Since ATS is not even in the Zen lineage at all, these things might be totally irrelevant to them. So, OK, I’ll call those “koans” too. Baldy, Shozan went by his actual dharma name, Gento. Rinzai Zen was first introduced to the West through the writing of D.T. People love to talk about Zen and read about it, but not many actually want to do it. I don’t know if the audience at Against the Stream will be interested in that stuff. Rather than being guided by trying to “get” or “attain” something, the practitioner is guided by the intention of simply being aware of what is actually occurring in the eternal “present moment.” This type of zazen is called shikantaza, which translates as “just sitting.” In addition to shikantaza zazen, Soto emphasizes what Dogen called genjokoan, the realization that everything we do is an expression of ultimate reality and an opportunity to awaken. What little I know about it comes mostly from Soto Zen teachers denouncing it. In—in America, between Rinzai Zen and Sōtō Zen there—there must be some clear understanding of—of the two, or relationship of the two. I’d love to talk with Shozan tonight about the differences between Rinzai and Soto practice. See more ideas about zen, japanese silk, soto zen. The other difference is that the Rinzai people tend to place a great deal of value on satori, or “enlightenment experiences,” while in Soto Zen they say that sitting zazen is, itself, enlightenment already — even if you don’t notice it. Thank you! The following is an oversimplification of their differences but can serve as an introduction. New River Zen Community (NRZC) [Soto/Rinzai Zen] Contact: Ellen Birx Phone: (540) 605-7560 Email: cbirx@verizon.net Potomac Zen Sangha [Zen] Location: 1423 Powhatan St, Suite #7, Alexandria, VA 22314 Mailing Address: 11955 Governors Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192 Contact: Pohwa Sunim at Potomaczen@yahoo.com . I met Shozan at Mount Baldy Zen Center where he was a monk for a very long time. Hybrid Zen: Rinzai and Soto Merged Yasutani Hakuun (born in 1885) was an unusual Japanese student who became a monk at 11 years of age, was ordained (in Soto Zen) at 13, and attained kensho at 42. There are two main schools of Zen Buddhism flourishing today, Soto and Rinzai, both of which gained their names from the Chinese masters who founded the schools. Suzuki , and Rinzai Zen is being taught and practiced in the Americas, Australia, and Europe. Rinzai, with July 1969. It is recognized that there can be many levels of profundity of such an experience, so it is one which can be accurately evaluated and confirmed only by one who has also “had” this shift, i.e., one’s master. Rinzai Zen lineages 逓代伝法佛祖の名号 Teidai Denpō Busso no Myōgō . This lineage chart displays the lineages of active members of the SZBA as of Sept 18, 2008. We’ve talked a lot about Zen practice. While, in Dogen, Soto Zen had one founder, Rinzai had several. They are expected to demonstrate their answers to these questions in a ritual called sanzen, in which they present their responses to their teacher for their teacher’s evaluation. These were called “koans” too. Meido Moore is having none of this. Check it out! At Mt. This page is for Buddhist/meditation groups and temples in Maryland not near the Washington DC area (mostly in Baltimore). The primary differences between the two schools are in their approaches to realization and their practice methods. But I fear that even saying that much might get me in trouble. Rinzai Zen sucks, but I still need to make a living after I mope the floor with Shozan. Although my book Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate does address some of that stuff. The two schools are not incompatible; their commonalities far outweigh their differences, and some Zen teachers combine both approaches, particularly those within the Harada-Yasutani lineage. RINNOU NET | English Site; japanese; chinese; sitemap; what is Zen ? Both Rinzai and Soto Zen Buddhists study koans and practice Zazen. In the formal sense, koans are cases of life-changing encounters between Zen masters and disciples in ancient China during the “golden age” of Zen. The Rinzai tradition is named for the Chinese Master of the same name in Japanese (Lin-chi, in Chinese), while Soto takes its name from the first two letters of Masters Sozan (Ts’ao-shan Pen-chi) and his teacher, Tozan (Tung-shan Liang-chieh). Shobogenzo translated by Gudo Nishijima & Chodo Cross Vol. Shobogenzo translated by Gudo Nishijima & Chodo Cross Vol. Baltimore Dharma Group 220 Wendover Road,… 1101 L Street NW, Apt. But Sasaki is most famous these days for the high-profile sex scandal he was involved in. The Japanese Soto school was profoundly influenced by Masters Dogen, who brought the tradition from China in the 13th century and wrote about it extensively, and Keizan, who popularized it nearly 100 years later. The Soto tradition does not deny that many people have special experiences of realization but does see the seeking of them to be problematic. I’ve got a new book out now! It was more or less an intellectual approach based on the Rinzai Zen tradition. Judy brings these perspectives in appreciating koan practice (inhabiting a zen story) and group dialogue in interplay with the heart of our practice, zazen. There has always been a rivalry between the two types of Zen in Japan. While the heart of the Soto school is based on the practice of Zazen, the heart of the Rinzai school focuses on the use of koan, a kind of absurd phrase or statement which is given by a teacher to a disciple to trigger Enlightenment. Most teachers require that their students go through a curriculum of koans as part of their training before they are qualified to receive dharma transmission. Shozan’s teacher liked to make up his own questions for students to answer at sanzen. There are a lot of forms of Buddhism, of which Zen Buddhism is just one. Is it cultural appropriation? It’s mostly just one side trash talking the other, while realizing their similarities far outweigh their differences. I’d like to talk about the nature and meaning of “enlightenment.” But I doubt that’s what will happen. There haven’t been any Soto crusades to convert the Rinzais and kill those who refuse to submit. This site is owned and operated by Buddiyskiye Fanaty Kompaniya, Volgograd, Russian Federation, 06. Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! He and I became friends after that. Baldy Zen Center for a retreat a few years ago. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. In any case, I’m looking forward to a lively talk. The differences are in the relative importance in day-to-day practice. But it’s a friendly rivalry. Although Eisai is credited with being the first Japanese Linji lineage holder, he did not establish a surviving Rinzai Zen lineage or a Rinzai Zen school independent from Tendai. If you find a little bit of truth in what I’m saying remember that even a small donation helps. For all the press it gets, Zen Buddhism appears to me to be one of the least popular forms of Buddhism in terms of actual practice. Rinzai, which originated in China, was the first school of Zen to be brought to Japan. It may be helpful to consider that there are two basic definitions of the verb “realize.” One is “to grasp or understand clearly”; the other is “to make real.” Both are valid and each is necessary for a complete understanding of just what “realization” is. They thought that by putting too much emphasis on koans, the students of Rinzai Zen would be distracted by the urge to find an “answer” to the riddles by using mental faculties or the intellect, which, they believed, was opposed to the intuitive nature of Zen. In Rinzai Zen, the question parts of the koans are often assigned to students to meditate upon. Many koans center on a question that seems to be absurd, unanswerable, or both. Shozan writes at length about the Sasaki sex scandal in his book. Our teachers have also practiced and and are informed by various contemporary modalities including Byron Katie’s The Work and Voice Dialogue. Bright Pearl Zen Group of Washington. He was one of the people tasked with cooking food and helping out when my Zen group rented Mt. Bien que l'école Rinzai – également issue d'une branche du zen chinois – ait eu l'appui et la confiance du gouvernement shogunal, de la noblesse et des personnes influentes, l'école Sôtô avait pour fidèles les familles aisées des districts ruraux, ainsi que des gens ordinaires. It’s nothing like the animosity between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The Rinzai Zen Way is a thorough and accessible primer on the history, principles, and practices of authentic Rinzai Zen Buddhism. So I won’t be in a great hurry to talk about the scandal tonight. It also recognized that some shift in one’s understanding is necessary, but that shift need not be dramatic or “special.” Soto holds that what is centrally important is ongoing actualization of realization. Rinzai's "Record" was written by his disciples. You can find some of these commentaries in my new book, It Came from Beyond Zen. To say Rinzai "stresses" koans over Zazen would be inaccurate. It’s also really hard to talk about. Containers That Don’t Hold: Soto and Rinzai Zen March 10, 2009 Dosho Port. Baldy Zen Center, Mt Baldy, CA, November 10-12, 2017 Non-Residential Retreat, Toronto, ON, Canada, November 14, 2017 Lecture, Dawson College, Montreal, QC, Canada. The primary practice of Soto is zazen, but it is a zazen not aimed at accomplishing anything. Morning. 506 Washington, DC 20005 . The two main forms of Zen Buddhism are Soto and Rinzai. There are two major schools of Japanese Zen, called Soto and Rinzai, which originated in China. ↳ Zen ↳ Chan ↳ Seon ↳ Rinzai ↳ Soto ↳ Thien ↳ Pure Land ↳ Jodo Shin Shu ↳ Tendai ↳ Nichiren ↳ Soka Gakkai/SGI ↳ Nichiren Shu ↳ Nichiren Shoshu ↳ Shingon ↳ Sūtra Studies ↳ Academic Discussion; General Dharma ↳ Dharma in Everyday Life ↳ Help Required ↳ Dharma Events “The word Zen has become an inkblot upon which the West projects its myriad notions of peace, relaxation, and personal fulfillment, usually to commercial ends (there’s a Zen Tanning Salon in LA, after all.) I’m interested in talking about this stuff, but maybe not on stage. Rinzai emphasizes the first definition and Soto emphasizes the second, but each school acknowledges the validity of both. Unlike Soto Zen, which is more or less organized under the authority of the Soto Shu organization, Rinzai in Japan is a tradition of informally affiliated temples teaching Hakuin's Rinzai Zen. The Rinzai Line is one of the Five Houses of Zen, best thought of as teaching styles that developed within the Zen school, following a great master. Try Prime The historical development of the Zen School is well documented. The recognition of the true nature of oneself and the universe is the aim of Rinzai Zen—but that experience, known as kensho , is really just the beginning of a life of refining that discovery and putting it into practice in the world. UPCOMING EVENTS (ALL ARE OPEN TO EVERYBODY), October 25, 2017 7:30 pm Battle with Shozan Jack Haubner at Against the Stream, Los Angeles, CA, November 3-5, 2017 Retreat at Mt. I’ve never practiced Rinzai Zen. I trained in Soto Zen, while Shozan trained in Rinzai Zen. The Rinzai tradition is named for the Chinese Master of the same name in Japanese (Lin-chi, in Chinese), while Soto takes its name from the first two letters of Masters Sozan (Ts’ao-shan Pen-chi) and his teacher, Tozan (Tung-shan Liang-chieh). I have a YouTube channel now! Rinzai One of the two main schools of Zen still active in Japan, the other being Sōtō. Rather than being a special event, awakening is seen primarily as an ongoing process, always and constantly occurring here and now, always exactly at the point of the interdependent encounter between “you” and “the universe” as it is experienced in your ever-changing awareness, here and now. It was brought to Japan in the 13th century. Zen Buddhism usually means Japanese Zen, although there is also Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Zen, called Chan, Seon and Thien, respectively. Is it legitimate? What is it now? Recognizing also the The ''Falaise Verte'' Zen Centre is part of the Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism and is located in the Ardeche area in the south of France. One thing that I think may be relevant to all of us is Buddhism in America, or Buddhism in the West in general. Tradition: Soto/Rinzai Zen (202) 722-1511. danbruner@aol.com. 3, 20. Where will it go? 162 were here. Hakuun Yasutani had his first sesshin with Harada Sogaku Roshi in 1954 and, two years later, experienced kensho at the age of 42. This experience is something that is seen, at least initially, as a goal of practice. Every Saturday at 10:00 am there’s zazen at the Angel City Zen Center (NEW PLACE!) Plenty more info is available on the Dogen Sangha Los Angeles website, dsla.info. Dec 30, 2018 - Explore Zen Niche's board "Rakusu" on Pinterest. Shobogenzo translated by Gudo Nishijima & Chodo Cross Vol. This is probably the most crucial and important difference, the one with the most far-reaching implications for practice. Dogen who became a well-respected monk, founded the Zen Soto school with emphasis on shikantaza. Practitioners of Soto Zen believed that Rinzai koans had become a formal technique. The major differences between Soto and Rinzai is that Soto practitioners face the wall while sitting, while Rinzai people face away from the wall; Rinzai people typically sit for periods of 20-25 minutes, while in Soto Zen you usually sit for 30-40 minute periods; and they each use the koan stories differently. Soto Zen Buddhist Association Lineage Chart by Charlie Korin Pokorny. San Francisco. The modern Japanese Rinzai tradition was profoundly influenced by Master Hakuin in the early 1700’s. DON’T BE A JERK is now available as an audiobook from Audible.com as are Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up and There is No God and He is Always With You! Kobun Chino (My 1st Zen Teacher Tim McCarthy's Teacher), 17. 6813 Fifth Street, Washington, DC 20042 . Zen Videos 1, 18. The two main forms of Zen Buddhism are Soto and Rinzai. I’d like to try to dispel some of the wrong assumptions Rinzai people have about Soto practice, and have my own wrong assumptions about Rinzai practice dispelled. I’ve never practiced Rinzai Zen. Sōtō Zen or the Sōtō school (曹洞宗, Sōtō-shū) is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku).It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān Liánjiè.It emphasizes Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. What little I know about it comes mostly from Soto Zen teachers denouncing it. Shozan and I have talked about that too. It is part of the Sanbo Kyodan (Order of the Three Treasures), a lay stream of Soto Zen wthat includes aspects of Rinzai Zen (the two main schools of Japanese Zen). 1407 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90026 Beginners only! Note that many temples near Washington DC (such as Silver Spring MD and Germantown MD) are within an hour drive from Baltimore, so please see our main listing for more. 4, There is No God and He is Always With You. Members in each lineage are displayed in a box (or boxes) in alphabetical order. Stay up to date on my live appearances and more by signing up for our mailing list on the contact page! It reminds me of the fake “wars” that used to erupt between rival radio DJ’s in Ohio. Every Monday at 7:30pm there’s zazen at Angel City Zen Center (NEW TIME, NEW PLACE!) In addition to zazen, attention to daily life, and intellectual study, Rinzai employs the intense examination of koans as an important, perhaps the most important aspect of practice. Your donations are my main means of supporting my teaching. Read Part 1 of this short series for insight into Soto and Rinzai Zen. We are a Soto Zen Buddhist temple. women, Judy learned expressions of Zen, which include Soto and Rinzai practice, and integrate arts, inter-religious dialogue, social justice, and peacebuilding. Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 69-07-00 . I’m doing an on-stage discussion tonight at 7:30 at Against the Stream Hollywood (4300 Melrose Ave.) with Shozan Jack Haubner, author of the books Single White Monk and Zen Confidential. These approaches are consistent with Dogen’s assertions of non-duality, such as “practice is realization” and “zazen itself is satori.” Tony’s teaching approach is within this shikantaza/genjokoan tradition of Soto Zen. It contains his Instead, several other monks would lay the foundations of what would be Japanese Rinzai Zen. Buddhist Group Washington, DC. Still, what else can you call them? 1407 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90026 Beginners only! They were always just publicity stunts intended to boost both stations’ ratings. Hello, Sign in. Hybrid Zen: Rinzai and Soto Merged Yasutani Hakuun (born in 1885) was an unusual Japanese student who became a monk at 11 years of age, … My first teacher studied for a short time with Sasaki, and Sasaki’s book Buddha is the Center of Gravity remains one of my favorites. The Zen Community of Oregon is rooted in our Soto and Rinzai Zen heritage with influences from teachings and practice in various traditions of Buddhism. The most famous of these are, “It is said that everything has Buddha Nature, does even a dog have Buddha Nature?” and “We all know the sound of two hands clapping, what’s the sound of one hand?”. My current book, which I’m also eager to sell tonight, doesn’t have any sex at all in it, sadly. Realization is primarily viewed as an event which one “has,” an event that represents or leads to a radical shift in one’s understanding about who they are and what reality is. Tradition: Zen Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hahn (702) 812-9106. pfquerrero@aol.com. Dae Do Sah of Falls Church [Korean Zen] As for the practice of Soto Zen, it spread in the West from the 1960s, first in the USA then in Europe with the arrival in Paris of Master Taisen Deshimaru in 1967. Masters (So)zan and (To)zan are credited with co-founding the Soto School and Master Rinzai gave his name to the Rinzai school. I’m sure we’ll also have to get into Joshu Sasaki’s sex scandal and sex scandals in Western Buddhism in general. We’ve also talked about his teacher, Joshu Sasaki. In Soto Zen, the koan stores are often discussed or commented upon. Awakening, at least in part, is the experiential “waking up” to that fact and to this ongoing flow of your life, which will consist of both “special” and “ordinary” moments. Koan means “public case.” Most are stories of encounters between Zen practitioners and the often bizarre conversations they have with each other. It’s also nearly impossible to address this subject without getting someone in the audience riled up — especially in light of the current “national conversation” about Harvey Weinstein. Was Hakuin Ekaku (1686 – 1768), the great Japanese revitalizer of Rinzai Zen and the inspiration for much of modern-day kōan introspection, a hater of These on-going events happen every week even if I am away from Los Angeles. The Rinzai tradition holds that the experience of realization (kensho, satori, awakening, enlightenment) is of central importance, for this experience is what ends suffering. A bibliography is appended. Gudo Nishijima's Blog (my ordaining Zen teacher), 09. It is accurate to say that Soto Zen considers the practice of Zazen to be the sole means of realization. I wonder if that’s the right word, since the word koan usually refers only to the traditional “public cases” of ancient masters. I had no idea he was Shozan Jack Haubner until I brought up the subject of the book Zen Confidential, which I liked a lot, and he admitted to being the author. What will it be in the future? Besides which, I would hate to devote the entire 90 minutes we’ve been allotted to discussing it. Dogen, the founder of the Japanese branch of Soto, commented on a lot of koans in his masterwork Shobogenzo. Articles and Essays by Nishijima Roshi, 13. Shunryū Suzuki-Roshi. How has the Sanbo-kyodan (now called Sanbo Zen) influence became the seed for much of what is now experienced as Zen in America? The two most famous collections are the Pi-yen-lu, the “Blue Cliff Record” and the Mumonkan, the “Gateless Gate.” Typically, a koan is assigned by a teacher to a student who then “works” on the koan until it is “solved” to the satisfaction of the teacher. Its initial introduction near the end of the 12th century did not take hold, but a subsequent transfer from China did succeed. It’s one of those topics that touches on a wide range of issues and shouldn’t be turned into a simple good vs. evil equation. Shobogenzo translated by Gudo Nishijima & Chodo Cross Vol. I trained in Soto Zen, while Shozan trained in Rinzai Zen. Rinzai Zen Buddhism The practice of Zen Buddhism in Japan was developed through Mahayana Buddhism in China and inspired by the travels and teachings of Dogen and Eisai. 2, 19. The origin of these two traditions dates to about the 8th century in China, when many dynamic individual teachers began to put their various stamps on Zen practice. It is zazen without a goal. This article is about the Chinese origins of Rinzai Zen. This realization (in the sense of having an experience), completing a koan curriculum, or receiving dharma transmission is not a final goal in Rinzai, for one continues to practice, to do zazen, to deepen his or her realization, and to help others. Details below.