Hip Glossary: Zendo

Zendo (Chinese: Chántáng) is a Japanese term translating roughly as "meditation hall". In Zen Buddhism, the zendo is a spiritual dojo where zazen (sitting meditation) is practiced. A full-sized Buddhist temple will typically be divided into at least one zendo as well as a hondo ( literally "base hall", sometimes translated as "Buddha hall"), which is used for ceremonial purposes, and a variety of other buildings with different functions. However, any place where people go to practice zen can be referred to as a zendo.