In themselves, the forms are indeed empty and many of them are utterly arbitrary, but they are also profound and precious.
A short exploration of Buddhist rituals and objects, the work that they do for the Saṅgha, and the various ways people relate to the religious aspects of communal Buddhist practice.
]]>Together, they offer a rich introduction to the texts of Zen practice and philosophy.
]]>The free, bilateral movement between “not one” and “not two” characterizes Zen’s achievement of a personhood with a third perspective that cannot be confined to either dualism or non-dualism
A lengthy introduction to Zen Buddhist practice and thought in Japan with a particular focus on their view of enlightenment.
]]>Widely read as he was in Western philosophy, one of Nishida’s main concerns was to find possible points of contact between his own heritage and the philosophical background of the modern civilization that was taking shape in Japan during his lifetime.
A comparative analysis of Kitarō Nishida and Dōgen Kigen’s thoughts on space and time and how these concepts are presented throughout their life’s work. The article largely focuses on the thought of Nishida, a 20th-century Japanese philosopher. While it is known that Nishida was greatly influenced by Western philosophy, the author brings Nishida into dialogue with Dōgen, particularly his Being-Time, in an attempt to show that Nishida was firmly rooted in Asian thought.
]]>Dōgen’s calligraphy is a carefully orchestrated performance. That is, it does precisely what it asks its readers to do: it sits calmly, evenly, and at poised attention in a real-world field of objects. The manuscript’s brushstrokes and entire aesthetic layout enact seated meditation.
]]>The Fukanzazengi falls into a completely different genre of Zen writing from the sorts of expressive and creative manifestations, much-favored in museum exhibitions, in which dynamic interpretation is paramount. Instead, the Fukanzazengi is a pedagogical and didactic guide in which legibility is crucial, the function being to teach adherents, clearly and methodically, how to do seated meditation. In support of this assertion, I offer an extended visual analysis of the performativity of the manuscript’s calm and measured calligraphy.
The deep silence that is underneath all things is always present, always available.
]]>… for all of its rhetoric about not relying on words and letters and functioning compassionately as a politically detached, iconoclastic religion, Zen has generally failed to criticize ideologies–and specific social and political conditions–that stand in tension with core Buddhist values.
]]>Yet a close examination of Zen theory and praxis indicates that the tradition does possess resources for resisting dominant ideologies and engaging in critique.
Was Baker’s commitment to Zen practice much greater than a number of other of Suzuki’s close, very committed senior disciples? Or was it that Baker, in addition to his commitment to Zen, was more committed to institutional growth than the others, and importantly, was the only disciple who possessed the necessary skills and qualities to achieve the growth that Suzuki desired?
The recent and (relatively) well-documented passing of the SF Zen Center from Suzuki Roshi to his American student Dick Baker offers a fascinating and rare glimpse into the inner dynamics of a “Dharma Transmission” and the social role it plays in Mahayana institutions.
]]>Although this is a matter of preparing and serving meals, the tenzo is not just “the cook.”
A beautiful and classic (13th century) essay on the Zen of running the monastery kitchen.
An alternate translation by Griffith Foulk can be found on The Zen Site.
]]>All aspects of our practice—zazen in the monks’ hall, chanting of verses and sutras during services, ceremonies in the Dharma hall—and all our other activities in daily life are the practice of the bodhisattva vow actualized moment by moment. We chant these verses and sutras as an expression of this interpenetrating reality
]]>All beings by nature are Buddha,
As ice by nature is water.
… among practitioners, Zazen is affectionately known as “just sitting”
A brief introduction to West Coast Zen.
]]>Zen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this
This modern classic of Japanese Buddhism has introduced several generations of Westerners to the simple yet challenging beauty of Zen practice.
]]>