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…

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…

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…

Returning to Keizan’s Denkoroku and its transmission cases through the ancestral lineage, Tesshin Roshi took up the thirty-first patriarch—and fourth Chinese ancestor—Dōshin. Roshi shared the case: The thirty-first patriarch, Dōshin, made prostrations to the great master Kanchi Sosan and said, “With your compassion, please show me the dharma gate of liberation.” Sosan said, “Who…

This week, Tesshin Roshi shared mochi from the oldest Japanese confectionery in the United States, and offered a report on his recent trip to Los Angeles. He had just returned from the annual gathering of the American Zen Teachers Association, held at Zenshuji Soto Mission—the first Soto Zen temple established in North America. Roshi…

In his talk this week, Tesshin Roshi noted that we are looking at the Denkōroku (Record of Transmission of Light) by Keizan, focusing in this series on the six Chinese patriarchs. Turning today to the third patriarch, Roshi pointed out a similarity among the first three that is reminiscent of our practice, insofar as…

Tesshin Roshi thought it would be “fun” to go back to a text we looked at a while ago during the anniversary of Keizan’s passing. There is a lot happening around Keizan, and Keizan is an important ancestor of ours, a student of Dōgen. Around two years ago was in a way the Keizan…

Tesshin Roshi began by mentioning that according to the Jewish calendar, we are in a special month of successive holidays, with the previous Saturday having been Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the new year. Following that is a ten-day period culminating on Sunday night called Yom Kippur, often translated as the Day of Atonement.…

Tesshin began this week by reminding us of the tea and snacks provided to us as a gift from Houn Jeff and expressing continued gratitude. Tesshin then shared the wonderful news that Soshin successfully entered the nunnery in Nagoya this past week. The temple had informed him before her arrival that they were planning…

Our dharma brother Houn Jeff in Japan wanted to express his gratitude to our sangha for the support that we have shown him, not just recently but over the years, so he sent us this gift of tea and snacks. Soshin will be leaving in a couple of days late Monday night, she will…