Tesshin Roshi continued the series on the six Chinese patriarchs in the Denkoroku, the collection compiled by Keizan Zenji recording the transmission between masters and disciples. Huineng is the thirty-third ancestor in the lineage and the sixth and final Chinese patriarch. Numerous foundational Zen teachings stem from Huineng, not least of which is the Platform…

Tesshin Roshi continued his series on the Zen ancestors by discussing the Fifth Chinese Patriarch, Daiman Konin, a pivotal teacher in the Zen tradition. Roshi noted that while accounts from sixth- and seventh-century China blend historical fact with legend, the koans preserve the essential Dharma teachings that remain the focus of practice. Roshi presented the…

Following a six-week training period at Aichi Senmon Niso-do Shoboji in Nagoya, Japan, Soshin returned to share her experiences under the guidance of Tesshin Roshi. Preparing for the Monastery Before departing, Soshin prepared by reading Paula Arai’s Women Living Zen and consulting with two women who had previously trained at the nunnery. Each had described…