Dokusan: Purpose, Protocol and Privacy
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Purpose
Dokusan (literally, “going alone to see the teacher”) is one of the ways we work the
teaching. You are welcome to raise a question about your practice, report what’s coming
up for you in your life & practice, and/or ask for feedback. If you are doing koan work, it
is the time to present your koan.
Although there is a clear protocol for entering the room and exiting the room, there is no
one right way to do the part in between; it’s something we create together. Remember
that dokusan is usually brief (approx. 3-4 minutes) and to the point. Keep the background
narrative to the minimum necessary to get to the heart of the issue.
Protocol
Below is the process for entering and exiting the dokusan room. In addition, the
timekeeper and/or one of the priests will be in the zendo and give instruction as needed.

There may be times when everyone is asked to attend dokusan (during sesshin, for
example). Generally, however, you may pass on dokusan by putting your hands in
gassho. If the person next in line doesn’t seem to notice or is on the other side of
the room, rub your hands together just loudly enough to get their attention.

If you elect to go to dokusan, when it is your turn to go to the on-deck seat (the
person to your left will either be on the on-deck seat or will pass to you), you will
hear the teacher’s dokusan bell jingling from upstairs and student-dokusan bell
ring twice. Rise from your seat and go directly to the on-deck seat (without doing
any bows, fluffing or brushing cushions).

Sit in the on-deck seat and wait for the teacher’s bell to ring. Quickly respond by
ringing the student bell twice, then get up, walking quietly but directly to the
dokusan room.

Enter the room, close the door, move to the back of the zabuton (square cushion),
gassho and do a standing bow. Then sit down.

If you think the teacher may not know your name, begin by saying your name and
your practice (For example: "My name is Jan and my practice is following the
breath"). Then raise the issue that you came for.

Either the teacher or the student may end the meeting by putting hands in gassho.
The teacher will then ring the bell to end your meeting.

The student then stands, does a standing bow in gassho, opens the door, and
returns directly to their seat in the zendo, without bowing when entering the zendo
or when you reach your seat. Refrain from using the bathroom at this time.
Privacy
At the Nebraska Zen Center, we consider matters discussed in dokusan to be private.
Dosho and Tetsugan share information with each other about students, including what
comes up in dokusan, as necessary.
In addition, there may be circumstances in which it is necessary for us to consult with
other Zen teachers. In such circumstances, we may disclose some information about the
student in the context of such a consultation.
If working with koans, the koan a student is on and all koan responses by either teacher
or student should not be shared outside dokusan.