Zendo

Table of contents

1 The Zendo

1.1 Zendo Etiquette

2 Disambiguation
3 External Links

The Zendo

In Zen philosophy, a zendo is a meditation hall, a spiritual dojo where zazen (sitting meditation) is practiced. More generally, any place where people go to practice or learn Zen. For the enlightened, the entire world is a Zendo.

Zendo Etiquette

From the alt.zen FAQ (where some of the Japanese terms below are also explained):

Zendo Manners

In a zendo the altar is placed in either the sodo or hondo position.
Enter the zendo on the left side of the entry, left foot first.
Gassho and bow to the altar.
Walk forward across the room past the altar and go to a seat turning corners squarely (cross in front of the altar only during kinhin).
Gassho and bow toward the seat, greeting the people to both sides.
The people on both sides respond to greeting.
Turn clockwise and face front.
Gassho and bow to those directly across room, greeting them.
They respond with a gassho-bow in greeting.
Sit down on the zafu.
Turn clockwise toward the wall. (If in a Soto style zendo, Rinzai style is to sit facing in from the wall.)
Always turn or move clockwise as viewed from above the zendo.

Disambiguation

Zendo is also a game of inductive logic designed by Kory Heath, using the Icehouse system.