IMPORTANT: When Attending on Zoom

If you need to leave momentarily while attending virtual practice, please don't log out then back in - Zoom can close down meeting entirely for lack of attendees. Please just turn off your camera if you need to step out, then back on when you return - this will alert Zoom there are still attendees and meeting will stay active.

Empty Bowl Zendo Sangha Member
Online Participation Guidelines

Participation

When we participate in the sangha through Zoom, we sit in gratitude for all of the EBZ members who make our access possible. There is mutual benefit and affection, as the sangha is enriched by all of its members, whether online or physically present. We are all one.

We don’t view online presence as a lesser form of participation. For that reason, we should, to the extent we are able, observe all of the rituals of EBZ. We should stand, bow, chant, sit in stillness, and move in kinhin as though we were present in the zendo*.  To the extent possible, we should sit for the duration of the period, whether it be a regular sit or a sesshin.

Online sangha members should consider setting up a home altar.  A home altar brings sacredness to the space.  The altar can be customized to the participant.  All the items on the altar engage the senses and bring presence to the experience whether it be candlelight, the scent of incense, the beauty of the flowers, the reflecting water or inspiring statues, or photos of people or objects of personal significance. When entering the meditation space, bow to your altar.  Then bow to the zendo altar at the appropriate time, as if you are present in the Zendo. If you have completed your Precept study and wear a rakusu, you are encouraged to wear it when participating online.

Preparing to Sit
Please join sittings five minutes before the scheduled time, so you are seated and settled in place before the period of zazen begins. Start your video and bow to the other online members. Bow in greeting as others enter Zoom.

Ensure that you can hear properly. If you can’t hear, check your computer speaker volume. If, before the first bell has sounded, the audio is still not functioning properly, signal to others online to determine if it is a Zendo issue. (The chat icon at bottom-center can also be useful for communicating technical issues to other Zoom participants.) If it is a technical issue in the Zendo, unmute your microphone to alert the EBZ Zoom Manager. You may also text them at any time.** (Never unmute during zazen.)

Chanting
Join the sangha in chanting with your microphone on mute. The Empty Bowl Zendo Sutra Book can be found on the EBZ website. For the Healing Dedication, feel free to unmute momentarily to dedicate your practice.

Teisho
After a teisho or talk, if there is an opportunity to ask questions or comment, you are encouraged to participate when prompted. Remember to unmute to speak, and then mute when finished.

Kinhin
Please use kinhin time to engage in your own walking meditation, and walk as though you are in the kinhin line keeping pace with the Kinhin Leader. Return to your cushion immediately at the prompt to be seated.

Etiquette

Minimize distractions for yourself and others. If possible, sit in a space that you have dedicated to meditation without background movement or bright lights that shine on the screen. If there is visual clutter in your background, use the Zoom Blur Background function. Please keep pet distractions to a minimum.

Sit strong, straight, and still, as you would in the Zendo. Please note that you can be seen by others who are facing their screens. If it becomes necessary to move about, turn off your video camera and restart it during kinhin. 

Enter and exit only during appropriate periods and never during zazen as it is distracting to other Zoom sitters. Regarding your video presence, it is preferable that everyone be visible for rituals and teisho, but you may turn off your video camera during zazen. 

Tips for using Zoom

Manage Audio
When launching Zoom, click the Join with Audio button. Check your computer speaker volume.

To mute your microphone if it is not muted by the host, click on the microphone icon (labeled Mute/Unmute) found in the lower-left corner of the Zoom screen. The image of a microphone with a slash indicates you are muted. Click to unmute when called upon to speak.

If you are hearing impaired, headphones can help resolve issues with sound volume and background noise. You can turn on closed captioning under the Audio microphone icon, at the lower left.

Adjust Video
When launching Zoom, click the Join with Video button. The two most commonly used controls to adjust the video are Start/Stop Video (bottom left camera icon) and Enter Full Screen (top right). You can also find the Blur Background menu item at the camera icon.

Adjust View:
You can toggle between two view options from the upper right-hand corner. By selecting Speaker view, you will expand the view of the Zendo. In the Gallery view, the other Zoom participants will be expanded. Starting in Gallery view will allow you to bow to the others online.

View Participants:
This allows attendees to see who else is in the online zendo. Click Participants on your control bar at the bottom of your Zoom window to open the Participants box.

Important Notes:

EBZ is a private community. Please do not share the meeting link with others. If you know someone interested in joining our sangha, please refer them to the website for more information about EBZ and how to join.

Zoom members are requested to make the same monetary contributions in support of EBZ as those who sit in the Zendo. There are also many opportunities to volunteer for those who participate remotely. Volunteering will enrich your feeling of community within EBZ.

*If you have never been physically present at the Zendo and would like to learn more about the rituals, please contact Sensei Michele

***For help using Zoom, please contact Jamie