Blast Off!
Four times per year, we hold intensive periods of Zen training called sesshin (接心), which literally means “to gather the mind” in Japanese. Because of social distancing and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve taken the training online through a new format we’re calling keishin (繋心 pronounced “kay-shin”) or “to connect the mind.” On May 31st, we finished our first 7-day summer intensive training period with in-person sesshin and online keishin components tethered together through the Zoom video conferencing platform.
The online format had been piloted in early April as a 4-day keishin, with mixed results. Most were impressed to find that intensive Zen training worked at all over Zoom. Still, many found the experience a bit flat and lacking in tactile qualities – like a bunch of individuals training in front of screens, rather than a cohesive group. Everyone agreed that sanzen (formal interview between a student and teacher) worked well on Zoom, which was one hint that more back-and-forth interactions might give life to online keishin.
Curious to see whether we could improve on our previous experience, we incorporated a number of innovations in the summer online keishin. We checked-in with “buddies” about our plans for afternoon free-training. Alex Greene beamed in to help us shake off our second-day aches and pains with Tension Releasing Exercises (TRE). And, on a daily basis, our Roshis held informal 90-minute practical sessions with questions and answers on zazen, hara development, resonance, and Tai Chi. In the end, there were 3 sesshin participants and 15 full and part-time keishin participants spread across nine time zones.
As we sat, COVID-19 outbreaks raged in our communities, a shuttle launched into outer space, and protests erupted in our cities over the senseless killings of George Floyd and many other black Americans. On the final night of training, my home city of Atlanta enacted a curfew in an attempt to stop the chaos. This context makes our training more relevant than ever in terms of resolving duality, taking away fear, and creating true leaders.
Over the week, the sincere and deep effort of each participant’s training both in the dojo and at home was evidenced in one undeniable group state of samadhi (relaxed concentration). This was accomplished despite the occasional challenges of limited bandwidth and family and pets seeking attention. The larger community stoked the fire by connecting twice daily through online Daily Zazen. On the final night, we had “virtual snack” where we shared the Hawaii tradition of “talking story,” followed by late night Tai Chi training with the late Stephen Kow Roshi courtesy of YouTube. Many of the participants reflected on a felt sense of empowerment at having keishin come to them and hope about what this might mean for their future solo training.
Personally speaking, summer keishin brought depth to my felt experience of the universe being freshly created moment by moment. With a meditation cushion, internet-enabled laptop, and the roof over my head, I created a dojo and a sangha (Buddhist community), and they created me. I felt into the daily routine of those training 5 and 6 hours ahead of us in London and Geneva. I watched the sun set at my home in Atlanta and then again hours later at our dojos in Wisconsin. I felt like a space and time traveler, and the experience was truly exhilarating.
Recently, I’ve found myself reflecting a lot on a particular story of Omori Sogen Rotaishi, the founder of our Chozen-ji lineage. During another tumultuous period of the late 1930s in Japan, he was arrested and jailed for one year because he donated money to a campaign opposing military aggression. In his biography, Sogen speaks of the benefits of this long sesshin and the convenience of having everything he needed for Zen training within a single cell. As many of us continue our imposed home confinements, how can we maximize this opportunity?
Please watch as Chosei Zen works to expand online offerings and tools to support training at home.
