In Zen Buddhism, it is the job of the to run the '' zendo'' according to the rules prescribed by the teacher, and maintain the zendo's schedule. The jikido makes a commitment to run every regularly scheduled sitting and each monthly ''sesshin''. In Sōtō the ''jikido'' is the one person, other than the Teacher, who faces outward in the ''zendo'' instead of facing the wall. This is because the ''jikido''`s practice cannot be simply private or inward, but must always face outward, aware and responsive to what's going on in the ''zendo''. The ''jikido''`s job is not just to facilitate the functioning of the ''zendo'', the ''jikido'' embodies and exemplifies practice as functioning. And that is the functioning of no-self – of the forgotten self – that responds to each thing in turn, performs each function in turn without a thought of right or wrong or ''how am I doing'' or ''how do I look doing it''.

See also