Where does Everyone Sit for Zazenkai?

[Dylan]

Gassho and good mornings, afternoons, and evenings to all,

Just wondering, where does everyone sit when they sit for Zazenkai? I'm trying desperately to find the space in my tiny townhouse, but there's no-where secluded other than my bedroom which is stuffed with our bed (talk about first world problems), and even my back yard is muddy and no good place for a computer. If it was just sitting, I'd be okay, but I understand there's Kinhin too.

So, just looking for advice, how does everyone do it? Do you have a particular room in the house set aside for meditation? Do you move furniture? Do you just walk in really tiny circles for kinhin? Especially for those with tiny living spaces, but especially for everyone else too, what do y'all do?

Gassho, Dylan, Sat Today.

[Steve Schuman]

I live on a 34 ft sailboat so I understand first hand your problem. I just set aside a corner of my main living space to sit and I walk back and forth in a strait line. I just had to improvise a little.
Gasho
Steve
Sat Today


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[Jundo]

Hi Dylan,

Before everyone jumps in, let me just say that ... while a serene and spacious room is lovely ... the meaning of "clutter" is as much between your ears as due to any piles of books. Just leave them be, and those piles of books might as well be beautiful mountain ranges, and a "tiny space" can fit the whole universe!

Also, Kinhin can be so tiny tiny small ... a tiny circle that holds (you guessed it!) the whole universe!

In fact, an important and powerful element of Shikantaza Practice is not to be so bothered by where or when, surrounding noise or other annoyances.

Truly, size ain't nothing! This is a famous scene in the Vimalakirti Sutra where a whole host of Buddhist characters come to visit the great Lay Person Bodhisattva Vimalakirti in his sick room. (It is most definitely a fantastical, magic scene, a work of Buddhist imagination ... yet made to convey a point about the fixity of place and walls ... and coming without coming, going with no place to go ... ) The room is traditionally described as having been 8 foot sq. ...

Thus, eight thousand bodhisattvas, five hundred disciples, a great number of Sakras, Brahmas, Lokapalas, and many hundreds of thousands of gods and goddesses, all followed the crown prince Manjusri to listen to the Dharma [in the room of Vimalakirti]. And the crown prince Manjusri, surrounded and followed by these bodhisattvas, disciples, Sakras, Brahmas, Lokapalas, gods, and goddesses, entered the great city of Vaisali [Vimalakirti's town].

Meanwhile, the Licchavi Vimalakirti thought to himself, "Manjusri, the crown prince, is coming here with numerous attendants. Now, may this house be transformed into emptiness!"

Then, magically his house became empty. Even the doorkeeper disappeared. And, except for the invalid's couch upon which Vimalakirti himself was lying, no bed or couch or seat could be seen anywhere.

... Thereupon, the venerable Sariputra had this thought: "There is not even a single chair in this house. Where are these disciples and bodhisattvas going to sit?"

The Licchavi Vimalakirti read the thought of the venerable Sariputra and said, "Reverend Sariputra, did you come here for the sake of the Dharma? Or did you come here for the sake of a chair?"

Sariputra replied, "I came for the sake of the Dharma, not for the sake of a chair."

Vimalakirti continued, "Reverend Sariputra, he who is interested in the Dharma is not interested even in his own body, much less in a chair. ...

At that moment, the Licchavi Vimalakirti, having focused himself in concentration, performed a miraculous feat such that the Lord Tathagata Merupradiparaja, in the universe Merudhvaja, sent to this universe thirty-two hundred thousand thrones. These thrones were so tall, spacious, and beautiful that the bodhisattvas, great disciples, Sakras, Brahmas, Lokapalas, and other gods had never before seen the like. The thrones descended from the sky and came to rest in the house of the Licchavi Vimalakirti. The thirty-two hundred thousand thrones arranged themselves without crowding and the house seemed to enlarge itself accordingly. The great city of Vaisali did not become obscured; neither did the land of Jambudvipa, nor the world of four continents.

Everything else appeared just as it was before.

Talk about clutter!

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Sekishi]

Hi Dylan,

I find having a dedicated sitting space very helpful to keeping a daily practice.

However, I don't think it needs to be a large space. My "practice space" is basically one wall in my studio (with a desk, bookshelves, computer, and other equipment). I have a Zabuton and zafu and a small shelf next to them (near an outlet to plug in a tablet for the hangouts) that can hold incense, and a phone or tablet.

While you can of course do kinhin anytime, as a sangha we mostly do that during the weekly Zazenkai. Since we walk so slowly, I find the 6 or 8 feet behind the Zabuton plenty of room.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday

[Nindo]

Hi Dylan,

I've done plenty of kinhin around our bed - start at one nightstand, walk down, walk over, walk up to the other night stand, turn .... I've also done kinhin with four steps straight, turn, four steps back, turn .... as Jundo says, it works in any space.

Gassho
Nindo
sattoday (yes!)

[Mp]

Hi Dylan,

I've done plenty of kinhin around our bed - start at one nightstand, walk down, walk over, walk up to the other night stand, turn .... I've also done kinhin with four steps straight, turn, four steps back, turn .... as Jundo says, it works in any space.

Gassho
Nindo
sattoday (yes!)

Hello Dylan,

I couldn't agree more with Nindo ... I too have had that kind of space, as well, I have had space that is spaceless, boundless.

The key I feel regardless of the space, whether big or small, cluttered and spotless, is to be right there completely in that space. =)

Hope this helps ... =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Myosha]

Gassho and good mornings, afternoons, and evenings to all,

Just wondering, where does everyone sit when they sit for Zazenkai? I'm trying desperately to find the space in my tiny townhouse, but there's no-where secluded other than my bedroom which is stuffed with our bed (talk about first world problems), and even my back yard is muddy and no good place for a computer. If it was just sitting, I'd be okay, but I understand there's Kinhin too.

So, just looking for advice, how does everyone do it? Do you have a particular room in the house set aside for meditation? Do you move furniture? Do you just walk in really tiny circles for kinhin? Especially for those with tiny living spaces, but especially for everyone else too, what do y'all do?

Gassho, Dylan, Sat Today.

Hello,

Space enough to change the mind. You're cool.^^


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Hotetsu]

Hi there,

My space is a small corner in my bedroom. I have a small altar and a wall. A universe in a speck of dust 😜.

Gassho

#SatToday

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[Kyonin]

Hi Dylan,

The space inside your heart and inside the boundlessness of your practice is all you need.

As for a physical space, all you need is a place so big that you can fit a zabuton and a zafu. That's all I have, really. Most of the time I sit zazenkai in a little corner of my room and walk kinhin from the bed to the bathroom and back, which are about 4 regular steps. My house is the size of a regular kitchen!

Don't worry about space or clutter. Just be honest and honor your practice.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Meishin]

Hi Dylan,

The only place that's available to me is my study, and the camera focuses on the bookshelf stuffed with books accumulated over 50 years. I notice others have nice blank walls behind them. Makes me look like a hoarder. But the odd thing is that once zazen starts its all the same, blank walls, book shelves. Totally irrelevant. As Jundo says, just sit.

Gassho
Meishin
sat today

[Getchi]

Thankyou for this thread, a nice reminder of our shared problems

I have a corner I sit in, facing the wall. Soon ill add a nice shoji screen. At one point I sat in our wardrobe, quiet and dark

Gassho
SatToday.

[Jundo]

Hello,

Space enough to change the mind. You're cool.^^


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Ongen]

Sometimes I sit in the living room, squeezed between the couch and the salon table, accompanied by the smell of the rats when my kids haven't cleaned the cage yet. Amongst the toys of my foster son (he's not old enough to clean them up yet) and sometimes even with a view of last nights dinner still on the table.

Sometimes I sit in that same living room just accompanied by the universe and the smell of the rain outside.

Most of the times (I) sit.

It's all good

Gassho


Ongen
Sat Today

[Dylan]

I live on a 34 ft sailboat so I understand first hand your problem. I just set aside a corner of my main living space to sit and I walk back and forth in a strait line. I just had to improvise a little.
Gasho
Steve
Sat Today

Well, this definitely put things into perspective!

Thank all of you so much for you kind and helpful responses. All of a sudden my bedroom just got a little bit bigger. I hope others may find this thread helpful too.

Thank you all again!

Gassho, Dylan, sat today.

[Theophan]

Greetings Everyone,
I turned one of my bedrooms into a chapel/sitting area. I have a long hallway for Kinhin.
As I am now disabled and using a walker I haven't quite figured out how to do kinhin with a walker.
I'm open to any suggestions.
I also, sit zazen outside on our patio when the weather is nice.

Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

[Myosha]

Greetings Everyone,
I turned one of my bedrooms into a chapel/sitting area. I have a long hallway for Kinhin.
As I am now disabled and using a walker I haven't quite figured out how to do kinhin with a walker.
I'm open to any suggestions.
I also, sit zazen outside on our patio when the weather is nice.

Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

Hello,

Working with most walker-folk who split open tennis balls, attach 'em to the legs and glide the halls. Hope it helps.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Jundo]

Greetings Everyone,
I turned one of my bedrooms into a chapel/sitting area. I have a long hallway for Kinhin.
As I am now disabled and using a walker I haven't quite figured out how to do kinhin with a walker.
I'm open to any suggestions.
I also, sit zazen outside on our patio when the weather is nice.

Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

Just walk with the walker as always ... lift and step, pause, lift and step, pause (or glide and step as Myosha described, whichever is good for you) ... each step a total arrival, no other place to be.

Another friend in a wheelchair I advised ... roll a bit, pause. roll a bit, pause ...

Adjust the pace to the breath, moving forward at the top of the breath.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[broahes]

When I first started sitting, I felt the need to have a clear and clean space with a lot of room. I did this the best I could at the time in my studio apartment. I have since moved into a much larger home, but feel no need for the same type of space. It's funny how life works like that. I am currently converting a once guest room into my practice area. While doing this, I have been using a walk in closet. More times than not I have at least one sitting in a nice private, yet spacious area in the woods. I love sitting with nature.

Gassho,
Brooks sat today

[Govert]

Hi
I sit in my bedroom just a few extra square meter with a candle some incense very basic without no extractions the only thing I need to do issit down that is all
Gassho
Ensho

[Kyotai]

Sometimes in the spare room, sometimes the living room, sometimes the back deck...or on break in my car at work.

Gassho, Kyotai
Sat today

[Oheso]

hello. I have a zafu and zabuton at my apartment and in my studio/ work space. both are quite small new york-style accomodations. first sit in the morning is generally at home. I clear spaces but feel I sit largely in the midst of/ in opposition to clutter. gassho, O

who today sat

[Theophan]

Thank You Jundo
Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

[Shinzan]

Dylan,
I travel a lot, so I often improvise where I can sit. Sometimes on the edge of a bunkbed in a big dormitory. Sometimes on my still-stuffed sleeping bag in my tiny hiking tent. Sometimes just on the slope of a hill out in the wilderness. Sometimes crammed in with the rush-hour folks on the BART train. Once in the huge formal meditation hall at Tofukuji. Sometimes in a corner of my bedroom. Sometimes in a crowded airport gate waiting area. The fun is seeing where I can find a new way for just being there.

Thanks to everyone for the inspirations. _/\_ Shinzan
sattoday in a friend's guest room far from home

[Theophan]

Thank you Myosha

Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today