Ensoji il Cerchio

The entrance of Enso-ji, Milan
A view of the zendo of Sanboji at winter, Parma, Italy
A view of the redential buildings of Sanboji, Berceto, Italy

The zen monastery Enso-ji Il Cerchio (Japanese: 円相寺, Ensō-ji; eng.: "Temple of the Circle") describes a buddhist community and a cultural association acknowledged by the Italian Republic, that refers to Soto Zen Buddhism, founded by the Italian zen master Carlo Zendo Tetsugen Serra (1953-),[1] disciple, between the last 80s and the first 90s of the last century, of the Japanese zen master Ban Tetsugyu Soin (伴鐵牛, 1910-1996) and acknowledged as zen master in his lineage by his direct heir, the current abbot of Tosho-ji (東照寺),Tetsujyo Deguchi. "Il Cerchio Enso-ji" is also member of the Italian Buddhist Union, that collect in a federation the principal buddhist centers in Italy (UBI)[2] and of European Buddhist Union (EBU).[3]

"Il Cerchio" is an expression of the Sangha della Foresta di Bambù (Sangha of the bamboo forest)[4] and, included in a Zen Soto lineage, follows the teachings of Harada Daiun Sogaku (原田祖岳, 1871-1961).[5]

The school of Harada Daiun Sogaku distinguish itself from the method of current Soto tradition that, from the 18th Century, has been based exclusively on the practice of sitting meditation, zazen (坐禅) following the peculiar method known as shikantaza (只管打坐, "simply sitting"). The peculiarity of the Daiun Sogaku was in the adoptation of a frequent and intense use of kōan, question or paradoxical sentences that aim to let go a severe rational approach to the practice, helping him in getting the kensho. Koans are peculiar still today of Rinzai and Obaku Zen Schools.

The sangha of Il Cerchio has seat mainly in two places: the monastery "Ensoji – il Cerchio", founded in Milan, 1988, and in monastery "Sanbo-ji – Tempio dei Tre Gioielli," (三寶寺), founded nearly Berceto, Parma, in 1996.

At Enso-ji is taught the practice of sitting meditation zazen, are shared the koans and zen teachings of the master Carlo Zendo Tetsugen Serra and are organized seminars of eastern disciplines thought as "put in action" of Zen awareness. The most successful of these is the practice of shiatsu massage (指圧), thought as a real way to practice zen as same as zazen.

At Sanbo-ji are held retreats and seminars of meditation and eastern pratics during two, three day or more. Recently, Sanbo-ji hospitates a permanent presence of resident monks, that in the whole year can receive the visit of who would want to approach a monk's daily life to help his daily practice.

An initiative of this western zen association is also the beginning of a lay method got by the mixing of cognitive psychology and zen teachings, indicated with the name of MindfulZen, introduced by the publishing of the essay Zen 2.0, la via della felicità.

Sources

  1. ↑ Cfr. here.
  2. ↑ Cfr. qui.
  3. ↑ Cfr. here.
  4. ↑ Cfr. here, official site of Soto International.
  5. ↑ Massimo Introvigne, Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia. Torino, Elledici, 2001, p.571.

Bibliography

External links