Zazen Notes

I would say that nobody really teaches the practice that is the heart of the Soto school; mostly, they just stagger around mumbling “I encourage you to practice zazen wholeheartedly” to the walls.

That is probably why the teachers who brought the teaching West had to be impressive. They had a mouthful of marbles, and could not express ...  read more

“Zen in everyday life is keeping the precepts”- I think a lot of Zen teachers are on board with that, I think Reb Anderson’s “Warm Smiles from Cold Mountain” is about that in the context of Richard Baker’s departure from SF Zen Center.

Some would say that the precepts have more to do with zazen than the revelation ...  read more

Here’s one from Kodo Sawaki:

The basis of all actions is to follow through to the end. If your mind is absent even just for a moment, you’re no different from a corpse.

(Antaiji: Kodo Sawaki- “To You”, 34)

That might sound like there’s something to be done apart from waking up and falling asleep; Sawaki goes on to say:

“It’s ...  read more