Formal Training at Ocean Mind Sangha

Lay Buddhist Practice

If you’re considering becoming a formal student at OMS, or have questions about the process, please reach out to Zuisei to set up a meeting.

The path of formal training in Zen Buddhism can broadly take two forms: students can become ordained as monastics and live in a temple or monastery “on the mountain,” as the literature refers to this retreat from the world, or live and practice fully “in the world” as lay practitioners. Well-known examples of figures who took the latter path are those of Vimalakirti—known to us through the Vimalakirti Sutra—or that of Layman Pang and his family. Vimalakirti was a revered layman who was said to be as enlightened as the Buddha, while the Pang Family was made up of Layman Pang, his wife, and his daughter—all enlightened home dwellers in 8th century China whose practice and example continue to inspire students to this day.

In the West, monasticism and lay practice coexist in the sanghas of various Buddhist lineages, highlighting the importance of both paths for the continuation and vitality of the teachings. Lay teachers, in particular, have adapted Buddhism’s traditional forms in various ways in order to ensure that the dharma remains vibrant and relevant to the needs of students engaging the teachings in a rapidly changing world. Ocean Mind Sangha is no exception. While Guiding Teacher Zuisei Goddard trained as a monastic for many years, she is now a lay practitioner offering formal Zen training to students of all levels of experience. Commitment to this training is personal and voluntary, depending solely on a person’s wish to deepen their practice on the path in the company of this particular sangha and teacher. It’s a step a person takes once they realize they’re already a student on a path of practice and realization.

If you’re interested in exploring the possibility of working with Zuisei, we invite you to join us for practice and study during one of our events. Please note that you don’t have to become a formal student at OMS to work with Zuisei. Skip to the section on Patrons to learn more about our alternate path.

Formalizing the student-teacher relationship is the first step in entering Zen training, and the relationship itself is central to the Buddhist tradition. In Zen, it’s based on an intimate and mutual commitment between teacher and student, and it’s nurtured by consistent interaction in both group and individual settings (see daisan below).

To learn more about the uniqueness of this relationship and the trust and love that it’s based on, listen to the this talk by our Guiding Teacher Zuisei.

Those who choose to formalize the teacher-student relationship sit Tangaryo (tanga: “staying until the morning,” and ryo: room). Tanagryo means: the “room where you stay until the morning,” and it refers to a tradition that began in China, where prospective monastics showed their aspiration and sincerity by sitting in zazen—sometimes for days—outside a monastery’s gate. In its current form, tangaryo gives the student the opportunity to formally ask the teacher for the teachings, which in turn gives the teacher permission to teach. At OMS, Tangaryo takes place during one of our Half-Day Sits, and everyone is invited to join and sit in support of new students formalizing their wholehearted commitment to Buddhist practice and training.

Soon after sitting tangaryo at OMS, the sangha welcomes the formal students in a Student Entering Ceremony that takes place during a Wednesday Evening Sit.

To learn more about the spirit of Tangaryo and the determination, resilience, and aspiration needed on the path, watch Zuisei’s dharma talk, Possibility.

Formal OMS students and regular Wednesday Evening participants have access to the sangha’s Private Resources Page, which contains recordings of OMS events and classes and other online resources and relevant updates.

Formal Zen students meet regularly with the teacher in brief one-on-one sessions (daisan) which help develop the student’s practice through mindfulness of the breath, koan study, shikantaza (“just sitting”) practice, loving-kindness meditation, and others. At OMS daisan takes place online with one exception—the biannual In-Person Ango Sesshin. In addition, Zuisei offers longer and less formal private sessions that allow students to go more deeply into their practice and the ways it dovetails with and informs their everyday lives. Visit here to learn more about Private Teaching with Zuisei.

When a formal student has spent at least a couple of years in practice and training in the OMS, they may petition to receive the Buddhist precepts in a ceremony called Jukai. Jukai marks the student’s commitment to the Buddhist path and to living a moral and ethical life whose focus is to care for all beings and our planet. The ceremony includes the taking of refuge in the Three Treasures, the Three Pure Precepts, and the Ten Grave Precepts.

Listen to Ocean Mind Sangha’s first Jukai ceremony, where Brian Ryusan Pontolilo received the Buddhist precepts.

Ango at OMS takes place in April and October each year. During these two one-month periods, the sangha comes together online and in person to support one another in intensifying their Zen practice. A formal student is chosen as the shuso, or chief disciple, and is held up as a model for practice throughout the year, marking their transition to a senior student. Originating in the Song dynasty Chinese monasteries, the role of the shuso (首座) literally referred to the “head seat,” usually a junior monk given the responsibility of caring for the sangha while training under a senior monk.

The real heroism is showing up, again and again for your life; to decide to be in your life in this and every moment.

— Zuisei

Each ango closes with OMS’s in-person event: Ango Sesshin. Led by Zuisei, this four-day intensive meditation retreat wraps up the ango with a Dharma Encounter (an impromptu question and answer session on a Buddhist topic between the teacher and the sangha)—and a Shuso Hossen Ceremony in October. For a more detailed look at the history and tradition of ango and to register for the next, visit here.

Zuisei works with a number of people who haven’t made a commitment to become formal students, yet want frequent contact with a teacher. If you’d like to explore this relationship—particularly as it informs your zazen (Zen meditation) and the ways it relates to your everyday life—consider becoming a Patron by signing up using the form below. If you have questions about the process or want to find out more about how Zuisei works with practitioners of the dharma, please reach out to her directly to schedule a free introductory session.

*Photo by Alexandra Komyo Brown