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.

From zazen on Wikipedia

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Title Speaker

Wednesday Lecture

Concentration, Suzuki Roshi, Subject-and-Object, Mindfulness, Describe, Zendo,...
May 23 2001
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Ceremony, Freedom, Intimacy, Impermanence, Mill Valley, Separation, Instruction,...
May 06 2001
Green Gulch

Wednesday Lecture

Practice Period, Instruction, Suzuki Roshi, realization, Buddha Ancestors, Delusion,...
Feb 28 2001
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Posture, Balance, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Intuition, Gratitude, Instruction, Lay, Karma...
Dec 17 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Ceremony, Attachment, Dragons, Commitment, Letting Go, Zazen, Big Mind, Greed, Suzuki...
Nov 26 2000
Green Gulch

Tenzo Kyokun Class

Emptiness, Dragons, Intimacy, Dharma Transmission, Zazen, Hindrances, Impermanence,...
Nov 21 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Gratitude, Balance, Zazen, Cultivation, zen meditation, Priest, Conversation,...
Nov 12 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Suzuki Roshi, Conversation, Doubt, Don't Know Mind, Religion, Faith, Letting Go...
Oct 08 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Monastic Practice, Zazen, Religion, Commitment, Big Mind, Buddha Ancestors, Soto Zen...
Aug 20 2000
Green Gulch

Wednesday Lecture

Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Ordination, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Liberation, Zazen...
May 03 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Freedom, resistance, Evil, Zendo, Priest, Emotions, Hate, Zazen, Doubt, Faith...
Apr 23 2000
Green Gulch

Sesshin Lecture

Suzuki Roshi, Practice Period, Zazen, Monkey Mind, Chanting, Tassajara, uchiyama,...
Apr 10 2000
Green Gulch

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03654

Monday Class

Zazen, Instruction, Soto Zen, Posture, realization, Dragons, Lineage, Suzuki Roshi,...
Mar 27 2000
Green Gulch

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03655

Monday Class

Posture, Monkey Mind, Suzuki Roshi, true dharma, Zazen, Branching Streams,...
Mar 20 2000
Green Gulch

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03656

Monday Class

Posture, Zazen, Monastic Practice, realization, true dharma, Lineage, confusion, Don...
Mar 13 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Letting Go, Ceremony, Freedom, Zazen, Bodhidharma, Interview, Mindfulness, Silence,...
Mar 05 2000
Green Gulch

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03517

Monday Class

Hsin Hsin Ming, Buddha Nature, confusion, Platform Sutra, realization, Bodhisattva...
Feb 28 2000
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Ceremony, Instruction, Letting Go, Practice Period, Delusion, Zazen, Family Practice...
Feb 20 2000
Green Gulch

December 7th, 1999, Serial No. 03951

Letting Go, Emptiness, Zazen, Mindfulness, Karma, Faith, soto, Chanting, Lineage,...
Dec 07 1999
City Center

One-day Sitting Lecture

Faith, Buddha Nature, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Ceremony, Non-duality, Equanimity, Six...
Jul 17 1999
Green Gulch

Father's Day

Serial: SF-03233

Sunday Lecture

Teacher-and-Student, Suzuki Roshi, Samsara, Intimacy, confusion, Daily Life, Giving-...
Jun 20 1999
Green Gulch

Eight Characteristics of Suzuki Roshi's Teaching

Serial: SF-03243

Sunday Lecture

Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Posture, Teacher-and-Student,...
Feb 28 1999
Green Gulch

Eight Characteristics of Suzuki Roshi's Teaching

Serial: SF-03110

Sunday Lecture - Discussion - duplicate

Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Posture, Teacher-and-Student,...
Feb 28 1999
Green Gulch

Eight Characteristics of Suzuki Roshi's Teaching

Serial: SF-03137

Sunday Lecture - first Sunday of practice period

Suzuki Roshi, Impermanence, Commitment, Vows, Lineage, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Faith...
Feb 21 1999
Green Gulch

Eight Characteristics of Suzuki Roshi's Teaching

Serial: SF-03111

Sunday Lecture - Questions and Answers - duplicate

Suzuki Roshi, Impermanence, Commitment, Lineage, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Faith, Zazen...
Feb 21 1999
Green Gulch

About Forms

Serial: SF-01038

Wednesday Lecture #shuso-talk

Zendo, Tassajara, Bowing, Hate, Suzuki Roshi, Priest, Zazen, Enthusiasm, Continuous,...
Feb 03 1999
City Center

To Consider Our Practice Carefully

Serial: SF-00954

Sunday Lecture

Light-and-Darkness, Darkness and Light, Monastic Practice, Letting Go, Practice...
Dec 20 1998
Green Gulch

Rohatsu

Teacher-and-Student, Rumi, Bell, Intimacy, Gratitude, Instruction, Zendo, Emotions,...
Dec 01 1998
City Center

Sunday Lecture

Religion, Priest, Buddha Mind, Vows, Precepts, Zazen, Chanting, Hate, Freedom, soto...
Nov 22 1998
Green Gulch

Events in the World

Serial: SF-03134

Sunday Lecture

Anger, Hate, Peace, Passions, Greed, Samsara, Funeral, Cultivation, Don't Know...
Oct 18 1998
Green Gulch

Saying Yes!

training, Soto Zen, Silent Illumination, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Dharma Transmission,...
Jul 06 1998

May 31st, 1998, Serial No. 03551

Suzuki Roshi, Zazen
May 31 1998
Sati Center

May 31st, 1998, Serial No. 01784

Serial: SF-01784

Statements by Students (Part 2 of 2) and Blanche Hartman

Suzuki Roshi, Lineage, Lay Ordination, Zazen, Dharma Transmission, Bodhisattva Vow,...
May 31 1998
Sati Center

May 30th, 1998, Serial No. 01820

Serial: SF-01820

Gil (Intro)

Suzuki Roshi, Tassajara, Conversation, Zazen, Cultivation, Bowing, Chanting,...
May 30 1998
Sati Center

May 30th, 1998, Serial No. 01819

Serial: SF-01819

Gil Fronsdal Introduction to both speakers

Suzuki Roshi, Priest, Dragons, Silence, Funeral, Lineage, Tassajara, Zazen,...
May 30 1998
Sati Center

One-day Sitting Lecture

Posture, Precepts, Samsara, Ceremony, Zendo, Emotions, Suzuki Roshi, Freedom,...
May 16 1998
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Ceremony, Lineage, resistance, Zazen, Bodhisattva Way...
May 09 1998
Green Gulch

Spring Sesshin

Serial: SF-02728

Thursday

Emptiness, Zazen, uchiyama, Letting Go, Anger, Suzuki Roshi, Instruction
Mar 26 1998
Unknown

Spring Sesshin

Serial: SF-02727

Wednesday

Posture, Subject-and-Object, Vows, Instruction, Zendo, Zazen, Chanting, Observe,...
Mar 25 1998
Unknown

Spring Sesshin

Serial: SF-02724

Monday

Letting Go, Vows, Separation, Repentance, Soto Zen, Zazen, Manjushri, Practice Period...
Mar 23 1998
Unknown

Saturday Lecture

Bodhidharma, Emotions, Instruction, Daily Life, Concentration, Letting Go, Lay,...
Feb 28 1998
City Center

Buddhism at Millennium's Edge - Seminar 2

Serial: SF-03053

Copyright 1998 by Peter Matthiessen - Unedited Preview Cassette

Describe, Interview, Suzuki Roshi, Evil, Heart Sutra, Hate, Liberation, Bell, Zazen,...
1998
Unknown

Turning Toward The Dark

Serial: SF-03641

Sesshin Lecture: The activity is below the ground - the re-enactment of Buddha's enlightenment story

Birth-and-Death, Posture, resistance, Dragons, Book of Serenity, Monastic Practice,...
Dec 01 1997
Green Gulch

Saturday Lecture

Two Truths, Attachment, Non-attachment, Separation, Tassajara, Dana, Suzuki Roshi,...
Oct 25 1997
City Center

One-day Sitting Lecture

Zazen, Bodhisattva Vow, Lay, Letting Go, training, Diversity, Nirvana, Posture,...
Oct 25 1997
Green Gulch

Chao Chou's Four Gates

Serial: SF-03239

Sunday Lecture: case 9 of the Blue Cliff Record: "What is Chao Chou?" "East gate, west gate, south gate, north gate"

Practice Period, Ordinary Mind, Buddha Nature, Blue Cliff Record, Suzuki Roshi,...
Oct 19 1997
Green Gulch

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