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(BENDOWA XXXVI) Master Dogen upheld Zazen … not only as one Buddhist Practice among many Buddhist practices … but as … THE Buddhist Practice. I think Dogen can make a good case for his assertion being right. Zazen is what was present when the Buddha held up a flower, and his disciple Mahakasyapa offered a…

(BENDOWA XXXV) We have been looking in recent days at the “Perfections of the Bodhisattva” … one of which is said to be “meditation” (along with practicing charity, keeping the Precepts etc.). “So“, the questioner asks, “since all Buddhists traditionally practice ‘concentration’ and ‘meditation’ as just one of many important practices, why so do you,…

Last time, in our discussion of the Ten Pure Virtues or “Perfections” (Paramitas) of the Bodhisattva path … we talked about “Patience” … … and today we will talk about the Perfection of Effort and Diligence (Virya Paramita). All the perfections go hand-in-hand, each supporting and nurturing the others. Each is part of the Bodhisattva’s…

Ten Pure Virtues or “Perfections” (Paramitas in Sanskrit) are fundamental to the Bodhisattva path. Today, we will discuss the Perfection of Patience  (Kshanti Paramita) If the video does not work today … please consider it a perfect chance to put this Perfection into Practice! (remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time…

Please join our SPECIAL ZAZENKAI in honor and memory of someone who was my friend and informally my ‘teacher’ of many years, Rev. Jiho Sargent, who left this little world this week. Our sitting today, as were Jiho’s Sunday Zazenkais in Japan, will be of 2-hours, on the following schedule, and has been recorded in…

We welcome back a very special guest teacher today … … a true rock star, one of the original ‘Rolling Stones’ (and before anyone asks … No, I am not ‘stoned’) As the sound is not very clear at points, here’s a list of some of my questions to Master Stone … – What is…

. Someone wrote our Treeleaf Forum to comment … I personally feel that there’s a wall between me and organized zenbecause organized zen is either Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, orChinese, and I am none of those. I’m just a guy in L.A. who presentlyfeels that all the cultural ornaments hanging from the zen tree arekeeping me…

Rev. Jiho Sargent has left this little world. A Soto priest, a friend, guide, mother and tough as nailsvoice of reason and common sense for many people from around the world who sat Zazen with her in Tokyo over many years. I consider her informally one of my guiding teachers, a great inspiration for the…

Ten Pure Virtues or “Perfections” (Paramitas in Sanskrit) are fundamental to the Bodhisattva path. Today, we will discuss the Perfection of an ethical life, in keeping with the Precepts  (Shila Paramita)  (remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended) To subscribe to “Treeleaf Zen” click…

FOR TECHNICAL REASONS, TODAY’S ‘LIVE’ ZAZEN IS … PRE-RECORDED! 🙂 Please join our weekly “Live from Treeleaf” Zazenkai meditation … We start with 3 floor prostrations (or deep Gassho), then chant the Heart Sutra in ENGLISH (see below), then sit about 40 minutes of Zazen, then 10 minutes of Kinhin, closing with the chants of…
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