How to Start
Practice at Toronto Zendo West begins with a letter. If you feel drawn to sitting with us, write to us and introduce yourself.
Tell us who you are; what experience you have with meditation or Zen practice, if any; and what you hope to find in studying Zen and sitting with a group. If you have practised with other teachers, references are welcome here. A short note is enough to begin.
Example introductions
There is no form to fill in. What follows are examples only. They suggest the kind of letter we mean, and the information that is useful to us. Write in your own words, and use whatever parts are useful. Each example can be opened.
Example 1: new to meditation
Subject: Inquiry about sitting with Toronto Zendo West
Dear Toronto Zendo West,
My name is ______. I am writing to inquire about practising with your group.
I am new to meditation. I have been reading about Zen for ______ and would like to begin sitting with others.
What draws me to Zen is ______.
I would be grateful to know whether you are able to take a new student at this time, and what the next step would be.
Thank you,
______
Example 2: some experience
Subject: Inquiry about sitting with Toronto Zendo West
Dear Toronto Zendo West,
My name is ______. I live in ______ and I am writing to inquire about practising with your group.
I have been sitting for ______, mostly on my own, and I can sit for about ______ minutes at present.
What draws me to Zen is ______, and I hope to ______.
I would be grateful to know whether you are able to take a new student at this time, and what the next step would be.
Thank you,
______
Example 3: practised with other teachers
Subject: Inquiry about sitting with Toronto Zendo West
Dear Toronto Zendo West,
My name is ______. I am writing to inquire about practising with your group.
I have practised Zen for ______. I sat for several years with ______ of ______, and attended sesshin with ______. ______ has agreed to be a reference and can be reached at ______.
What draws me to your group is ______.
I would be grateful to know whether you are able to take a new student at this time, and what the next step would be.
Thank you,
______
Write to torontozendowest@gmail.com.
Once you have written to us, practice begins in two steps.
1. The correspondence course
The first step is a correspondence course. Its purpose is to bring you to the point where you can sit for at least 25 minutes, which is one sitSitsitA period of seated meditation.. Instructional materials are provided, and someone from the sanghaSanghasahn-gahThe community of practitioners. will help you with your physical sitting practice. Only a qualified teacher can teach meditation itself.
The course lasts about three months for a beginner, or as little as two weeks for someone with more experience. It is normal to take more or less time than this; everybody is different. There is no fee for the correspondence course.
2. The probationary period
When you can sit for one period, you may join us for in-person sitting on Tuesday evenings. This is a time to get to know the sangha and the teachers in it. Students in this period are not invited to sesshinSesshinsesh-eenA period of intensive practice, usually several days..
You are encouraged to join dokusanDokusandoh-koo-sahnA private interview with the teacher. and to develop a relationship with the teacher. There is no fixed length for this period. Generally it lasts until you have become a regular attendee and can sit for four sits on a Tuesday evening.
3. Becoming a member
After the probationary period there is the yearly fee, at which point you are a full member of the sangha. Members may join sesshin several times a year, with various teachers. Sesshin is optional but encouraged: the concentrated and undistracted sitting carries many benefits. There is also a good chance that you have begun working with a teacher in the sangha.
Money matters
- Correspondence course: no fee.
- Yearly fee: $350. It goes into the sangha’s account, covering rent and insurance and adding to the zendoZendozen-dohThe meditation hall where a group sits.. No money is used to compensate teachers or members for any services. Anything left over is kept as a rainy-day fund, and is occasionally used to sponsor sesshin for people who wish to join but cannot afford it.
- Sesshin: offered by affiliated sanghas, separate from the yearly fee, and typically around $700 for five days, including meals and private shared quarters.
- DanaDanadah-nahA voluntary offering of generosity.: completely voluntary, never an obligation. From time to time there is informal encouragement from the sangha, which is normal in Zen circles, but dana is always given privately, and may be given anonymously. Dana is never expected if financial circumstances are not favourable.