..续本文上一页 your feet firmly on the floor and stand up. Wait there with your hands in the kinhin mudra. Be very careful if your feet or legs have gone numb. Make sure the feeling has returned before attempting to stand. If necessary, remain seated on your cushion for the first round of kinhin and rejoin the line when your place comes round again. While everybody is standing, there will be a pause before the Jiki hits the clappers for people to leave the dojo to use the toilet or to join the dokusan line. If you wish to leave, gassho, then walk briskly down the dojo with hands in kinhin position.

　　The beginning of kinhin is signalled by Jiki with the clappers. You gassho then turn left and begin the slow walk with hands in kinhin mudra. Key your breathing to the number of footsteps and let your facial muscles relax into a half smile. Breathing out may take you three steps, breathing in, two - whatever is natural. Remember your breath counting, or ”mu”. Keep up with the person in front maintaining the same distance between you and that person. If a few people near you have left the dojo, that distance can be quite a way.

　　When the end of kinhin is approaching, the Jiki will signal with a clap. Keep walking until you are at your place, then stop, face inwards and wait for the Jiki to lead a silent gassho which you join in. Then turn in the direction of the altar, gassho to your cushion, and sit down. If you wish to pick up an extra cushion or use a chair, do so after the initial group bow.

　　You may leave the kinhin line to go to the toilet, to your job (cooks) or to the dokusan line either at the beginning of kinhin as mentioned, or as the line passes the dojo door. Gassho as you leave the line.

　　To return to the line. If you return from the toilet while kinhin is going on, you may wait until your empty place in the line comes past the dojo door, then gassho and rejoin the line. If your place has already passed, wait at the dojo door until the end of kinhin, then when the sangha bows, gassho, and return to your palace.

　　Kinhin may be outdoors sometimes. This will be announced. Leave the dojo in line, then find your shoes and hat and join the line without attempting to keep to dojo positions.

　　l6. TOILETS:

　　At Gorrick”s Run there are three toilets. Preferably pee outside behind the building, not in the space between dojo and hojo.

　　l7. FULL BOWS:

　　When the Ino rings the inkin with an accelerando, there will be three full bows. (Demonstrate)

　　l8. ZAZEN:

　　If anyone is not familiar with the practice that we do here, or has not been oriented into posture and breathing, please put up your hands and we”ll go through that after this.

　　A Warning. Please be very careful and aware of your bodies. Don”t force yourself to maintain uncomfortable or difficult positions. Feel free to use a chair if you cannot stay on your cushions without pain. Use support cushions or kneeling benches if necessary. When getting up from sitting in cross-legged positions be careful, cradle your knees. It is quite easy to damage knees.

　　Relax down into your sitting position, move your body gently before settling down.

　　Moving. Try to be as steady as possible throughout the sitting period. Ignore minor irritations. If it is necessary lto adjust your position because you are in pain, and you must be the judge of this, do so carefully and slowly, keeping your practice going throughout. Be careful though - a single unnecessary shift in position can set off a chain of moves.

　　Using a chair: Use a chair for a whole sitting block rather than chopping and changing. Fold your zabuton in half. Remember to be sitting on your zafu or bench at mealtimes. (Demonstrate)

　　Neatness. Keep your place and yourselves tidy and neat all the time.

　　l9. NOTEBOOKS:

　　Unless you are working on koans, don”t write or read anything during sesshin. Sesshin is a wonderful opportunity to concentrate solely on the matter at hand. If you are writing and reading, do so unobtrusively.

　　20. SUTRAS:

　　For the sutra period in the morning, the Shodoka reading, and closing ceremony at night, sutra books will be handed out. Keep them on the back of your mat when not in use, not on the floor. When using them, hold them thus (demonstrate). Sutra books are not handed out before Teisho.

　　2l. TEISHO or DHARMA TALK:

　　There will be a teisho every day at 2.00 p.m. The Jiki will say, "Prepare for Teisho" and everyone stands at their place. After gassho, move with zafu to your place under the chestnut tree with your hands in kinhin mudra.

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