Should I come to zazen?

Someone asked me whether it would be OK if they came to the Zen group this week - their reservations were that (a) they were a complete beginner, and (b) they didn't want to have to make a long-term commitment.

I guess with some Buddhist groups, this is an issue: perhaps you need to sign up for a particular course or you can't join in with a given activity until you've done some training first... and in certain traditions, this makes sense.

In Zen, though, we don't run things like this - each week, we do the same Zen meditation that we do every other week.  Our practice focuses on the here-and-now, and we don't have any formal training curriculum that you need to follow.  Each week, anyone who is new will have the basics explained to them, and from then on we all practice at the same level.  In fact, influential Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki (pictured) famously stressed the advantages of having 'beginners mind', saying:

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.

Newcomers to Zen practice bring an enthusiasm and open-mindedness that is always refreshing, and an important part of any group.

As to whether a regular commitment is required, the short answer is 'no' - there's no requirement for anyone coming to one of our sittings to make any commitment other than for that evening.  A few people will go on to become regular sangha (community) members, but no-one should feel under any pressure to do so.  Additionally, people who do come, then miss a few sessions, should feel no embarrassment about coming back after an absence - no-one is asking anyone to account for their attendance.

So, should you come?  Entirely up to you!