Rōhatsu

Some quick notes on Rōhatsu.

Zazen. Shikantaza. Just sit.

Reflection afterwards

Some things felt like they were reinforcing good habits.

• Less time around technology, particularly phone.
• More easily sliding into a sit, particularly when stressed.

My plan

• Sunday 1st. Home retreat.
  • Stretches.
  • 30m sit, 20m walk, 30m sit, break.
• Monday 2nd to Friday 6th. Work days.
  • Morning: 30m sit, unguided or The Way with Henry Shukman.
  • Daytime: replace tech / twitch distractions with tiny sits. John Astin on Waking Up.
  • Lunchtime: 30m sit, unguided or Daily Meditation on Waking up.
  • Evening
    • 30m sit, unguided or Adyashanti on Waking Up.
    • Reading: The Gateless Gate, Trust in Awakening, Tao Te Ching.
    • Listening: Tara Brach talks.
    • Wednesday: OMB and Care Committee meeting.
• Saturday 7th. Home retreat.
  • Stretches.
  • 30m sit, 20m walk, 30m sit, break.
• Sunday 8th.

Some reflections from the front-loaded bit

• Feedback loops.
  • Like momentum, inertia.
  • Focus on how to interrupt the loop, stop pushing.
• I gave what I want to get.
  • kindness, openness, clarity, support, learning.
• Support.
  • Is more important and more widely available than you think.
  • I tend to be bad at noticing I need, and asking for, help.
• Notice when you’re putting things into binaries. Find the spectrum.
• Notice and be grateful for all your good fortune.
• No tech was nice. No doing for the sake of being busy doing.

Gathering it together a bit

• Sunday 01/12 to 08/12.
• Saturday 07/12 all night zazen.
• Ideally: Start early, continuous practice of meditation throughout the day.
• But could also:
  • sit a little longer;
  • one quiet day during the week, retreat at home.
• If reading, err more poetic than practical.

Highlighted bits from a quick search

Bodhi Day - 8/12 - Rōhatsu

The commemoration of the Buddha’s Enlightenment runs from 1st to the morning of 8th December in the NE Buddhist tradition.

The week leading up to the 8th December is one of the most difficult sesshins.

Prior to the start of the sesshin on 1st December, the monastery receives a thorough clean, supplies for the week are taken in and all work, bathing and leave is stopped for the period.

It is typical for Zen monks and layperson followers to stay up the entire night before Rōhatsu practicing meditation, and the holiday is often preceded by an intensive sesshin.

The timetable is gruelling with mainly sitting meditation (Zazen) and with only a couple of hour’s opportunity for sleep.

Each day begins well before dawn (3:45 am) and is a continuous practice of meditation throughout the day while sitting, walking, standing and lying down. There are from nine to eleven hours of zazen

Some ideas for a Rohatsu extra effort might include:

• sit a little longer
• one quiet day during the week, retreat at home

If you can arrange your diary to suit, then you might like to sit one night through. Blocks of sitting should be interspersed with half hour walks and some breaks with tea and biscuits.

References

• Bodhi Day - Wikipedia
• What is Rohatsu? : Exercises in Mindfulness — The Zen Gateway
• Dunedin Sesshin 2024 - Diamond Sangha NZ
• Rohatsu Sesshin - Zen Mountain Monastery
• The Great Rohatsu Sesshin : Exercises in Mindfulness — The Zen Gateway

Added 2024-11-27, last updated 2024-12-08.