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Preparation for the afternoon sitting
At 2:55 you will need to go to the Hatto to ready the room for the afternoon sitting. Light the
candles, following the instructions above under preparation for the mid-morning sitting, set up
the tape player, and make sure the clock, kaishaku and gong are placed properly.
You should have completed this and be in the Hatto ready to open the Butsudan and
resume sitting at 3:00.
3:00 Afternoon Sitting
Format for the afternoon sitting
Please follow the instructions above under 9:30 Mid-morning sitting for opening the Butsudan,
taking your seat, and beginning a sitting round.
Teisho Tape or CD
At the beginning of the first sitting round, sit for a few minutes and then listen to the teisho tape
or CD. If the tape is longer than half an hour, continue sitting and finish listening to it. If the
teisho ends before the thirty minute sitting round ends, continue sitting to complete the round.
Following this, you will sit in 30-minute rounds with a round of kinhin between sitting rounds
until your meal is served. Please use the clock to time your sitting rounds and be sure to adhere to
this format.
Evening Meal
Your supper will be brought to you on a tray at 6:00 p.m. and placed at the rear door of the Hatto.
Please apply the same instructions as provided concerning lunch.
Kitchen cleanup and evening free period
Please follow the instructions above under kitchen cleanup.
Please remember that while sitting a retreat you should refrain from engaging in unnecessary
conversation with other students.
Following kitchen cleanup, you will have a free period until 7:25 during which time you
can make yourself some tea or coffee, can sit in the Dining Hall or Shuryo, or you may go outside
but please do not leave the grounds.
At 7:25 go to the Hatto to light the candles and lay out a stick of incense ready for use.
7:30 Evening Sitting
There are no scheduled sitting on Friday evenings, and so if you are sitting a retreat alone, you
will be by yourself for the evening. You should begin your evening sitting at 7:30 p.m.
Teisho Tape or CD
There is no teisho tape played during the evening sitting.
Conclusion of the Evening Sitting
At approximately 9:05 a monastic will enter the Hatto and will instruct you to end your sitting
round. The monk will extinguish the candles and light a stick of incense in preparation for the
Evening Chants (Shushin-ge). Residents will come into the room and you will be told where to
stand. Unless Roshi is in hermitage, he will normally come into the Hatto to lead the chants at
9:10.
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