Upside-Down Zen: a direct path into reality by Susan Murphy, Lothian Books (Melbourne, Australia 2004 (now Hachette-Livre), and republished by Wisdom Publications (US), 2005/6

Rachael Kohn interviews Susan Murphy Roshi on 'The Spirit of Things', ABC Radio National, May 2004

Rachael Kohn interviews Susan Murphy Roshi on 'Spiritual Classics', ABC Radio National, November 2007

FORM USED IN MEDITATION EVENINGS

Ritual Form Observed on Friday Sitting Nights
Don’t be alarmed or concerned about making mistakes. The details of Zen form are simply learned by being alert and going along with what more experienced others are doing, and it is surprising how quickly they become second nature. 
In time, you will begin to observe how richly the form serves you and does the work of maintaining a wide, uncluttered, nonjudgmental awareness, and a graceful steadiness towards the practice and your fellow beings.  This appreciation is one that deepens and matures.

1. Enter quietly after removing shoes. You are perfectly free to talk ahead of the accelerando of clapper signals given by the Jiki (time-keeper) that announce sitting is about to begin 6.30pm.  Silence is then held for the next two hours, unless there is a talk or discussion in the last 40 minutes of the evening.
2. When you hear the Jiki signal, gassho (a small bow of respect with your hands together) towards the altar, go to an empty cushion, stand with your back to it and gassho to your fellow sitters, then turn to your cushion /bench /chair and gassho to that before seating and settling yourself.
3. The Jiki will sound a clapper signal to tell you that you need to become still. Three slow bells follow, opening a 25-minute ‘round’ of sitting. After this point, stay seated and still, and avoid major adjustments of posture as far as you can.
4. Two short bells signal the end of a sitting round. Unless you wish to keep sitting through another 30 minutes, rise to your feet for kinhin (walking meditation).
5. When everyone is steady on their feet, the Jiki claps the clappers, you gassho, then hold your hands clasped at your belly, turn to your left, and begin slow walking meditation, one step with the in breath, next step with the out breath. Keep the same distance between you and the person ahead; if they leave the line as they pass the door to go to the toilet etc, maintain that gap for them to re-enter.

After the next clapper signal, when you reach your place you stop, turn to face in to the room, and wait until everyone is back at their place.

1.  Then the Jiki makes a kind of silent ‘clap’ and bow in one, everyone gasshos together to the room as a whole, then to their seat, before settling again in preparation for the next 25 minute round of sitting.
2.  There are four sitting rounds of this kind on a 2nd and 4th Friday evening of the month.  On these evenings, around 6.30pm, the Jisha (teacher liaison) will announce dokusan (interviews with the teacher), and tell you how to proceed if you wish to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss your practice. On other nights, the Ino (chanting leader) will announce a talk or discussion starting around 7pm, and tell you how to arrange yourself for that.
3.  In the final stage of every Friday evening, the Ino announces and leads our recitation of the Heart Sutra, Evening Dedication and four vows of practice.  We hold the sutra sheet with care and sit in zazen posture through this process.

At the end of the four vows, the Ino gets everyone to their feet with a short accelerando on a hand-bell and leads three full bows towards the altar.  Those bows ends with a final standing gassho into the room towards everyone present. This concludes the formal, silent part of the evening program.

2005 Newsletter

Recent dharma talks by Susan

A Thousand Miles the Same Mood

Sesshin_05

Texts in regular use

Texts in regular use at Zen Open Circle sesshin

Website Links: