An invitation to online zazen

 For many people, getting to a physical zendo is difficult or impossible on a regular basis. Nearly a decade ago, I posted on this site on the topic of "What to do when there's no group close to you" and it's still one of the most visited pages even after all this time. (Note to self: perhaps it's time to re-work this and post afresh!)

When I wrote that, though, there was no online practice available within StoneWater, something that has changed since the pandemic.

Nowadays, we have loads of online zazen periods each week, and I'd encourage you to join in to support your practice. The 'main' session is probably the Thursday evening session, which involves two periods of zazen followed by a talk from one of the teachers (or sometimes it's me!). Each Thursday, the teacher will also offer interviews (for koan practice or just to discuss your practice or whatever's on your mind), again, something that is near impossible for many people to ever have access to. 

The Saturday morning sessions are similar but without the interviews. There are sessions on Monday to Friday mornings, too (just zazen), and recently we've been joining a 'broadcast' from the mother ship - the Hope Street zendo in Liverpool.

If you want to join our online zazen, please check out the "Online Zendo" page on the main SWZ website. Note that you'll need to join the SWZ mailing list to receive the weekly code for the Zoom meeting space we use - see the bottom of any page on the site for the sign-up form. We also ask that you join an introductory session, usually on a Tuesday evening. If you're interested, please email Sarah Kokai (kokaistonewaterzen@gmail.com) to arrange to join one of the intros.

You might ask: Why sit with others at all? Surely that doesn't matter as long as we're engaging in our zazen practice? I could go on at length about this, but I'll limit myself to a few points here...

• Discipline & accountability: For some people, self-discipline isn't an issue, but most of us can benefit to some extent by willingly opting into some external structure to support our practice. I know this is vital to me, and I'm always very grateful to all those I sit with for this.
• Access to a teacher: There's a lot written in Zen literature - and modern commentary - about the important place that teachers hold in the Zen tradition. Certainly there are those who hold this isn't necessary, but my own experience with Keizan Roshi and the other StoneWater teachers has been invaluable, and really helped both bolster my practice, help my understanding, and importantly avoid some of the pitfalls along the Way. Both in dharma talks and in private interviews, our teachers walk with us and help clarify our experience and comprehension of this famously paradoxical tradition.
• Being part of a Sangha: The 'sangha' or community is one of the "three treasures" of Buddhism and has always been vital in the Zen context. Keizan Roshi wrote a post about this ages ago that is worth checking out. Indeed, the Buddha insisted to one of his closest disciples that, "Having admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues is actually the whole of the holy life" (Pali canon, SN 45:2). Sangha has never seemed to me an optional bolt-on feature of Zen practice. To me, sangha is the very heart of Zen.

If you've never joined an online sit before, why not give it a try? Whether for discipline, guidance, or community, sitting together can enrich your practice in ways that solo practice alone cannot.

And of course - join us in Northampton on Monday evenings for the real deal: sitting with others in a shared space, followed by tea and a talk. What more could you want on a Monday?!

Laptop at the ready!