THE ZEN EXPERIENCE
What is a Zen Seminar?
There
are two primary ways of studying Zen. Either an individual
will enter into a Zen monastery and study with a Zen master
there, or they will study with a Zen master who lives in
the contemporary world.
Neither of these ways is superior to the other. Studying
in a Zen monastery will appeal to one person, while studying
Zen in a more contemporary setting will appeal to another.
I live in the contemporary world and teach Zen through the
medium of Zen Seminars. In addition to free introductory
one evening Zen Seminars, I teach monthly two evening Zen
Seminars in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
If you are new to the study of Zen I suggest that you first
attend a free one evening Zen Seminar. At these intensive
introductory seminars I teach meditation and mindfulness,
answer questions and discuss a variety of different aspects
of Zen. Attending a one evening Zen Seminar will give you
a taste of Zen. If you enjoy the experience then you may
be interested in attending a two evening Zen Seminar.
Monthly two evening Zen Seminars are smaller, more intimate
and more intense. If you wish to make rapid progress in
Zen then I suggest that you attend two evening Zen Seminars
on a regular basis.
No two Zen Seminars are the same. One evening you may learn
about enlightenment, koans, meditation and personal power.
Another evening I may discuss contemporary cinema, how to
shop at a mall without losing energy, how to use the power
of mind to increase career and academic success, the Zen
of sports, reincarnation, karma, sex, the experience of
"suchness" or a new book by Stephen King.
At every Zen Seminar there are brief periods of zazen practice.
Normally at Zen Seminars we practice zazen to electronic
music or in silence. Occasionally, at the free evening Zen
Seminars, we will meditate to live music performed by "Zazen,"
an electronic music group that I produce.
Reprinted from "The Zen Experience"
© 1987 Rama Seminars Inc.