by SJZC Administrator | Jul 14, 2026
From Sogen Practicing three-breath zazen during the day is a wonderful way to pause and touch in with the wonder of being alive that is always available. Breathing in deeply with wordless awareness in the chest and belly. Breathing out with relaxation, letting go....
by SJZC Administrator | Jun 29, 2026
From Sogen One of the characteristics of the Zen arts is simplicity. A few brush strokes of black ink on white paper. Three brief lines of haiku. A few items in a tea ceremony. All so simply done, with nothing extra added. Simplicity is also a characteristic of our...
by SJZC Administrator | Jun 15, 2026
from Mushin The chants we chant during service articulate the wisdom and inspiration that is available through steady practice. The specific translations are chosen in our lineage to transmit to us the fundamental meaning of this ancient practice. During sesshin, we...
by SJZC Administrator | May 19, 2026
from Mushin Whenever we chant the full lineage during service, we are formally remembering the ancestors who established and maintained these teachings for our benefit. A list of almost one hundred and fifty Buddha ancestors are named. Considering what the term...
by SJZC Administrator | Apr 29, 2026
From Mushin: In a Dharma Hall Discourse, Dogen Zenji asked, “If pure gold is not refined a hundred times, how will it reveal its radiance?” Relating this to Dharma practice, we can regard it as an apt image for continuous practice. To realize and manifest our own...
by SJZC Administrator | Apr 21, 2026
From Mushin: Myriad drops of rain on the roof, a water glass hitting the floor, breeze riffling leaves on the katsura tree outside the zendo window, allthings speak with their own voice. Voices speaking dharma all around. And yet who hears them? In the up-coming...
