Kyosaku: The flattened, wooden "encouragement" stick (often, we just say stick ) Mokugyo: Wooden "fish" drum used to keep time during chanting Mok-Tok: Hand-held version of the mokugyo Rakusu: The abbreviated robe of the Buddha worn about the neck Teisho: The formal talk of a Zen teacher Umpan: Gong sounded for meals Zazen: Seated meditation Zendo: Meditation Hall

POLICIES & BYLAWS Dedicated spiritual practice can only occur in an environment of confidence and trust. As members of a Buddhist community, the administrators and staff of the Chicago Zen Center strive daily to live in accordance with the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts. We are aided in that effort by the Bylaws and Guidelines we have established as a sangha. These mark a clear line of ethical behavior, and they lay out procedures by which lapses in that behavior can be addressed and remedied. The Chicago Zen Center is proud to make its Bylaws and Ethical Guidelines known to any who care to review them.

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 the teachers and sangha members from time to time, and members of the CZC have found a warm welcome at many of these centers as well. Auckland Zen Centre, (Ven. Amala Wrightson, Sensei) Berlin Zen Group , Germany (Robert Goldmann, Sensei) Casa Zen , Mexico City Casa Zen, Heredia, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica (Ven. Sunyana Graef, 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, Sensei) Rochester Zen Center (John Pulleyn, Sensei, Ven. Dhara Kowal, Sensei) Roma Zen Center (Ven Amala Wrightson, Sensei) Toronto Zen Centre (Ven. Taigen Henderson, Sensei) Vermont Zen Center (Ven. Sunyana Graef, Sensei) 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, Sensei; Ven. Kanja Odland, Sensei)

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. 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.

OVERNIGHTS & RESIDENCY Members coming from a distance—or even those who live not too far away—can arrange to stay at the Center overnight so as to take advantage of added time in the zendo or to attend two back-to-back sittings (for example, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning). Check with the Center beforehand to be sure of space availability. A member may find that the time is right in their life for a more concerted form of practice, and full-time residency at the Center emerges as a possibility. Residency not only assists one's own efforts; it is a vehicle for service to the Center, and one should not consider it without a deep willingness to serve those who practice here. It is expected that a resident will have stable employment (or independent financial stability) during their residency. More more information on residency, including cost, responsibilities, and expectations is available here .

HEAD OF ZENDO NATHANIEL NAMOWICZ An 18-year old Nate first stumbled into the CZC in 1999 after finding the Center's address stamped in the back of a copy of Three Pillars of Zen. He quickly took his youthful enthusiasm to residential training at the Rochester Zen Center and, later, to Bukkoku-ji monastery in Japan, where Kapleau himself had trained. Af ter several years in Los Angeles pursuing a career in the architectural arts, Nate returned to his hometown of Chicago to start a family. He currently works as a part-time landlord, part-time grocer, and full-time father of two. Nate took over as Head of Zendo in July 2023, and he has been the mastermind and muscle behind many of the Center's recent renovations. In May 2025 he ordained as a novice with a view to full ordination as a priest in September 2026.

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.

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 Short Round 2115 Bedtime/Yaza

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