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Úvod do zenovej praxe: Prečo spievame a ako na to?
Introduction to Zen practice: Why do we sing and how to do it?
Event by: Kwan Um Zen Slovakia, KWAN UM ZEN Košice
Location: Dobrá Čajovňa, Mäsiarska 42, Staré Mesto
Talks & discussions, Health & wellness
Topics: Meditation
About event
📅 April 8 (Wednesday) | 19:00 – 20:30
📍 Good tea house - attic, Košice
💸 Free entry | Output voluntary
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The practice of chanting mantras and sutras is considered one of the most effective for quieting and clearing the mind. But for many it is also one of the biggest obstacles.
"I can't sing." — evaluating mind
"I don't feel natural about it." — a mind seeking an escape into comfort
"I don't understand what I'm singing." — hunger for constant intellectual analysis
This evening is for those who ask — why we chant sutras and mantras at all, what is happening and how to do it correctly. And also for those who have been chanting for years but have never asked.
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Why is chanting one of the most powerful forms of practice?
It is no coincidence that chanting has survived in every living spiritual tradition—despite vast differences in culture, language, and philosophy.
Because chanting does something that silent meditation hardly does—it touches the body. directly. The breath slows down and deepens. The vibration of the voice resonates in the chest, in the head, in the space around us. Thoughts cannot go anywhere — the voice anchors them here and now.
When a group sings together, something else happens: the rhythm unifies. We lose individual fluctuations — someone is tired, someone distracted, someone in a good mood — and the collective energy of the group carries everyone individually. This is precisely why KIDO — which literally means the path of energy — is performed in Korean Zen in combination with sed: an intense alternation of silence and chanting for several hours in a row. Not as a punishment, but as a means of overcoming the superficial layers of the mind.
Historically, chants were a way for learning to be transmitted orally before there were written texts. But their power is not only historical — it is physiological, energetic and collective at the same time.
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What awaits you:
— A short introduction to Zen practice for beginners
— Why KIDO is not just a "musical supplement" to the practice
— The most common blocks when chanting and how to work with them
A short and practical example — let's try something
— Questions and answers with Dharma Master Dušan Silváš
Lecture: Dominik Finik, Dharma Teacher
Questions answered by: Dušan Silváši, Dharma Master
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The evening is also an introduction to the KIDO retreat, which will take place on 17-19. April at the Retreat Center in Slansko Nové Mesto. If you're wondering if this form of practice is for you — come take a look first.
Everyone is welcome — regardless of experience with meditation or Zen.
📍 Good tea house - attic, Košice
💸 Free entry | Output voluntary
---
The practice of chanting mantras and sutras is considered one of the most effective for quieting and clearing the mind. But for many it is also one of the biggest obstacles.
"I can't sing." — evaluating mind
"I don't feel natural about it." — a mind seeking an escape into comfort
"I don't understand what I'm singing." — hunger for constant intellectual analysis
This evening is for those who ask — why we chant sutras and mantras at all, what is happening and how to do it correctly. And also for those who have been chanting for years but have never asked.
---
Why is chanting one of the most powerful forms of practice?
It is no coincidence that chanting has survived in every living spiritual tradition—despite vast differences in culture, language, and philosophy.
Because chanting does something that silent meditation hardly does—it touches the body. directly. The breath slows down and deepens. The vibration of the voice resonates in the chest, in the head, in the space around us. Thoughts cannot go anywhere — the voice anchors them here and now.
When a group sings together, something else happens: the rhythm unifies. We lose individual fluctuations — someone is tired, someone distracted, someone in a good mood — and the collective energy of the group carries everyone individually. This is precisely why KIDO — which literally means the path of energy — is performed in Korean Zen in combination with sed: an intense alternation of silence and chanting for several hours in a row. Not as a punishment, but as a means of overcoming the superficial layers of the mind.
Historically, chants were a way for learning to be transmitted orally before there were written texts. But their power is not only historical — it is physiological, energetic and collective at the same time.
---
What awaits you:
— A short introduction to Zen practice for beginners
— Why KIDO is not just a "musical supplement" to the practice
— The most common blocks when chanting and how to work with them
A short and practical example — let's try something
— Questions and answers with Dharma Master Dušan Silváš
Lecture: Dominik Finik, Dharma Teacher
Questions answered by: Dušan Silváši, Dharma Master
---
The evening is also an introduction to the KIDO retreat, which will take place on 17-19. April at the Retreat Center in Slansko Nové Mesto. If you're wondering if this form of practice is for you — come take a look first.
Everyone is welcome — regardless of experience with meditation or Zen.