Results 1 to 34 of 34

Thread: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

  1. #1

    I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Hi guys!

    Some friends asked me to help them have a zazen session on December 7th. While I have helped small groups before, this could be a big one.

    It will be a one time session and that's fine. But they asked me to talk a little about zen and minimalism and that's where I get nervous. Speaking 15 + people will be odd!

    I was wondering if you had experience doing this. If so... could you please share some tips?

    I know that when I'm there I'll be nice and calm, but now it gets a little scary. :mrgreen:

  2. #2

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by chocobuda
    Hi guys!

    Some friends asked me to help them have a zazen session on December 7th. While I have helped small groups before, this could be a big one.

    It will be a one time session and that's fine. But they asked me to talk a little about zen and minimalism and that's where I get nervous. Speaking 15 + people will be odd!

    I was wondering if you had experience doing this. If so... could you please share some tips?

    I know that when I'm there I'll be nice and calm, but now it gets a little scary. :mrgreen:
    Speak from the heart.

    Gassho, Jundo

  3. #3

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Just be.

    gassho


    T.

  4. #4

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    I would make myself a little roadmap, as for me it would be other way around,
    ok now, but very nervous at the event. This roadmap would be just a list of a
    few topics, so I not forget what to say to them and in which order. I woulndt
    make any detailed concept or anything, just so that I not completely loose track
    _()_
    Peter

  5. #5

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Hi Choco,

    I say take Jundo's advice and speak from the heart. It is clear that you are very passionate about the three treasures and have a dedicated practice. In other words you already have it all to make a wonderful presentation! Now you just have to get past the mental roadblock. Just remember, the same mind that put it up can also take it down!
    Good luck with everything and keep us posted

    Gassho,
    John

  6. #6

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Ask to borrow Jundo's Zen Robot mask. That should break the ice.

    But seriously...
    To become an echo, be yourself, speak from the heart, put together some cards with points you really want to address. I would add, tell a story about yourself and the topic of minimalism.

    Otherwise just breathe.

    Rod

  7. #7

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by chocobuda
    Speaking 15 + people will be odd!
    Ohhhh yes. I feel that. I had to talk to four groups of people last week about a historic home which I knew only a little bit about, and it was totally scary. But I think preparing ahead a bit works. Practice out what you're going to say. Say it to yourself if you have to.

    Anyway, it's clear you know what you're doing, and the anxiety probably will melt away when the time comes.

    Good luck!

    Jen

  8. #8
    Nindo
    Guest

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Are these people new to Buddhism or have they sat zazen before?
    If they are complete newbies, keep it very simple. I have done introductory talks in which I just told the life story of the Buddha, the four noble truths, the eightfold path and why sitting is important as a practice. That's usually enough to get some questions and take it from there.
    Good luck, you'll be fine! :wink:

  9. #9

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    I am terrible in those situations, so I have no advice. But I wish you the best of luck!!!

  10. #10

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rev R
    Ask to borrow Jundo's Zen Robot mask. That should break the ice.
    Ah, 'Buddha-bot' has not been around for a couple of years. I promise to bring him back soon. 8)

    Thanks for that, Rev.

    Gassho, J

  11. #11

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Morelos,

    I think pretty much everything I would say has been said, but I did want to offer support to your endeavour. Jundo said to speak from your heart and I feel quite sure that if you approach the talk from the truth of your own experiences of zazen then you will do great.

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  12. #12

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Thank you very much, friends.

    Yes I will speak from the heart.

    It will be a group that wants to find out what Buddhism and zazen are, so I will write a guideline of what I will say. I am not that nervous anymore, so I should be okay. :P

    Thanks all! I will keep you posted. :wink:

  13. #13

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    The first thing you should do is break the ice by saying "Do you think it's easy looking this good? Pay up!". Lol. Kidding of course

    Seriously to echo everyone if you speak frpm your heart like you do here they are in for a treat . Good luck

  14. #14

    Re: I will lead a local zazen sesison. Help!

    Every once in a while, I have to teach ethnographic observation or authentic classroom assessment, both of which seem very easy until you do them. So I often start with a simple assignment, something like, go to a shopping center and just sit for five minutes, taking notes on what you notice. Students hear the assignment and think, "This'll be easy!" Students come back overwhelmed by the complexity of this "simple" task.

    I think that's a good way to approach sitting shikantaza. Just being yourself, you'll do a great job, I'm sure, of explaining "just sitting." But when your group actually attempts to "just sit," well... you'll have plenty of ways to talk about zen, zazen, and a whole lot more.

    So, to repeat the above: just be, then let them try to just sit, then just be with them after they've just sat!

  15. #15

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Good luck Morelos...8888888888888888888888888888888888888888 8.....Just sit!

  16. #16

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    I thinks it's great that you are taking the time and effort to show others how to sit Zazen. Yes, you will probably be nervous but so will the students since this they are new to the practice. You'll learn how to teach sitting Zazen and your friends will learn how to sit. So, all of you will be learning together!

    Thanks,
    Jodi

  17. #17

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    If one person came in to your zendo and asked, you would help them to the best of your ability.
    If a 52 passenger bus pulled up and the crowd asked, you would help them to the best of your ability too. The practice is precisely the same.

    Be who you are, just as you are. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. You'll do great.

  18. #18

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    go with the flow,
    explain sitting, zazen and in big lines buddhism,
    then sit together,
    and they will have questions that you had in the beginning too,
    answers to these questions you already know,
    because of your practice and your experience.

    succes

  19. #19

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Hi Choco;
    Congratulations on your assignment, I just know you'll do fine! It's not the amount of knowledge on the subject or preparation that's the problem, It's the public speaking thing that's in the way. Have you seen the movie "Maid in Manhattan" They used a gimmick, in their case they held a bent paper clip in their hand. It keeps your body busy and clears your mind. Let go and enjoy, you have a great story to tell

    p.s. we'll have to try that google video chat again sometime :lol:

  20. #20

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Shokai
    Hi Choco;
    Congratulations on your assignment, I just know you'll do fine! It's not the amount of knowledge on the subject or preparation that's the problem, It's the public speaking thing that's in the way. Have you seen the movie "Maid in Manhattan" They used a gimmick, in their case they held a bent paper clip in their hand. It keeps your body busy and clears your mind. Let go and enjoy, you have a great story to tell

    p.s. we'll have to try that google video chat again sometime :lol:
    Thanks, Shokai!

    Yes, the clip thing is a very good idea. I will try it out.

    And of course we need to video chat sometime!

  21. #21
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    How did it go?

    Ron

  22. #22

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    I haven't given the talk yet. That will be on Tuesday. I will let you guys know!

  23. #23
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA

    I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Good Luck tomorrow! (Even though you won't need it) :-)

    Ron

  24. #24

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Hi guys!

    First of all, thanks to all for the good wishes and tips.

    My minimalism talk and Zazen session were last week but I wasn't able to post because I was traveling and I didn't have Internet connection.

    It all went pretty good I think. I talked about how to practice mindfulness and be less carried out by the Christmas tsunami that marketing implants on our culture. It was about how to reduce stress and how to be smart about spending money and time. And of course I talked about dana and generosity.

    I think people ended up very happy with my words. In fact they asked me to go again!

    The Zazen session was smooth too. I just helped out a couple of friends who didn't have experience, and then it was some 20 minutes of group zazen.

    Here is the only picture I have, taken on an iPhone with very poor lightning conditions.



    Again, thank you for your support.

  25. #25

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    You look very convincing on that photo
    Congratulations on your first Dharma talk!

  26. #26

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Thanks for letting us know Morelos...I'm sure you did awesome.

    Gassho,
    Dosho

  27. #27

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Thanks for the update Choco. We all knew you would do a great job! Think you might comply with their request to do another one sometime?

    Gassho,
    John

  28. #28

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Congratulations!

    on the next one,
    take a recorder with you

  29. #29

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by JRBrisson
    Thanks for the update Choco. We all knew you would do a great job! Think you might comply with their request to do another one sometime?
    Of course I will! It might be in April. Who knows?

  30. #30
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Thanks for the update!

    Ron

  31. #31

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Hey, Hey, Hey; Looking professional !!

  32. #32

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Hi.

    Good to hear it went well.

    Mtfbwy
    Fugen

  33. #33

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by chocobuda
    Quote Originally Posted by JRBrisson
    Thanks for the update Choco. We all knew you would do a great job! Think you might comply with their request to do another one sometime?
    Of course I will! It might be in April. Who knows?
    Awesome!!

  34. #34

    Re: I will lead a local zazen session. Help!

    Good job! I am so glad it worked out well.

    Thanks,
    Jodi

Similar Threads

  1. [Engaged] International Rescue Committee/ any local refugee center
    By murasaki in forum Introducing "MY FAVORITE CHARITIES"
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 06-22-2012, 04:51 PM
  2. First time at local Zen group last night!
    By disastermouse in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 09-26-2009, 10:21 AM
  3. Local sangha issues
    By Dainin in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 09-09-2007, 01:59 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •