..续本文上一页 Never leave sesshin wtihout speaking first to one of the leaders and to the Teacher.

　　Doors and windows. Be careful when opening and closing doors to cause the least possible noise. Doors to be left open should be hooked into position. Don”t stand about in doorways. Don”t touch the windows in the dojo. The leaders will look after them for you.

　　Shoes. The verandah is a shoes-off area to save trekking grass into the dojo. Sit on the edge of the verandah, take your shoes off and carry them to the shoeshelf. Don”t leave them higgledy piggledy on the verandah, where they may block the doors. Come to the dojo via the stone step near the double doors to avoid treading around the verandah.

　　Smoking: If there are smokers here, please only smoke during breaks and go far away, taking care when lighting matches or stubbing out butts. Wash your hands afterwards and don”t smoke in your sitting clothes. Better still, don”t smoke up here at all.

　　Hygiene: Please wash your hands carefully before handling any food, and after work periods. Water is precious here. Don”t wash hands, clothes or utensils under running water. Put the plug in the basin.

　　Dehydration: Remember to drink plenty of water if the weather is warm. Don”t squirrel mugs away in your tent or there won”t be enough to go round at morning and afternoon tea time.

　　Toilets: There are three pit toilets here. Just use them for shitting, ladling out some lime every other time. Put the lid down when you”re through, and close the latch on the toilet door as a signal the toilet is unoccupied. Pee outside, discreetly. Just avoid peeing between the dojo and hojo area.

　　Showers: At Gorricks Run there are two open showers and one cubicle and there will be hot showers in the lunch break, alternating dojos every day, tomorrow showers for people in the upstairs dojo, the next day, downstairs. Cold showers may be taken during the other breaks or you may want to take a bucket down to the creek but please soap up and rinse well away from the creek.

　　Dojo Cautions:

　　(Tanto speaks, Jikki demonstrates)

　　Entering the dojo.

　　1) Step into the dojo, bow in the direction of the altar. This is your bow to the Buddha. Do this every time you come in, even if you are only fetching a cushion.

　　2) If you are coming in for zazen, place your hands in the kinhin position and walk quietly around the edge of the dojo to your seat as others will be already sitting.

　　3) Bow towards your seat. This is your bow to the Dharma.

　　4) Turning in the direction of the altar, face the room and bow. This is your bow to the Sangha.

　　5) Turning in the direction of the altar, take your seat. Plump up your cushion if necessary.

　　Leaving the Dojo.

　　When you leave the dojo, bow to the Buddha at the door. There are two instances when you do not do this, when you are leaving to go to dokusan and when you are leaving during kinhin (bow as you step out of the line but not at the door.)

　　In the Dojo.

　　Please walk quietly in the dojo and keep your hands in kinhin position. The only exception to this is when you leave to go to dokusan, then your hands should be in gassho and your cushion under your arm.

　　Sit still during zazen, chanting and other activities in the dojo. Ignore minor irritations. If it is necessary to 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 shift in position can set off a chain of moves.

　　Extra cushions, benches and knee pads are stored under the stairs. There are chairs outside the dojo to use if your knees are sore. Please be very careful and aware of your bodies.

　　(Jikki demonstrates use of chair. )

　　Stay with the chair for an entire block of sitting but remember to be sitting on your cushio…

《Sesshin Cautions: Organizational Details of Sesshin》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…