Robert Aitken

Build a Seamless Tomb

On the occasion of Robert Aitken Roshi’s centenary, Maggie Gluek, Roshi asks how each of us can uphold his legacy – the timeless teaching of the Buddha Dharma – in the context of Case 18 of the Blue Cliff Record (National Teacher Chung’s Seamless Tomb). And makes an excursion into the relevance of poetry to our Zen tradition. 2017 Spring sesshin Day 3

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The Four Vows

Robert Aitken Roshi discusses the Four Vows given by students who are taking Jukai. He describes what they mean to him, what they mean to the Sangha and what they mean metaphysically. This talk was given in 1985.

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The First Lesson of Zen

Robert Aitken Roshi discusses in this orientation talk the different paths people may take in seeking to put their minds at rest. Some pursue intellectuality, mind control, asceticism or meditation. The middle path does not deny a degree of any of these pursuits, it is the degree to which these means are pursued that can be problematic for the success

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Riley Lee shakuhachi concert

Riley Lee is one of the world’s foremost performers, composers and teachers of the shakuhachi, an end blown bamboo flute. The shakuhachi has been used by some Zen sects as part of their meditative practice, calling it suizen (“blowing meditation”). In the shakuhachi tradition a collection of original pieces of music (“honkyoku”) are passed down from teacher to student in

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