Satori is said to be unexplainable, indescribable, and unintelligible by reason and logic. There are two main lineages of zen buddhism in japan. In addition to zazen, attention to daily life, and intellectual study, rinzai employs the intense examination of koans as an important, perhaps the most important aspect of practice. It will be a laboratory for the continuing process of transmission, translation, and adaptation. The book is ok as a dry introduction to the topic and history of soto zen for someone from the west with little or no knowledge of buddhism, but it is not suitable for a practitioner. If you are coming for the first time you will receive a brief introduction to zazen practice. An introduction to zazen from the sanshin zen community. An introduction to zazen by shohaku okumura goodreads. Both rinzai and soto zen buddhists study koans and practice zazen. It arrived in japan in 1227 upon the teacher dogens return from china. The instructions are simple, but the practice is endlessly subtle. How to meditate beginners introduction to zazen youtube.
Try to establish a calm, long, and deep natural rhythm. The aim of zazen is just sitting, that is, suspending all judgmental thinking and letting words. The first video in zenwest buddhist societys orientation to zen buddhist practice online course. At the heart of zen practice is zazen, seated meditation. Zen introduction to zen practice full version taigen.
Jissoji zen ann arbor soto zen practice in ann arbor in. Zen in daily life zazenyojinki points to watch in zazen. The series is intended to give readers a comprehensive, but brief, introduction to a topic. Soto emphasizes zazen, or sitting meditation, as the means to attain enlightenment.
The scholarly answer to that question is that zen is a school of mahayana buddhism that emerged in china about 15 centuries ago. Clear, stepbystep meditation instruction, as practiced at the hazy moon zen. Instruction on posture and technique for zen meditation practice zazen. The program begins with an orientation late friday afternoon. Instruction will also cover kinhin walking meditation and an introduction to zendo the meditation hall etiquette. A translation of dogens shobogenzo zuimonki is a very misleading title. Introduction to zazen just sitting the practice of just sitting, also known as mindfulness meditation or by its japanese name, zazen or zuochan in chinese, is the central practice method utilized in pragmatic buddhism.
Keizan, the founder of sojiji wrote this manuscript, while he was staying at yokoji, a temple in ishikawa prefecture. Zazenyojinki points to watch in zazen written by zen master keizan translated by prof. The difference between rinzai and soto zen sanpai japan. This past week i had the opportunity to attempt zazen meditation at both a rinzaizen school and a sotozen school. At the heart of zen is the meditation practice called zazen, meaning just sitting. How could it be contingent on practice and realization. Welcome to the london soto zen groups website the site for azi affiliated groups in london uk. However, the initial introduction to zen meditation or zazen lesson is about the same no matter whether the teacher is soto or rinzai. This slim book is available under its reprinted title soto zen. The introduction covers the basics of zazen zen meditation. Traditional meditation instructions by the founder of soto zen in japan, eihei dogen 12001253, entitled fukanzazengi. It was initially founded in china as the caodong lineage of the chan school of buddhism and was later imported to japan in the thirteenth century by dogen zenji, after which it was called soto zen. Beginning april 26, mzmc will offer our fourpart introduction to zen meditation online via zoom each sunday 11.
Please join us for zazen intro on thursday evenings. Zazen, shikantaza and the soto tradition of dogen by roy melvyn book resume. Soto zen zen evolved from the teachings of the historical buddha who lived 2500 years ago in india. Although our building is temporarily closed, we realize there is a deep need for support right now. An introduction to zazen published by the kyoto sotozen center. Chan is the chinese rendering of the sanskrit word dhyana, which refers to a mind absorbed in meditation. These teachings spread to china some six hundred years later. The practitioner sits on a cushion called a zafu, which itself is usually placed on top of a low, flat mat called a zabuton before taking ones seat, and after rising at the end of the period of zazen, a zen practitioner performs a gassho bow to their seat. This is a collection of historical and contemporary writings on sitting zazen.
A basic soto zen reading list ocean gate zen center. Our perennially popular introduction to zen meditation is now online. The physical practice of zen meditation, or zazen learn religions. To receive beginning instruction in zazen at the monastery, come to the sunday morning program or wednesday evening zazen. London zen groups meet regularly to practise zazen the core practice in the soto zen tradition. Our zazen zen meditation is held at lotus center in ann arbor online via zoom jissoji zen ann arbor follows a japanese soto zen lineage, the american practices originate in the san francisco zen center. Peace house, paradise street, oxford, ox1 1ld wednesday 7 pm friday 7 am. During zazen, breathe quietly through the nose and keep the mouth closed. Zazen instruction will cover a variety of sitting positions, physical centring, breathing, and concentration.
Our tuesday evening and sunday morning gatherings are times when we support one another by. I introduce the text and the context in which it was written, and talk about how and why dogen recommends zazen seated meditation above all other buddhist practices. This zazen faq is based with modification on the publication shikantaza. Please join us for our introduction to zen weekend program, a unique opportunity to experience rinzai zen buddhist practice in a monastic environment. Both zen and chan are derived from the sanskrit word dhyana which can be translated as meditation or concentration of mind. Soto zen or the soto school, sotoshu is the largest of the three traditional sects of zen in japanese buddhism the others being rinzai and obaku.
Each week, cpb monks, formal students, members and guests join as a community to practice zazen. One school is called rinzai which uses a series of koans as practice tools. Newcomers to the temple are requested to attend one introductory session before joining the community for regular zazen practice or many of our other scheduled events. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Zazen, or seated meditation, is the core practice of zen. If you ever study formally in one of those schools, this distinction will be very important. Zen breathing cannot be compared with any other, and it is a fundamental part of the zazen practice. Essays in zen buddhist ethics by robert aitken roshi. Please arrive 15 minutes before the schedule starts. Soto zen as a new style of living soto zen buddhism in north. In our little book published by the soto zen buddhism international center, soto zen introduction to zazen 2002, they write this kind of zazen practice teaches us to sit upright wherever we are. Clouds in water zen center 445 farrington street st. It is the japanese line of the chinese caodong school, which was founded during the tang dynasty by dongshan lianjie.
Zen meditation instruction how to meditate zenlightenment. This book has many sections in it from eihei dogens writings, such as from the shobogenzo, as well as sayings about zen from kodo sawaki. Zen master dogen wrote bendowa in 1231 to introduce his japanese students to soto zen. It is put together by okumura roshi, a great zen master, and translator and student of kosho uchiyama.
In the soto school of zen, zazen, or sitting meditation, is the core of the practice. Introduction to zen buddhism with roshi pat enkyo ohara tricycle. The correct breathing can only be achieved through the right posture. The central message, that sitting is the essential practice of. Since the differences between these two schools is highly debated, i will explain only what i, an englishspeaking foreigner, could plainly see as the differences. To realize the self that is living right now, right here, it would be possible through zazen. It lacks the necessary spark or vitality of many other books on soto zen.
Jissoji zen ann arbor is a zen meditation group in the tradition of shunryu suzuki of zen mind, beginners mind. Zazen is considered the heart of japanese soto zen buddhist practice. The instructions for zazen direct the disciple to sit in a quiet room, breathing rhythmically and easily, with legs fully or half crossed, spine and head erect, hands folded one palm above the other, and eyes open. Soto buddhism chinese, tsaotung is a zen sect that was transmitted from china to japan. Zazen and buddhism the word zazen is made up of the japanese words za, to sit, and zen. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The zazen of soto zen school is shikantaza, which is to sit singlemindedly. Throughout the weekend we focus intensively on the central elements of zen practicezazen seated meditation with attention to posture and breath, chanting, jihatsu. Satori, chinese wu, in zen buddhism of japan, the inner, intuitive experience of enlightenment.
Sometimes our mind is calm and sometimes our mind is busy. In zen temples and monasteries, practitioners traditionally sit zazen as a group in a meditation hall, usually referred to as the zendo. If you want to understand zen and how to practice zazen, this beautiful small book is unmatched. The word zen comes from the word chan in china, and before that, the word dhyana, meaning absorption or meditation, in india. Zen is a school of mahayana buddhism that was refined in china as chan. The essence of the soto zen school was transmitted from china in the th century by eihei dogen zenji. Zazen is a japanese form of meditation wherein the idea is to sit and let all thoughts, images, memories etc pass through your mind and simply watch them without getting involved in them. Various forms of sitting meditation existed before the birth of gautama buddha. The upright open posture of zazen, which can be done on a cushion, a bench, or in a chair, fosters both concentrated stillness and insight. Zazen practice a guideline for beginners zen guide. I remember i bought this book at a soto zen center bookstore the second time i visited, hoping to understand the soto zen tradition and learn more about who dogen was and how to do zazen.
The word zen comes from the chinese word chan which in turn is a transliteration of the sanskrit word dhyana meaning meditation. Zen questions begins by exploring the world of zazen,the foundational practice of the zen schoolpresenting it as an attitude of sustained inquiry that offers us an entryway into true repose and joy. The initial phase of zazen involves counting or watching th. All of our weekend retreats, including the introduction to zen training weekend, also include beginning instruction for newcomers zazen, a form of seated meditation, is at the very heart of zen practice. It emphasizes shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. Rinzai zen is associated with formal koan contemplation, whereas the soto meditation practice is called shikantaza just sitting. Masunaga reiho, chapter 8, layman buddhist society press, 1958. Learn the basics of zen meditation in less than five minutes. The mzmc primer series is composed of short overviews of topics of interest in soto zen buddhism and in buddhism more generally. A comprehensive resource for zen and buddhism practitioners.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The tenpyozan project is envisioned as a place for students of all the various lineages of soto zen to come together to practice. Now, we think its time to practice zazen, in the present world situation. Both share a disregard for the original vinaya rules for monks and a focus on sitting meditation zazen.
An introduction video of how to practice zazen has been released. The project is supported by zen teachers and practitioners from around the world. Orientation to zen 01 zazen zen meditation youtube. Note also that the first thursday of every month there will be an introduction to zen and zen practice at 7. Zen introduction to zen practice full version taigen shodo harada roshi. It is comparable to the experience undergone by gautama buddha when he sat under. A soto zen priest, she received ordination from maezumi roshi and dharma transmission from roshi. Zen in london soto zen buddhist meditation groups in. Zen is the japanese version of chinese chan buddhism. However, the initial introduction to zen meditation or zazen lesson is about the same no matter whether the teacher. The soto zen buddhist tradition emphasises the practice of zazen.
Introduction viii foreword xiii 1 the coming world culture 3 2 the basic thought of buddhism 11 3 the origin and development of zen 20 4 zen and oriental culture 35 5 the basic meaning of st zen 45 6 the true spirit of the two ancestors 57 7 the key to the doctrines of the st school and to the pacification of the mind 72. From there, leighton draws deeply on his own experience as a. In the formal sense, koans are cases of lifechanging encounters between zen masters. A guide to zen training with a thorough introduction to zazen.