We all know Zen practice involves sitting—lots and lots of sitting.
But we practice in other ways, too. Services, with their chanting and traditional methods of movement and expression, are an important "container" for our practice.

At the Village Zendo, we're always making an effort to train our members in the various positions that make up the parts of a service. From Jisha, the attendant for the officiant of the service, to Doan, whose bells guide the chanting and movements, these positions are important components of our Zendo community.
In the fall, we will offer formal liturgy training, "Intro to Zen: Level Two", to allow more people to engage liturgy and ritual in an active way. Of course, there is always the opportunity to learn the different service positions. All you need to do is ask. If you're interested in learning the service positions, please contact our Liturgy Master, Koshin at:
koshin
zencare.orgĀ
Meanwhile, here are reflections on service from three of our Zendo members:
- The Koan of Ritual
Koshin Paley Ellison - Leveling the Road
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis - My First Service Position
Nina Shuka Klippel