Zen & Chan
Not by Ourselves
Shikantaza demands our full self-expression, says Tenshin Reb Anderson, and this can only be realized when we meet intimately with others.
Are There Any Who Are Not Beginners?
Teachings by Master Dogen from Beyond Thinking: A Guide to Buddhist Meditation, a collection of translations edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi.
Remembering Hozan Kushiki Alan Senauke (1947-2024)
Senauke was a musician, writer, and a major contributor to the Buddhist world, as Berkeley Zen Center abbot and through his work with Buddhist Peace Fellowship, the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, and the Clear View Project, focused on affecting social change in Asia.
Quick! Who Can Save This Cat?
Zoketsu Norman Fischer's commentary on Mumonkan Case 14: Nanchuan's Cat.
The Lamp of Zazen
The point of zazen, says Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, is to live each moment in complete combustion, like a clean-burning kerosene lamp.
Maezumi’s Three Teachings
Three teachings on meditation passed on from Maezumi Roshi to Karen Maezen Miller.
Venerating Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva by Engaging the World
According to An Tran, reciting the Twelve Aspiration Prayers of Avalokitesvara encourages us to engage with the world as part of our practice, so that we may become instruments of the buddhas of this world, helping ease the suffering of beings and our environment.
Ethics, Meditation, and Wisdom
Norman Fischer on how <em>sila</em>, <em>samadhi</em>, and <em>prajna</em> work together to give us stability on the Buddhist path to liberation.
How the Three Tenets Help Us Live Wisely
Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on the guiding principles of the Zen Peacemaker Order, and why we all might benefit from putting them to the test.
The Heart of Chan Buddhism
Chan Buddhism is a painstaking practice of learning nothing, says Gilbert Gutierrez. You can’t become enlightened — you can only embody it.
Zen in Vietnam: The Making of a Tradition
A century ago, Buddhists in Vietnam—and in much of Asia—started rewriting their traditions, and in some cases even their history. Alec Soucy explains how what we think we know of Vietnamese Buddhism points to a much more complex reality.
America has Zen all the time. Why, my Teacher, should I meddle?
Teachings and poems by the late Nyogen Senzaki. From Like A Dream, Like a Fantasy: The Zen Writings and Translations of Nyogen Senzaki.
There Is No Teacher of Zen
It’s a paradox, says Hokuto Daniel Diffin. No one can teach you Zen, but you need a teacher to understand that.
Buddhism’s “Five Remembrances” Are Wake-Up Calls for Us All
Perfectly clear, compassionate, and concise, the "Five Remembrances" are Buddhism at its very best. Koun Franz explains.
Our Path Is Limitless and Vast
While women may feel constrained by Buddhist institutions, the dharma itself poses no such limitations, says Joan Sutherland.
The Bodhisattva Attitude
We all have an attitude, says Zen teacher Norman Fischer, our own way of approaching life. You can start to take a bodhisattva’s attitude toward life by practicing generosity and appreciation.
Only Don’t Know
Whatever answers you think you have, says Judy Roitman, you don’t—and in that not knowing, we find the heart of Buddhist practice.
The Koan in the Refrigerator
All he wanted was an egg. Instead Sam Guthrie got a close-up look at his compulsive need for order.
No Teacher of Zen
In Zen, wisdom comes from personal experience. Everyone is a student – even the teachers.
The Key to Zen
Zen teachings by Sekkei Harada Roshi
Just Wholeheartedly Sit
A translation of Dogen’s Bendowa fascicle, from Kazuaki Tanahashi’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.
Being in Real Time
The late Dainin Katagiri Roshi explores Dogen’s concept of Being-Time and how to work with it our daily lives.