Chris – without thorough research it’s hard to know exactly how old each particular Zen ritual is. It may that some of it, for example putting palms together to signal greeting or gratitude goes right back to India where ‘namaste’, i.e. palm to palm, is still widely used in greeting. It seems that ritual surrounding the sutra service is quiet ancient. For example, I have experienced present-day Chinese Chan chant leaders starting a sutra recitation with three slow rings on a bell and marking time on a woodblock—just like we still do. This shows that these bits of ritual have been in place since before the 13. Century—if we take Dogen’s return to Japan as the time when Japanese Zen got established.

Which aspects of Zen ritual came about in Japan is hard to say. For sure the way we set up our zendos in neat rectangular rows, black mats and cushions mirrors Japanese aesthetics. In Japanese Zen much was made of sectarian differences not only between the grand schools of Soto and Rinzai, but also of differences between lineages within the same school. Sectarian thinking promotes the belief that “We are the only ones who carry the true tradition”. After all sectarianism is a first cousin to nationalism. Unfortunately we have inherited a bit of that sectarian thinking in Western Zen.

Dale S. Wright, who is one of the leading Zen scholars, told me that he is preparing a book on Zen ritual together with his co-editor Heine. It will be out next year. When it’s published, I’ll revisit the ‘ritual’ theme and report on what the newest research says.

Deb – like you I found ritual weird at first. When I first started to practise Zen more than two decades ago I was affiliated with a lineage that favoured orioki (Japanese-style formal meals taking in meditation posture). At the time I just couldn’t get over how funny that ritual was. I used to lock myself into the bathroom and howl with laughter!

@Edward Blanco
Thank you for your comment, Edward. I like your idea that we need some form to get together in meaningful ways. That means that form creates meaning. In that case it’s important to check what kind of meaning a particular form creates.