Danielle Swartz
RELG 214, Fall 2023
The Toledo Zen Meditation Group was founded in 2001 by Jay Rinsen Weik Roshi and his wife, Karen Do’on Weik Sensei. In 2004, it evolved into the Toledo Zen Center it is today. Located in Toledo, Ohio, the center describes itself as “an inclusive family-friendly community with authentic Zen practice for all”.
Jay Rinsen began his Zen studies in 1987 and received his sixteen Buddhist precepts and first Dharma name in 1998. Founding the meditation group in 2001 was only the beginning of his journey. He continued to study with Bonnie Myotai Treace Sensei and was named a Shuso or head monk in 2007. His dharma talks were broadcast through The Drinking Gourd Podcast. In 2008, he co-founded the Drinking Gourd Institute, a nonprofit organization to support the podcast and connect its listeners. In 2009, he became a student of James Myoun Ford Roshi and was confirmed as a Senior Dharma Teacher. He was ordained as a Zen Buddhist Priest in the Soto lineage in 2010. Today, he continues to act as abbot or head of the Toledo Zen Center, is a professor of classical and jazz guitar at the University of Toledo, and is a leader of the Zen Arts Ensemble.
Karen Do’on formally began her studies in the 1980s. In a one-on-one interview however, Karen revealed that she met her first Buddha in middle school. At the age of 17, she took her first Buddhism class at Amherst College and has been studying ever since. In 1993, she met Rinsen at the Shobu Aikido of Boston and they continued to study together in the Catskills. She was confirmed as a Senior Dharma teacher in 2009, ordained as a Zen Buddhist Priest in 2010, and acknowledged as a Shuso in 2012.
This Buddhist community follows the Zen tradition. While the Buddha often gave verbal teachings, in one account, he simply remained silent. Only one very advanced disciple was able to understand this special mind-to-mind transmission of knowledge. The Zen branch of Buddhism was born from this unique moment and teaches that enlightenment can be attained through master-disciple relationships and personal experience rather than only strict scripture study. While this tradition was originally passed down through Indian patriarchs, it became further developed and popularized in China and Japan. The word Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word for meditation, Ch’an.
There are two transmission lines of Zen Buddhism found at the Toledo center: the Soto and Rinzai. Within the Soto Zen tradition, everyone already has Buddha nature within them. The practice of meditating is seen as enlightenment in itself rather than a means to an end. There is no explicit goal other than experiencing the bliss of a self fulfilling activity. Zazen, the Soto practice of meditation, is designed to be simple. Seated meditation involves assimilating the Buddha position, upright and with good posture, and paying attention to one’s breathing. Once seated meditation is mastered, any action such as eating or working or walking can become zazen. Within the Rinzai tradition, a koan is a paradoxical or seemingly impossible question/ statement that is presented by a teacher during intensive retreats. The “solving” of these riddles is achieved not by logic, but rather by listening to one’s true nature. It is a method of shedding delusion and karmic entanglements in order to experience truth. At the Zen Buddhist Temple of Toledo, the two traditions are blended into a practice of both zazen and koan study.
There are a plethora of events, workshops, and ways to get involved at the center. Newcomers often begin by taking a class called Establishing Your Buddhist Practice which helps them decide if they want to become a member. One of the most popular methods of practice comes in the form of services. For the general public, there are services every Wednesday and Sunday which are also broadcasted on YouTube and Facebook. For members, there are morning services every day but Monday. At these events, the teacher sits in the front at the altar while participants sit in rows on zafu (cushions). These sessions combine sutras, Zen meditation, dharma talks, and interviews with teachers for a transformative experience. Participants can get further involved by becoming designated to ring the bell beginning and ending a period of zazen or by playing instruments for chants. All five senses become immersed and there are patterns of movement in walking and stillness in sitting.
Every month, more advanced members can participate in sesshin silent retreats. In order to sign up, you are expected to have had basic Zen instruction, practiced zazen for at least one month, and participate in orientation sessions. These events last from Wednesday night through Sunday. Participants agree to be silent, refrain from using phones or computers, and wear dark, loose fitting clothing with legs and arms covered. A typical day begins before dawn. The schedule is then full with periods of seated and walking meditation, chanting/liturgy, and tesiho (dharma talks from the teacher). All meals are eaten according to the Oryoki ritual. All movements such as opening the nested bowls from cloth and cleaning the bowls must be performed in a very specific way. By creating muscle memory, eating requires no thought and becomes an act of zazen. Twice a year, longer 7 day retreats are held. During the first one, a practitioner takes refuge and formally accepts the bodhisattva vows. The second one is held in December to coincide with Buddha’s enlightenment and it is the time when members become formal disciples.
Another way for members to intensify their practice is by entering a period of Ango, which according to the temple’s website, is defined as a “time of deep engagement with our vow to fully Awaken for the sake of all beings”. Around 2,500 years ago in India, monks would seek shelter from the rainy season in caves. They would stay for 90 days in which they devotedly studied and practiced. One can replicate this practice in the modern era by choosing to enter an Ango period. It begins with an opening ceremony and hike that takes place either in the fall on November 10 or the spring on March 10. Once the period has begun, participants are encouraged to create home altars, recite the daily liturgy at home, commit to more services, and engage in daily zazen. Sangha circles are groups of 6-10 members that meet once a month during the Ango period. They discuss a new topic and related readings every meeting and are led by a teacher. The period ends with a closing ceremony which takes place on November 10 in the fall and May 12 in the spring.
The Toledo Zen Center also offers the opportunity to join a Jukai class by publicly acknowledging their commitment to the 16 bodhisattva precepts with a teacher who has received Dharma transmission. These precepts are guidelines to living life and deepening practice. A cohort is formed and they study together for 20 weeks before the ceremony. On August 11, the Jukau Initiation Ceremony is held in which participants receive a Dharma name, robe of the Buddha, and a lineage chart. After taking the precepts, one is expected to engage in the temple community and serve the sangha by helping on administrative committees, hosting a sangha circle, or leading a support group.
The temple has about 305 members and is made up of a diverse mix of casual members, formal disciples, and priests. There is a place for anyone, no matter their level of commitment. All programming is free and therefore everybody is equal in their position. Members can donate to promote the life of the temple but do not gain any additional privileges. The entire sangha comes together for a variety of events such as a community potluck every Sunday and the New Year’s Letting Go Ceremony. There are also events held for the Nehan Ceremony (Buddha’s death) on February 18, the Vesak Ceremony (Buddha’s birthday) on May 5, and the Bodhi Day Ceremony (Buddha’s awakening) on December 8th.
Sources:
“Buddhist Temple of Toledo.” Buddhist Temple of Toledo, www.buddhisttempleoftoledo.org/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2024.
Do’on, Karen. Interview. Conducted by Danielle Swartz. 10 January 2024.
“What Is Zen Buddhism and How Do You Practice It?” Lion’s Roar, 13 Dec. 2023, www.lionsroar.com/what-is-zen-buddhism-and-how-do-you-practice-it/.