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Practice at Bukkokuji was like living at grandpa's house. Harada Tangen Rōshi set the rules and...

In 2009, I had the pleasure of teaching at what is now the Zen Life...

One aspect of Dàhuì's teachings, probably best-known today among keyword students, are his instructions on what...

Introduction This series is especially directed to students working with a keyword (話頭 huàtóu, Japanese, watō) with...

In this final post of the series on the keyword method of Dàhuì, I begin with...

Let's get right down to it Break through is a must if you want to...

  The main point of this post is the importance of continuing to work the...

        In 1144, Zen master Dàhuì received a letter from a fairly...

Awakening is lot about energy. Slump and sniff in zazen and daily life and that's...

          How to cross the flood of sense desires, becoming, views,...

“When you truly understand this fundamental principle you will not be anxious about your life...

  "The mind that is not baffled is not employed." My first real baffling encounter...

Some years ago, a Zen teacher was leading a sesshin for Catholic monastics. In the...

Now that I've completed the manuscript edits for The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred...

I recently met with a student (via Zoom, of course) who was recovering from the...

I hope you will find this post as grist for your dharma-reflection mill. You see,...

When I was training at Bukkokuji Zen Monastery in Obama, Japan, on the twelfth day...

              Why nineteen ways to translate one poem? As...

You can't do what alone? Traditionally in the buddhadharma across schools, samādhi (calming, concentration or...

This year at both the Nebraska Zen Center and the Vine of Obstacles: Online Support...

Ronald E. Purser has written a very important book, McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist...

Is Zen weak on compassion teachings? Zen teacher Norman Fischer Rōshi has written that he...

Was Hakuin Ekaku (1686 – 1768), the great Japanese revitalizer of Rinzai Zen and the...

My wife and co-teacher, Tetsugan, and I have been noticing how participation at the Nebraska...

Overview This program offers Zen practice under the guidance a senior Zen teacher, Dōshō Port...

            I forgot a few important things when writing the...

        Recently, here at the Nebraska Zen Center, we held a three-day...

"Zen could be said to be the biggest joke that has ever been played in...

Kenshō and makyō are the flavor of the week in these parts, so this post...

Today would be the 91st birthday of my first teacher, Dainin Katagiri Rōshi (1928-1990). Happy...