Always a tricky question to answer simply, it may be best to remember that Zen is not an "is" so much as it is a "does". The word zen is actually Japanese rendering of the Chinese word chan, which in turn is a Chinese rendering of the Sanskrit dhyana. However you say it, Zen most directly means "meditate"; and in the Soto lineage of Zen, emphasis is placed upon the practice of sitting meditation above all else. It is viewed as the direct expression of enlightenment-- which our founder Dogen Zenji noted is not something one must attain, rather something to be directly expressed through the practice of zazen. In Soto, we face the wall as our ancestor Bodhidharma faced the wall of a cave. Our practice is supported by our posture: Erect spine, soft gaze, hands folded in the Zen mudra, legs solid, and breath continuous in an effortless effort.
What is Zen? The answer is one best experienced directly through one's own practice.
evil on its face
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The silence grows louder every day. Fired federal workers who are
worried about losing their homes ask not to be quoted by name. University
presidents f...
The Last Post
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Over a decade ago, I established this blog to encourage a broader view of
how women participated in the flourishing of Zen Buddhism in T'ang Dynasty
China....
Becoming my own advocate
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I haven’t written in this blog for almost three years, I know. Well, a lot
has happened in that time! But I’ll spare you the details. In these past
few yea...
The Ongoing Opportunity of Aging
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The sandy beach is the ultimate barefoot experience. Once the sun is high
the sand is exquisitely hot. You dance over it to the water's edge, where
the...
Full Contact Enlightenment has moved
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You can now find me over at my new blog – Dharmage Confession #1 – I always
hated the name Full Contact Enlightenment. Confession #2 – I miss blogging.
F...
Coming off the grief ride
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for now when your insides have been shredded you’re extra defensive,
extra distant, extra tender what you allow to touch you, which isn’t a lot,
goes dee...
With Gratitude
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Dear Friends and Readers,
Nine years ago, I became a mother and (as many new mothers discover) came
to blogging as a means to rejoin a community of artists,...
ZEN JOURNAL GUIDES
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*ZEN JOURNAL GUIDES *
*ENTERING THE STREAM*
is a new journal writing tool for students of Zen Buddhism to accompany
meditation practice with help to expl...
Change of venue
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I’ve decided to move house blog-wise, gentle readers. I’ve started another
WordPress blog and will be posting there from now on. I hope that the
hundred or...
Is Buddhism Still Hip?
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Dr. Andrew Skilton, Senior Research Fellow at King's College London, asks "Why
is Buddhism so hip?" And I thought, wow, we're still hip? I thought we had...
A Few Words Left
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First, I want to express my gratitude to all of you who were a part of this
incredible journey. If you'd like to see some more photos, including some
from ...
The Juniper Trees
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I just wrote this poem, called The Juniper Trees, from a hike I took this
evening, where the sun went down while Lilah and I were still on the
mountain, an...
Disappearing acts
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We have been living together for over 13 years, the human animal and the
two balls of fur and tenderness. I would like to say we were there for each
other ...
November 2, 2010
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Yifang, 4:45pm.
Today we broke out of the cities and came out to the country. Went to see
where Moshan Lioran practiced a thousand years ago -- we chant he...
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