The Village Zendo offers a variety of opportunities for Zen students to engage with teachers in order to deepen their practice. Private interview is one such opportunity, and it is available both in person and online. Interview with teachers who hold the title of Roshi is called Dokusan; interview with teachers holding the title of either Sensei or Hoshi is called Daisan.
Interview is a face-to-face encounter shared between student and teacher in which the student may raise any questions or issues related to their practice. Interview is essential for those students engaged in koan study, but it is also beneficial for other students as they reflect on their lives in the light of the Dharma. In the exchange, the teacher seeks to meet students where they are and enable them to see themselves more clearly. The encounters are normally brief and to the point, and are not an occasion for socializing or a form of psychotherapy.
The interview experience is treated with a reasonable assumption of privacy, but not a strict code of secrecy. Teachers at the Village Zendo may consult with one another about students’ training and hold sensitive information among themselves rather than alone.
Interview with teachers are available online and in person. Find out more here: