Zazen Talks
Zazen is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition.
The generalized Japanese term for meditation is 瞑想 (meisō); however, zazen has been used informally to include all forms of seated Buddhist meditation. The term zuòchán can be found in early Chinese Buddhist sources, such as the Dhyāna sutras. For example, the famous translator Kumārajīva (344–413) translated a work termed Zuòchán sān mēi jīng (A Manual on the Samādhi of Sitting Meditation) and the Chinese Tiantai master Zhiyi (538–597 CE) wrote some very influential works on sitting meditation.
The meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it is a quiet type of Buddhist meditation done in a sitting posture like the lotus position. The practice can be done with various methods, such as following the breath (anapanasati), mentally repeating a phrase (which could be a koan, a mantra, a huatou or nianfo) and a kind of open monitoring in which one is aware of whatever comes to our attention (sometimes called shikantaza or silent illumination). Repeating a huatou, a short meditation phrase, is a common method in Chinese Chan and Korean Seon. Meanwhile, nianfo, the practice of silently reciting the Buddha Amitabha's name, is common in the traditions influenced by Pure Land practice, and was also taught by Chan masters like Zongmi.
In the Japanese Buddhist Rinzai school, zazen is usually combined with the study of koans. The Japanese Sōtō school makes less or no use of koans, preferring an approach known as shikantaza where the mind has no object at all.
Title | Speaker | |
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Sunday Lecture Ceremony, Attachment, Dragons, Commitment, Letting Go, Zazen, Big Mind, Greed, Suzuki... |
Nov 26 2000 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Posture, Balance, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Intuition, Gratitude, Instruction, Lay, Karma... |
Dec 17 2000 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Practice Period, Instruction, Suzuki Roshi, realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion,... |
Feb 28 2001 Green Gulch |
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Sunday Lecture Ceremony, Freedom, Intimacy, Impermanence, Mill Valley, Separation, Instruction,... |
May 06 2001 Green Gulch |
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Wednesday Lecture Concentration, Suzuki Roshi, Subject-and-Object, Mindfulness, Describe, Zendo,... |
May 23 2001 Green Gulch |
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December 8th, 2001, Serial No. 03938 Ego, Hindrances, Don't Know Mind, Daily Life, Zazen, Vows, Doubt, Emptiness,... |
Dec 08 2001 City Center |
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January 19th, 2002, Serial No. 01112 Bodhisattva Vow, Vows, Emptiness, Cultivation, Nirvana, Heart Sutra, Zazen, Freedom,... |
Jan 19 2002 City Center |
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January 26th, 2002, Serial No. 04072 Heart Sutra, Posture, Avalokiteshvara, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, training, Dragons,... |
Jan 26 2002 City Center |
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VasubandhuSerial: SF-04018 Summer intensive Delusion, Letting Go, Emptiness, Zazen, Separation, New Year, Karma, Discrimination,... |
Jul 22 2002 City Center |
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VasubandhuSerial: SF-04013 Summer intensive Demons, Hindrances, Delusion, Anger, Letting Go, Zazen, Doubt, Separation, Happiness... |
Aug 01 2002 City Center |
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August 10th, 2002, Serial No. 04012 Instruction, Buddha Nature, Separation, Oneness, Nirvana Sutra, realization, Birth-... |
Aug 10 2002 City Center |
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Posture Posture, Instruction, Branching Streams, Zendo, Zazen, soto, Birth-and-Death, Suzuki... |
Sep 14 2002 Unknown |
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2002.10.19-serial.00059 Suzuki Roshi, Buddha Nature, Zazen, Manjushri, Practice Period, Buddha Ancestors,... |
Oct 19 2002 City Center |
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The Process of Peace Peace, Freedom, Attachment, Five Ranks, Zazen, Delusion, Offering, Zendo, Karma,... |
Oct 26 2002 City Center |
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November 6th, 2002, Serial No. 01064 Obstacles, Four Noble Truths, Tassajara, Suzuki Roshi, Big Mind, Teacher-and-Student... |
Nov 06 2002 City Center |
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Not Always So Class Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Suzuki Roshi, Describe, realization,... |
Nov 18 2002 Tassajara |
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December 9th, 2002, Serial No. 00978 Buddha Nature, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Ceremony, Zendo, Ordinary Mind, Bell, Emptiness,... |
Dec 09 2002 City Center |
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Zendo Lecture Bodhidharma, Ego, Repentance, Zazen, Hate, Practice Period, Faith, Karma, Delusion,... |
Mar 11 2003 Tassajara |
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Sunday LectureSerial: SF-04083 Anti-war activities. Suzuki Roshi's response to Lew's question "What is war?" Wrinkles on goza mat. Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Peace, Samadhi, Manjushri, Oneness, Beginners, Samsara,... |
Mar 23 2003 Green Gulch |
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Dogen - Being Familiar With The Entire BodySerial: SF-00039 Sunday talk. realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion, Precepts, true dharma, Lotus Sutra, Oneness... |
May 18 2003 |
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October 11th, 2003, Serial No. 00976 Mindfulness, Suzuki Roshi, Impermanence, Practice Period, Intimacy, Priest, Zazen,... |
Oct 11 2003 City Center |
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Dogen Class: Miracles Zazen, Intimacy, Lineage, Dream World, Lotus Sutra, Teacher-and-Student, Don't... |
Nov 17 2003 Green Gulch |
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February 14th, 2004, Serial No. 00979 Intimacy, Practice Period, Zendo, Zazen, Beginners, Birth-and-Death, Passions, Anger... |
Feb 14 2004 City Center |
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March 17th, 2004, Serial No. 01108 Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Suzuki Roshi, Practice Period, Delusion, Karma, Zazen, Heart... |
Mar 17 2004 City Center |
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March 27th, 2004, Serial No. 04102 Practice Period, Zazen, Instruction, Zendo, Beginners, Impermanence, Suzuki Roshi,... |
Mar 27 2004 City Center |
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April 18th, 2004, Serial No. 01045 Passions, Buddha Nature, Four Noble Truths, Addiction, Suzuki Roshi, Ego, Zazen,... |
Apr 18 2004 Tassajara |
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Dining Room LectureSerial: SF-01927 Evening talk realization, Zendo, Beginners, Teacher-and-Student, Dragons, Practice Period, Suzuki... |
May 01 2004 Tassajara |
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Sunday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Vows, Bodhisattva Vow, Monastic Practice, Priest, Patience, Birth-and-... |
May 09 2004 Green Gulch |
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May 30th, 2004, Serial No. 01043 Passions, Ceremony, Ego, Intuition, Zazen, Buddha Nature, Skandas, Delusion,... |
May 30 2004 Tassajara |
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June 8th, 2004, Serial No. 01928 Tassajara, Suzuki Roshi, Balance, Karma, Hate, Zazen, Vows, Priest, Ceremony,... |
Jun 08 2004 Tassajara |
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June 9th, 2004, Serial No. 04081 Tassajara, Suzuki Roshi, Monastic Practice, Zazen, Posture, Sixth Patriarch, Practice... |
Jun 09 2004 Unknown |
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Hsin Hsin MingSerial: SF-01901 Zendo Lecture Faith, Don't Know Mind, Equanimity, Emptiness, Perfect Wisdom, Beginners,... |
Jun 18 2004 Tassajara |
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Which Is The Real Seijo?Serial: SF-00967 One-day sitting lecture: when our "soul is split", what is true? Just sitting in the midst of samsara. Letting Go, Four Noble Truths, Suzuki Roshi, Big Mind, Subject-and-Object, Buddha... |
Jun 19 2004 Green Gulch |
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Flop DogSerial: SF-01103 One-day sitting lecture: not accomplishing anything. Suzuki Roshi, Study Period, Zazen, resistance, Nirvana, uchiyama, Letting Go, Posture... |
Jul 17 2004 Green Gulch |
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August 4th, 2004, Serial No. 03489 Birth-and-Death, Daily Life, Monastic Practice, Continuous, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen,... |
Aug 04 2004 Tassajara |
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Lotus Sutra ClassSerial: SF-03549 Dining Room Class Lotus Sutra, Ceremony, Perfect Wisdom, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Zazen, Practice Period... |
Nov 03 2004 Tassajara |
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Shuso TalkSerial: SF-01098 #shuso-talk Book of Serenity, Diversity, Practice Period, Happiness, Tassajara, Ordination, Karma... |
Nov 10 2004 Green Gulch |
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Shuso TalkSerial: SF-01900 #shuso-talk Lotus Sutra, Birth-and-Death, Nirvana, Bodhisattva Way, Practice Period, Buddha Mind... |
Dec 01 2004 Tassajara |
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The Art of Zen: True ConcentrationSerial: SF-03666 Sesshin 1 Day 1 Concentration, Freedom, resistance, Zazen, Big Mind, Harmonizing, Duality,... |
Jan 25 2005 Tassajara |
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February 19th, 2005, Serial No. 01010 Suzuki Roshi, practicing generosity, Commitment, Practice Period, Koan, Letting Go,... |
Feb 19 2005 Unknown |
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Sesshin LectureSerial: SF-01929 Sesshin 2 Day 4 Karma, Funeral, Tassajara, Global Warming, Practice Period, Echo, Chanting, Bell, Don... |
Feb 23 2005 Tassajara |