Chao Chou’s “Oak Tree in the Garden” is, like MU, a primary koan, a door that focusses into the world of Zen practice. It emerges as a response to perennial questions: “What is Zen?” “What is the one mind?” It would seem that all the richness of life is right here, back in your own backyard, as the old song put
Subhana gives meditation instructions, an introduction and guided meditation practice on Silent Illumination. Silent Illumination is a both a practice and the direct realisation of mind. It was developed by Chinese Zen master Hongzhi and has its roots in Shamata Vipassana practice of early Buddhism. It was later called Shikantaza in Japanese Zen &/or Just Sitting. This teisho was given by Subhana Barzaghi
The Dharma talk explores the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows and how they have their roots in the Four Noble Truths and hence the four great related tasks in walking the path of liberation from suffering. What does it mean to live by and embody these aspirational vows and noble intentions for the benefit of all being. This teisho was given by
It is as though a water buffalois passing through a lattice window.Its head, horns and four legs have all gone through. Why can’t its tail go through? Case 16 Wu’Men Kuan Koans can truly ring like the theatre of the absurd. Their playful logic challenges us. And vast dimensions revealed in practice resolve in the homely and concrete. This teisho
This phrase, “Snow in a silver bowl”, comes down to us via an interesting succession of teachings that begins with a most likely mythical Zen lineage history. Once a monk asked Ba-ling, “What is the Deva sect?” Ba-ling said, “Snow in a silver bowl”. Peter explores this short but nevertheless deep koan through many of the Zen characters that helped
This talk by Jane Andino deals with the question presented in many koans: ‘What is Buddha?’ What does it mean to be awake? What does it mean, in the words of Yuanwu’s pointer to Case 7 of the Blue Cliff Record, to ‘have personally heard the single word before sound?’ This teisho was given at the SZC Winter Sesshin 2022
Peter Bursky weaves his own discovery of Dogen’s Mountains and Waters Sutra into a wander through the opening paragraph of this beautiful and poetic text. Mountains and waters encompass much of what the form of Zen practice, art and language is, and it’s like this because they are the form of who we truly are. Offering us refuge, protection and
This beautiful piece of music was played on guitar at Jane Andino’s transmission ceremony in June 2022, by her husband Ricardo. The title of the piece, La Negra Noche, literally means ‘the black night’ but Ricardo translates it as ‘The dark night’which resonates more with the spiritual. Composer: Emilio UrangaGuitarist: Ricardo Andino
Peter Bursky explores ‘Qinglin’s Poisonous Snake’, Case 59 of the Book Of Serenity In this talk we meet a couple snakes on the road in the form of a monk and Ch’ing-lin Shih-ch’ien. Their dialogue explores the shape shifting nature our practice takes when we embody the endless dance of form and emptiness. Knowing that everything is empty is fine, but unless
Jane Andino begins with Case 36 of the Blue Cliff Record where Ch’ang-sha goes on a picnic. Other themes are the Buddha’s awakening, authentic practice, and our Zen tradition that flows and evolves. This talk was given on day 4 of the SZC Rohatsu sesshin 2021
