Zen in Northern Germany— what happens in a Zen dojo? Zazen, meditation, zafu, kyosaku, gong, mokugyo, Heart Sutra, kesa, zendo. Dojos and Zen Groups in Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen, Flensburg, Neu Schönau (Mecklenburg) and Rostock — Members of the Association Zen Internationale, Founder Master Taisen Deshimaru

Dojo

Zazen

The sole purpose of the “Place of the Way” is the practising of zazen.

The illustrations on this page give some idea how zazen is the focus of the dojo’s activities.

The meditation cushions are called zafus and are packed tight with kapok. The filling has a springiness, so it is possible to sit flexibly and comfortable while at the same time stable enough to stretch the spine. This activates and promotes concentration.

Sounds and Silence

Sounds accompany the progress of a period of zazen. It begins with the striking of the wood which summons to zazen.

After sitting down, the repeated sound of the gong announces that zazen has now begun. It lasts for about 30 minutes.

After a short break for Kin-hin, a meditation-while-walking, there follows a second zazen.

This finishes when the wood is struck again and the gong sounds.

Kesa

In the dojo it is possible to sew a Kesa, helped by the other disciples. The kesa is the patchwork-like cloak which is to be found in all buddhist traditions.

The wearing of the kesa and the tradition of its exact sewing go back to the roots of Buddhism and have been passed down over thousands of years.

In Zen the kesa is usually made of simple black or brown material. However this colourful example was hand-sewn by Kodo Sawaki (1880 - 1965) and presented to his disciple Master Deshimaru. It is worn to this day on ceremonial occasions at the Zen Temple La Gendronnière.

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©Zen Dojo Berlin e.V. — Member of the
Association Zen Internationale, Founder Master Taisen Deshimaru