Gus Stevenson

For a religious site visit assignment in a World Religions class, I visited the Missouri Zen Center in Webster Groves, Missouri. I chose this site when I learned that my sister knew a practicing buddhist named Sean McGough. During my visit to the Missouri Zen Center and my research into the religion, I learned a lot about the beliefs and practices of Buddhists.

Buddhist tradition begins with a man named Siddhrtha Gautama, called the Buddha, who modern scholars say may have lived around 563-483 B.C.E. (Ellwood 125). Siddhrtha grew up in a wealthy Hindu family. His father made great efforts to shield him from the suffering of the outside world. He built three glorious pleasure palaces for Siddhrtha that were surrounded by a high wall (Ellwood 126). However, Siddhrtha eventually convinced his charioteer to take him to a nearby city. There, four things were revealed to him: old age, suffering, death, and the Jain Sadhu monks (Ellwood 126).

Soon afterward, he left his family and went on a spiritual journey to seek out the meaning of life in the face of suffering and death. He talked to brahnims, and eventually became an extreme asceticist. He ate only one grain of rice a day, but found that neither fasting and self-control nor philosophy alone could help him find the answers he was searching for (Elwood 126). He entered a deep meditation, in hopes of achieving total enlightenment. During this meditation, he saw that all things were interconnected, and he learned of the Four Noble Truths. Siddhartha Gautama had become a Buddha, which means "Enlightened One," or "One who is awake" (Elwood 127).

There are several beliefs that are central in Buddhism. One of these lies in the Four Noble Truths. These are essentially a "process to attain perfect equilibrium and totality" (Elwood 130). They can be summarized in two pairs. The first deals with the unending cycle of suffering in everyday life:

The second pair notes that there is a way out of the cycle:

"There can be an end to desire."
"The way out is the Eightfold Path" (Elwood 130).

The Eightfold Path consists of right views, intent, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration (Smith 104-111).

The Buddha also told of the "Middle Way." This is an "infinitely subtle point of absolute equilibrium between all extremes and polarities" (Elwood 129). In other words, it is an avoidance of extremes in favor of a more balanced way of living. Of the Middle Way, the Buddha said, "It leads to the appeasing of all ill, and yet it is free from happiness and joy" (Elwood, 129).

Buddhism, like most other religions, has split into several sects and denominations. The two major schools of Buddhism are Theravada Buddhism ("Path of the Elders") and Mahayana Buddhism ("Great Vessel") (Ellwood 135). There a few basic questions that separate these two divisions.

One is whether or not mankind is on its own in the universe. Theravada believes there is nothing in the universe to help mankind, and that each individual is responsible for his or her own progress (Smith 122). By contrast, Mahayana believes that everything in the universe is interconnected by a universal force. This force works in everything to propel each being toward its ultimate goal (Smith 123).

Another difference is what the Buddhist believes to be the prime attribute of enlightenment (Smith 123). Theravada Buddhism believes that this is bodhi (wisdom), while Mahayana Buddhism believes that it is karuna (compassion). A common Buddhist belief is that one will continue to be reincarnated until he/she has achieved enlightenment. In Theravada tradition, that person would then achieve Nirvana (an end to suffering) upon death (Smith 124). However, in Mahayana belief, upon reaching enlightenment, one can either choose to enter nirvana or to become a boddhisattva, who voluntarily continues to return until all beings have achieved enlightenment (Smith 124).

Zen (Chan) Buddhism is a sect of Mahayana Buddhism that was profoundly influenced by Taoism (Smith 128). It is said that Zen was brought to China in the fifth century C.E. by an Indian monk named Bodhidharma (Thompson 531). Chan means the school of dhyana, which is Sanskrit for "meditation" (Ellwood 156). Instead of focusing on worship and ritual, meditation is the main focus of Zen Buddhism.

Buddhism is still in the minority in the United States, however, there are several Buddhist temples and centers in this country. The temples largely minister to Americans who have traditionally Buddhist ethnic backgrounds, while the centers are more geared towards non-Asian Americans who have an interest in Buddhism (Ellwood 171).

The Missouri Zen Center is one of many Buddhist centers across America. It was made from an old victorian home, and looked to me more like an ordinary house than a religious establishment. There were a few buddha statues around, and square mats with small round cushions on them lined the walls. Zen Buddhism does not require elaborate buildings and decorations, because it is believed that those are only distractions. The emphasis is on simplicity (McGough).

The major service at the Missouri Zen Center is held on Sunday morning. There is a meditation sitting (called "zazen") which starts at about 6:20, and lasts about 40 mins. (Welcome 1). After that, at around 7:00, there is a service. During the service is a recitation of the sutras, which are "short sentences or aphorisms which facilitate easier memory of the essential tenet of teaching" ("Missouri"). They are basically rules for living. The recitation is lead by the doan, who is the leader of the zazen hall, or zendo ("Missouri"). One does not have to be ordained to become a doan (McGough).

Mr. McGough and I arrived at about 10 min. into the service. He said that if you do not arrive in time for the first zazen sitting, it was best to come in during the service, because it was not considered polite to disturb the others during the sitting. Before we went in, we had to remove our shoes. This is part of zendo etiquette, and to keep outside dirt from being tracked into the practice area (Welcome 4). We also removed our jackets in order to make as little noise as possible while inside the center.

Once inside, the first thing I heard was chanting. There was also the smell of incense in the air. One thing that was repeated several times during the service was the phrase, "…in ten directions and three times." Mr. McGough told me that that meant that the Buddha understood and could be everywhere at once. In essence, he could be in all ten directions three times. There is no worship of any gods or deities, however. The basic purposes of the service are to lower our egos, show respect for the buddhas that came before us, serve as a reminder that our lives and the things that we consider important are really just illusions, and to reflect the meditation, around which everything in Zen is centered.

At the end of the service, a long list of names were read off. This list contains the names of all the great Buddhas throughout the ages. Each of the names ended with the word "Dinosho," which I was told by Mr. McGough was a title that meant something like "teacher." Every fifth name or so was printed in boldface, because that person was one of the major teachers. When those names were read, those in the congregation postrated themselves. This was done to lower one’s ego and show respect to those people, not to worship them. In Buddhism, the buddhas are understood as ordinary human beings, not gods or divine beings.

Everything within a Zen service revolves around meditation. After the service, three bell rings signaled the beginning of the 40 min. zazen session. The meditation is done on a small pillow called a "zafu", which sits on a square mat called a "zabuton." These were placed along the wall. Meditation in Zen is done facing the wall. You are supposed to keep your eyes partially open, and looking at the wall helps keep visual stimulus to a minimum. Again, simplicity is the key.

Mr. McGough warned me that even a 15 min. sitting can be pretty intense for a beginner. If I became too uncomfortable, I could quietly leave and wait for him on the porch outside. I was told to count to ten as I meditated. If I found a thought entering my mind, I should return to one. If I found myself counting higher than ten, I should return to one. The reason for this was to keep my concentration on just sitting there. "When you are sitting, there is only sitting" (McGough). When meditating, you should not think about anything else. When thoughts arise, you should be aware of them, and then let them go.

During zazen, everyone is supposed to remain as still and quiet as possible. I started out in a crossed-legged position, with my hands in a position called "mundra," in which my palms were face-up with my thumbs touching each other. I found that meditation came pretty naturally for me. When I concentrated on the counting, I rarely found other thoughts enter my mind. Whenever they did, I tried to resist the temptation to dwell on them and instead just keep counting and concentrating on my breathing.

After about fifteen minutes, however, I found that my feet were starting to fall asleep. I tried to ignore it at first, but eventually they began to feel numb. I looked around the room, and saw someone else seated in a kneeling position, with her feet beneath her thighs. That seemed like a more comfortable position, so I quietly shifted and felt much more comfortable. I then returned my hands to mundra and tried to return to zazen. However, now my nose was starting to feel stuffy. At this point, the room was silent, and I knew that the sound of someone blowing their nose could be a huge distraction. I then heard someone on the other side of the room cough rather loudly and then another person sniffed a few times. I did not want to add more noise into the mix, but I had to take care of the problem if I was to be comfortable.

I experienced few distractions afterward. The three bells that signaled the end of zazen came sooner than I expected. Everyone stood up, did a bow (called "monjin"), and then two bells signaled the beginning of kinhin, or walking meditation. Kinhin is "to bring forward the wakeful, concentrated, calm unfettered state [of zazen] into free movement, as well as to relieve any stiffness in the body from long, still sitting" (Welcome 3). Basically, kinhin is holding on to the meditative state of mind and moving around with it. You are supposed to stand with your hands folded in a position called "isshu." Then, you slowly walk in a circle around the room, taking one step at a time. Other than the fact that walking is involved, kinhin is just like zazen. The members continue to face the nearest wall. They concentrate on breathing and keep their eyes open, but unfocused.

After a ten minute kinhin session, there is another sitting, and then a work period. During the work period, the members do simple chores around the Zen Center, like sweeping the floors. This is done in the same focused manner as zazen and kinhin. It might be thought of as a "working meditation," because the point is to bring the meditative state of mind into your daily working life.

During the visit and my research into the religion, I learned a lot about Buddhist belief. Mr. McGough told me that most of the things that we consider to be important are really just illusions. It is important to focus on one thing at a time and not worry too much about illusions, like whether or not you will get that new job or raise. In reality, you do not even know if there will be a tomorrow. Of course, it is also important to set goals and direction for yourself, but do not get too attached to them. Just keep things simple and avoid worrying about things that you have no control over. Whether one believes in Buddha or not, I think that is helpful advise.

Elwood, Robert S., and Barbara McGraw. Many Peoples, Many Faiths. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1999.

McGough, Sean. Personal Interview. 18 Nov. 2001.

"Missouri Zen Center." Online. The Missouri Zen Center. Home Page. Nov. 2001. <http://www.missourizencenter.org/>

Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1991.

Thomson, Roger F. "Zazen and Psychotherapeutic Presence." American Journal of Psychotherapy. Fall 2000, 531.

Welcome to the Missouri Zen Center. Pamphlet. St. Louis: Missouri Zen Center, 2001.