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Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha – Welcome

Posted: October 5, 2015 at 8:42 pm


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Stay together friends. Don't scatter and sleep.

Our friendship is made of being awake. -- Rumi

Welcome to Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha

Sensei Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty

Sensei Bill Ji An Dietrich

Sensei Bob Jin Gen Ertman

The One Heart Sangha is a multifaith community of Zen students who sit together on a regular basis to support one another in staying awake, moment-by-moment, to see and live our true nature, our at-one-ment with all. One Heart Sangha exists to support the ongoing practice and compassionate presentce of its members. Our lineage is that of the White Plum Asanga which was established by Taizan Maezumi Roshi and draws heavily on the teachings of the Soto School of Zen, founded by Dogen Zenji in the 13th century.

Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha is a non-profit organization.

We are affiliated with the Zen Peacemakers Sangha, founded by Roshi Bernie Glassman. Its members are individuals, groups and organizations dedicated to realizing and actualizing the interconnectedness of life.

Sensei Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty

Sensei Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty is the Spiritual Director and founder of One Heart Sangha/Silver Spring Zendo. She is a member of an international community of vowed religious women whose call today is to hear the cries of the earth and its people and respond compassionately. She has offered workshops, retreats, and spiritual guidance in the contemplative tradition in interfaith settings for over thirty years. She began her Zen studies with Charlotte Joko Beck and is dharma heir of Janet Jinne Richardson Roshi. She completed the End of Life Counseling Program at Metta Institute in California. She volunteers at a hospice for the homeless in Washington, D.C., and offers retreats and workshops for hospice caregivers, especially through the program "Companioning the Dying: Opening Fully to Living," which she co-directs. As a sensei, she teaches Zen meditation at Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha in Silver Spring, Maryland, and in other settings.

Sensei Bill Ji An Dietrich is one of the founding members ofSilver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha. He is a dharma heir of Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty, Sensei, and previously studied under Janet Jinne Richardson, Roshi, and Rosalie Jishin McQuaide, Sensei. Heis the former executive director of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, an ecumenical institute for contemplative spirituality. He has offered numerous contemplative programs and retreats as well as spiritual guidance in interfaith settings for over 20 years. Billhas completed theMetta Institute'sEnd of Life Care Practitioner Program, where he studied with mindfulness teachers Frank Ostaseski and Ange Stevens, and with Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Sensei.He currently devotes much of his time to end of life care and is an active hospice volunteer patient visitor and chaplain. He also co-directsCompanioning the Dying: Opening Fully to Living,a program of formation and support for those engaged in end of life care. Bill is a member of Bethesda Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He previously had a long career in business and has served since 1986 on the board of trustees of the Ariel Investment Trust, a series of socially responsible mutual funds. He lives in Rockville, Maryland with Anne, his wife of over 30 years and a retired engineer, and together they have three adult children and one granddaughter.

Sensei Bob Jin Gen Ertmanis a dharma heir of Rose Mary Myoan Dougherty, Sensei, anda long-time member of the Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha. He is also a member off the Zen Peacemakers and is grateful for the way it has shaped his practice in all of life. He writes and teaches haiku as a practice of being fully in the present moment.He received the precepts at Boundless Way Zen from James Ford, David Rynick, & Melissa Backer.Bob is a retired federal attorney and lives in Annapolis with his wife, Phyllis. Together they are facilitators of a Mndfulness Practice Group at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis.In his spare time, Bob collects fossils, with his daughter Hallie when he can (They began when she was 4--she's 28 now).

To register for any events, or if you wish to contact the sangha, please email:

registration@silverspringzendo.org

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Silver Spring Zendo/One Heart Sangha - Welcome

Written by simmons

October 5th, 2015 at 8:42 pm

Posted in Zen

Zen Wikipedie

Posted: October 4, 2015 at 3:50 am


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Zen (v ntin chan, ve vietnamtin thien, v korejtin sn, v sanskrtu dhjna) je oznaen pro odno mahjnovho buddhismu, vzniklou v 5. stolet v n. Podle tradinho pbhu pinesl zen do ny indick mnich Bdhidharma roku 520, v n zen prosperoval a do doby dynastie Ming (13681643), kdy zaaly vznikat rozdly mezi rznmi kolami buddhismu. Pozdji se zen rozil do dalch zem, zejmna ve 12. a 13. stolet do Japonska. Sem piel zen v podob sekty Rinzai a sekty St. Svou spontnnost a psnost se kola Rinzai stala brzy nboenstvm samuraj a vedla ke kultu vlenka. Pvodn sanskrtsk vraz dhjna (), oznaujc soustedn spovn, byl do ntiny pevzat v podob chan (meditace), z eho se vyvinulo japonsk ten zen.

Stoupenci zenu asto uvdj mnoho odlinost zen-buddhismu od tzv. tradinch kol buddhismu, kter je mon rozdlit na oblast teorie, morlky a praxe. Nsledujc strun shrnut m nejen ukzat zkladn znaky, kter zen odliuj od ostatnch kol, ale i opan stanoviska, kter ukazuj, e tvrzen rozdly nemus bt vdy tak zsadn:

Misti ranho zenu nezanechali dn psemn zznamy, protoe byli proti jakmukoli psemn pedvanmu vdn.

Vyznavai zenu zdrazuj nalezen pravdy skrze probuzen. Nalezen pravdy probh formou meditace (zazen), zpravidla vsed. Vem kolm je spolen pohrdn studiem text. Domnvali se, e Buddhova nauka v intelektulnch spekulacch je nepoznateln a oznaovali kosmologie za nesmysl, kter odvd od probuzen. Podle jejich chpn m kad povahu buddhy a me ji uskutenit meditac a uvaovnm o sob.

Zen, jak se s nm dnes setkvme v japonskch klterech koly Rinzai i koly St, klade velk draz na zazen. Tomuto vcviku je vnovno mnoho hodin denn a velk dleitost se pikld sprvnmu dren tla a sprvnmu dchn. Praktikovat zen znamen provdt za-zen, k emu kola Rinzai pidv jet sanzen periodick nvtvy u roi, pi kterch k pedkld svoje een koanu.

Paralely k poekadlm zenu lze vidt v tantrick psni Sarahy z 10. stolet.

Jestlie je to ji zjevn, k emu meditace? A jestlie je to skryt, m lovk jenom temnotu. Mantry a tantry, meditace a soustedn, to ve je jen zleitost sebeklamu. Nezneiujte kontemplac mylenku, kter je ve sv podstat ist, nbr pebvejte v blahu sebe samch a pestate s tm trpenm. A vidte cokoliv, je to vpedu, vzadu, ve vech deseti smrech. Prv dnes dopuste, aby v mistr uinil konec sebeklamu! Pirozenost nebe je pvodn jasn, ale samm hlednm se pohled zatemn.

Tradin je uvdno tchto 6 nskch patriarch zenu:

en-siou (Shenxiu) (jap.: Din) 605? 706 (est patriarcha chanu podle tzv. severn koly)

Rozdlen kol na severn a jin viz Tribunov stra

Read more here:
Zen Wikipedie

Written by simmons

October 4th, 2015 at 3:50 am

Posted in Zen

Zen Wikipdia

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A zen (avagy zen buddhizmus) a mahjna buddhizmust kvet iskolk sszefoglal japn elnevezse[forrs?]. Eredetileg Indiban gyakoroltk dhjna (dhyna, ) nven, ami Knban csan () nven vlt ismertt, majd innen terjedt tovbb Koreba, Japnba, s Vietnamba. A zenben klnleges hangslyt kap a zazen nven ismert lmeditci. Habr sok kvetje testi-szellemi gyakorlsnak tartja, a zent sokan vallsnak, illetve filozfiai rendszernek tekintik[forrs?].

A zen gykerei egszen az indiai buddhizmusig vezetnek vissza, br ott nem kpezi a buddhizmus egy nll gt. Neve a meditci szanszkrit megfeleljbl ("dhyna" () szrmazik. Ez a sz a knai nyelvbe gy kerlt be, mint chn (, egyszerstett ; magyar ejtse s gyakori rsa: csan). Ksbb, Koreban a szon, Vietnamban a thin, mg Japnban a zen nevet kapta. (Megjegyzend, hogy a csan, szon, thien, s zen pusztn a kzs knai karakter klnbz kiejtsei. Tantsaik ugyan tbb pontban is klnbzhetnek, de alapelveik azonosak.)

A hagyomny szerint a zen alapjait Knban rakta le egy indiai buddhista szerzetes, Bdhidharma (Japnban Daruma Daisi, Knban Da mo; Bdhidharma a Csola-dinasztia harmadik hercege volt, a Kanchipuram dli rszt ural szak-indiai Csola-g leszrmazottja). A hagyomny szerint Ksjapnak, Buddha tantvnynak 28. reinkarncija volt. A korai forrsok szerint i. sz. 520 krl hajzott a dl-knai Liang kirlysgba, ahol kinyilatkozta, hogy az nz cllal vghez vitt jcselekedetek haszontalanok a megvilgosods (lsd mg: bodhi) elrshez. Ezek utn egy Lojang melletti kolostorba vonult szak-Knban, ahol a legenda szerint kilenc vet tlttt meditcival egy sziklafal eltt. Tantvnyokat csak ezutn fogadott. Ksbb a knai Henan provincia Deng Feng megyjben hunyt el, a Sung-hegy Saolin Templomban ().

Ksbb Knban tanul koreai szerzetesek vittk tovbb hazjukba a csant, amit addigra mr titatott a knai taoizmus s kisebb rszben a konfucianizmus(Konfuciusnak kzel 2000 letvitelre vonatkoz szablya aztn sok modern llamalakulatnak is az alapja lett). Koreban a seon (ejtsd: szon) nevet kapta (amit nyugaton nha hibsan soenknt is emltenek).

A csan, a szon, s a zen elklnlten fejldtt hazjukban, s mra mindegyiknek nll identitsa alakult ki. Ugyan Knban, Koreban, Japnban, s msutt is a csaldfk kzvetlenl Bdhidharmtl erednek, vitathatatlanul kialakultak hitbeli s gyakorlati klnbsgek.

A japn rinzai zen filozfus, Szuzuki Daiszecu megfogalmazsban a gyakorls clja a szatori (Kens), azaz a megvilgosods. Ami azonban az indiai buddhistktl igazn megklnbztette a knai, koreai, s japn zen buddhistkat, az a gykeresen klnbz letmdjuk volt. Indiban fennmaradt a kolduls szoksa, mg Knban a trsadalmi krlmnyek egy kolostori rendszer kialakulst segtettk el, amiben az apt s a szerzetesek egyarnt htkznapi feladatokat vgeztek. Ilyen volt a fldmvels, csols, ptszet, hztarts, adminisztrci, s a gygyts gyakorlsa. Kvetkezskppen a zen ltal keresett megvilgosodsnak meg kellett felelnie a mindennapok okozta frusztrci tmasztotta elvrsoknak.

Az els zen ptrirkk:

Napjainkban a rinzai, a szt, s az baku iskola ltezik Japnban. A rindzai iskola szellemi alapjait a knai Linji (japnul Rindzai) tette le, amit aztn 1191-ben Eiszai honostott meg Japnban. A szt iskolt Eiszai tantvnya, Dgen hozta ltre, a knai csao-tungot alapul vve. Az baku iskolja pedig a 17. szzadban jelent meg, egy Ingen nev knai szerzetes kzvettsvel.

Nhny kortrs japn zen tant, mint Harada Daiun s Szuzuki Sunrj, les kritikval illetik a japn zent, mert szerintk az nem ms, mint res ritulk rendszere, nagyon kevs olyan kvetvel, aki elrte a megvilgosodst. lltsuk szerint napjainkra majdnem mindegyik japn templom aprl fira szll csaldi vllalkozss vlt, ahol a pap feladatai nagyrszt a temetsek levezetsre korltozdnak[forrs?].

Egyes japn zen szektkat s tantkat a msodik vilghborban kicscsosod japn militarista nacionalizmusban vllalt tevkenysgrt is rt kritika.[1]

A zen a buddhizmus egyik ga, s mint ilyen, gykerei mlyen Buddha tantsig nylnak, knai fejldsre utalnak azonban taoista s konfucianista vonsai. A zen g nmagt a Buddha Szv Iskolnak nevezi, s leszrmazst egszen Buddhig vezeti vissza. Gyakran a sztrk mindennapi recitlsa sorn felsoroljk az iskola tadsi vonalt, felsorolva az sszes dharma st, s a zent tovbbad tantkat.

A zen a buddhizmus szaki gnak, a mahajnnak a rsze[forrs?]. Ebbl addan szmos ponton klnbznek szoksai, gyakorlatai a dli thravda ghoz kpest.

A zen nyitottsgnak ksznheten a nem buddhistk krben is npszerv vlt, klnsen zsin kvl. Mivel a zennek nem ltezik hivatalos kormnyz testlete, szinte lehetetlen brmilyen hiteles leszrmazsi gat is eretneknek minsteni. Az alapelv az, hogy brmilyen hiteles zen iskolnak vissza kell tudnia vezetnie tantinak leszrmazst Japnba, Koreba, Vietnamba, vagy Knba.

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Zen Wikipdia

Written by simmons

October 4th, 2015 at 3:50 am

Posted in Zen

The Spamhaus Project – ZEN

Posted: September 6, 2015 at 2:42 pm


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ZEN is the combination of all Spamhaus IP-based DNSBLs into one single powerful and comprehensive blocklist to make querying faster and simpler. It contains the SBL, SBLCSS, XBL and PBL blocklists.

zen.spamhaus.org should be the only spamhaus.org DNSBL in your IP blocklist configuration. You should not use ZEN together with other Spamhaus IP blocklists, or with blocklists already included in our zones (such as the CBL) or you will simply be wasting DNS queries and slowing your mail queue.

zen.spamhaus.org replaces sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org in most configurations. If you are currently using sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org you should replace sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org with zen.spamhaus.org.

Caution: Because ZEN includes the XBL and PBL lists, do not use ZEN on smarthosts or SMTP AUTH outbound servers for your own customers (or you risk blocking your own customers). Do not use ZEN in filters that do any deep parsing of Received headers, or for anything other than checking IP addresses that hand off to your mailservers.

Querying zen.spamhaus.org returns the following result codes for listed entries (see the FAQs for a more complete return code table):

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The Spamhaus Project - ZEN

Written by simmons

September 6th, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Posted in Zen

zen zen wholesale fair trade home decor and gifts – Home

Posted: August 31, 2015 at 6:41 pm


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For over two decadeszen zen GARDEN & HOME has created a unique line of products for home, garden and body. Our designs are inspired by the zen traditions of craftsmanship, simplicity, harmony and the use of natural materials.

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Please note - this is a wholesale only website with terms as follows: Opening order: $250 minimum. Re-Orders: $150 minimum, $5 under-the-minimum processing charge. Payment by credit card or pre-pay. Net/30 by application & approval only after established order history. Shipping is typically 10% of the cost of goods with some exceptions; all orders that contain bowls, umbrellas, furniture, poufs, ladders, net plate covers, ceramics, glassware, mirrors, trays, hampers or wooden panels/hangers will be billed at actual cost. We may charge your credit card on a separate transaction for shipping once the order has been packed, weighed and measured. All returns must be in original packaging with item numbers clearly marked and approved by zen zen prior to returning in order to receive proper credit. All returns are subject to a $5.00 re-stock fee, plus $.50 per item. Prices are subject to change. Ex factory Bali prices also available upon request.

For retail customers - please feel free to call our office at 877-905-3310 for a referral to one of the fabulous stores that carries our product in your area, or go to http://www.zenDeluxe.com. Overseas retail customers can also visit our Bali direct website - balizenhome.com

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zen zen wholesale fair trade home decor and gifts - Home

Written by simmons

August 31st, 2015 at 6:41 pm

Posted in Zen

Japanese Zen – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted: August 21, 2015 at 10:48 am


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See also Zen for an overview of Zen, Chinese Chn for the Chinese origins of Chn, and St, Rinzai and baku for the three main schools of Zen in Japan

Zen is the Japanese variant of Chn, a school of Mahayana Buddhism which strongly emphasizes dhyana c.q. concentration-meditation. This gives insight into ones true nature, or the emptiness of inherent existence, which opens the way to a liberated way of living.

According to tradition Zen originated in India, when the Buddha held up a flower and Kasyappa smiled. With this smile he showed that he had understood the wordless essence of the dharma. This way the dharma was transmitted to Kasyappa, the second patriarch of Zen.[1]

Buddhism was introduced to China in the first century CE. According to tradition Chn was introduced around 500 CE by Bodhidharma, an Indian monk teaching dhyana. He was the 28th Indian patriarch of Zen, and the first Chinese patriarch.[1]

Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the 8th century CE during the Nara period (710-794) and the Heian period (7941185). Zen was not introduced as a separate school in Japan until the 12th century during the Kamakura period (11851333), when Nnin established the Daruma-school. In 1189 Nnin sent two students to China, to meet with Cho-an Te-kuang (11211203), and ask for the recognition of Nnin as a Zen-master. This recognition was granted.

In 1168 Myan Eisai traveled to China, whereafter he studied Tendai for twenty years. In 1187 he went to China again, and returned to establish a Linji lineage, which is known in Japan as Rinzai.[5] Decades later, Nanpo Shmy (?) (12351308) also studied Linji teachings in China before founding the Japanese Otokan lineage, the most influential branch of Rinzai.

In 1215, Dgen, a younger contemporary of Eisai's, journeyed to China himself, where he became a disciple of the Caodong master Tiantong Rujing. After his return, Dgen established the St school, the Japanese branch of Caodong.[5]

Zen fitted the way of life of the samurai: confronting death without fear, and acting in a spontaneous and intuitive way.[5]

During this period the Gozan system, or the Five Mountains and Ten Temples was established, which institutionalized an influential part of the Rinzai school. It consisted of the five most famous Zen temples of Kyoto: Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji, Jufuku-ji, Jomyo-ji and Jochi-ji.[6]

During the Muromachi period the Rinzai school was the most successful of the schools, since it was favoured by the Shogun.

In the beginning of the Muromachi period the Gozan system was fully worked out. The final version contained five temples of both Kyoto and Kamakura. A second tier of the system consisted of Ten Temples. This system was extended throughout Japan, effectively giving control to the central government, which administered this system.[7] The monks, often well educated and skilled, were employed by the shogun for the governing of state affairs.[8]

Not all Rinzai Zen organisations were under such strict state control. The Rinka monasteries, which were primarily located in rural areas rather than cities, had a greater degree of independence.[9] The O-to-kan lineage, that centered on Daitoku-ji, also had a greater degree of freedom. It was founded by Nampo Jomyo, Shuho Myocho, and Kanzan Egen.[10] A well-known teacher from Daytoku-ji was Ikky.[5]

Another Rinka lineage was the Hotto lineage, of which Bassui Tokush is the best-known teacher.[11]

Soto too spread out over Japan. Gasan adopted the Five Ranks of Tung-shan as a fit vehicle to explain the Mahayana teachings.[12]

After a period of war Japan was re-united in the AzuchiMomoyama period. This decreased the power of Buddhism, which had become a strong political and military force in Japan. Neo-Confucianism gained influence at the expense of Buddhism, which came under strict state control. Japan closed the gates to the rest of the world. The only traders to be allowed were Dutchmen admitted to the island of Dejima.[5] New doctrines and methods were not to be introduced, nor were new temples and schools. The only exception was the baku lineage, which was introduced in the 17th century during the Edo period by Ingen, a Chinese monk. Ingen had been a member of the Linji school, the Chinese equivalent of Rinzai, which had developed separately from the Japanese branch for hundreds of years. Thus, when Ingen journeyed to Japan following the fall of the Ming Dynasty to the Manchus, his teachings were seen as a separate school. The baku school was named after Mount baku (Ch. ; Hungb Shn), which had been Ingen's home in China.

Well-known Zen masters from this period are Bankei, Basho and Hakuin.[5]Bankei Ytaku (?, 16221693) became a classic example of a man driven by the "great doubt". Matsuo Bash ( ?, 1644 November 28, 1694) became a great Zen poet. In the 18th century Hakuin Ekaku ( ?, 16861768) revived the Rinzai school. His influence was so immense that almost all contemporary Rinzai lineages are traced back to him.

During the Meiji period (18681912), after a coup in 1868, Japan abandoned its feudal system and opened up to Western modernism. Shinto became the state religion, and Buddhism was coerced to adapt to the new regime. Within the Buddhist establishment the Western world was seen as a threat, but also as a challenge to stand up to.[13][14]

Shinto became the official religion, at the expense of Buddhism. Buddhist institutions had a simple choice: adapt or perish. Rinzai and Soto Zen chose to adapt, trying to modernize Zen in accord with Western insights, while simultaneously maintaining a Japanese identity. This Japanese identity was being articulated in the Nihonjinron-philosophy, the Japanese uniqueness-theory. A broad range of subjects was taken as typical of Japanese culture. D.T. Suzuki contributed to the Nihonjinron-philosophy by taking Zen as the distinctive token of Asian spirituality, showing its unique character in the Japanese culture[15]

This resulted in support for the war activities of the Japanese imperial system by the Japanese Zen establishment including the St sect, the major branches of Rinzai, and several renowned teachers. According to Sharf,

They became willing accomplices in the promulgation of the kokutai (national polity) ideology - the attempt to render Japan a culturally homogeneous and spiritually evolved nation politically unified under the divine rule of the emperor.[15]

War endeavours against Russia, China and finally during the Pacific War were supported by the Zen establishment.[14][16]

A notable work on this subject was Zen at War (1998) by Brian Victoria,[14] an American-born St priest. One of his assertions was that some Zen masters known for their post-war internationalism and promotion of "world peace" were open nationalists in the inter-war years.[web 1] Among them as an example Haku'un Yasutani, the founder of the Sanbo Kyodan School, even voiced anti-semitic and nationalistic opinions after World War II. Only after international protests in the 1990s, following the publication of Victoria's 'Zen at war', did the Sanbo Kyodan express apologies for this support[web 2] This involvement was not limited to the Zen schools, as all orthodox Japanese schools of Buddhism supported the militarist state. Victoria's particular claims about D.T. Suzuki's involvement in militarism have been much disputed by other scholars.

Interest in Zen grew in the West after World War II. Westerners such as Philip Kapleau and the Dutchman Janwillem van de Wetering went to Japan to study Zen.[17] Japanese teachers came to the West to share Zen practice and philosophy.[18]

Some contemporary Japanese Zen teachers, such as Daiun Harada and Shunryu Suzuki, have criticized Japanese Zen as being a formalized system of empty rituals in which very few Zen practitioners ever actually attained realization. They assert that almost all Japanese temples have become family businesses handed down from father to son, and the Zen priest's function has largely been reduced to officiating at funerals, a practice sarcastically referred to in Japan as sshiki bukky (?, funeral Buddhism).[citation needed] For example, the St school published statistics stating that 80 percent of laity visited temples only for reasons having to do with funerals and death.[19]

Mahayana Buddhism teaches sunyata, emptiness, which is also emphasized by Zen. But another important doctrine is the Buddha-nature, the idea that all human beings have the possibility to awaken. All living creatures are supposed to have the Buddha-nature, but don't realize this as long as they are not awakened. The doctrine of an essential nature can easily lead to the idea that there is an unchanging essential nature or reality behind the changing world of appearances.[20]

The difference and reconciliation of these two doctrines is the central theme of the Lankavatara sutra.[20]

The primary goal of Rinzai Zen is kensho, seeing one's true nature, and mujodo no taigen, expression of this insight in daily life.[21]

Seeing one's true nature means seeing that there is no essential 'I' or 'self', that our true nature is empty.

Expression in daily life means that this is not only a contemplative insight, but that our lives are expressions of this selfless existence.[web 3]

Zen meditation is the essential method of Zen. In Rinzai Zen this is supplemented by kan training.

Zen emphasizes zazen: meditation as the means to awakening. There are various methods of meditation. In Buddhism two main approaches are used, vipassana (awareness training) and samatha (concentration of the mind). Zen Buddhism emphasizes samatha. The Japanese word 'Zen' is derived from the Chinese word 'Chn', which is derived from dhyana, concentration. The Japanese word 'zazen' means 'sitting meditation'. But Zen meditation ideally is not only concentration, but also awareness: being aware of the continuing changes in our consciousness, of all our sensations and our automatic reactions.

In alteration with zazen, there is walking meditation, Kinhin, in which one walks with full attention.

To facilitate insight, a Zen teacher can assign a kan. This is a short anecdote, which seems irrational, but contains subtle references to the Buddhist teachings.[22] An example of a kan is Joshu's 'Mu':[23]

A monk asked: "Does a dog have buddha-nature?" Joshu responded: "Mu!"

The traditional schools of Zen in contemporary Japan are the St (), Rinzai (), and baku (). Of these, St is the largest and baku the smallest. Besides these there are modern Zen organisations which have especially attracted Western lay followers, namely the Sanbo Kyodan and the FAS Society.

St emphasizes meditation and the inseparable nature of practice and insight. Its founder Dogen is still highly revered.

Rinzai emphasizes kan study and kensho. The Rinzai organisation includes fifteen subschools based on temple affiliation. The best known of these main temples are Myoshin-ji, Nanzen-ji, Tenry-ji, Daitoku-ji, and Tofuku-ji.

baku is a small branch, which organisationally is part of the Rinzai school.

The Sanbo Kyodanis a small Japanese school, established by Hakuun Yasutani, which has been very influential in the West. Well-known teachers from this school are Philip Kapleau and Taizan Maezumi. Maezumi's influence stretches further through his dharma heirs, such as Joko Beck, Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, and especially Dennis Merzel, who has appointed more than a dozen dharma heirs.

The FAS Society is a non-sectarian organisation, founded by Shin'ichi Hisamatsu. Its aim is to modernize Zen and adapt it to the modern world. In Europe it is influential through such teachers as Jeff Shore and Ton Lathouwers.

Although it is difficult to trace when the West first became aware of Zen as a distinct form of Buddhism, the visit of Soyen Shaku, a Japanese Zen monk, to Chicago during the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 is often pointed to as an event that enhanced its profile in the Western world. It was during the late 1950s and the early 1960s that the number of Westerners pursuing a serious interest in Zen, other than descendants of Asian immigrants, reached a significant level.

Eugen Herrigel's book Zen in the Art of Archery[24] describing his training in the Zen-influenced martial art of Kyd, inspired many of the Western world's early Zen practitioners. However, many scholars, such as Yamada Shoji, are quick to criticize this book.[25]

The single most influential person for the spread of Zen Buddhism was D. T. Suzuki.[13][15] A lay student of Zen, he became acquainted with Western culture at a young age. He wrote many books on Zen which became widely read in the Western world, but he has been criticised for giving a one-sided and overly romanticized vision of Zen.[13][15][26]

Reginald Horace Blyth (18981964) was an Englishman who went to Japan in 1940 to further his study of Zen. He was interned during World War II and started writing in prison. While imprisoned he met Robert Aitken, who was later to become a roshi in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage. Blyth was tutor to the Crown Prince after the war. His greatest work is the 5-volume "Zen and Zen Classics", published in the 1960s. Here he discusses Zen themes from a philosophical standpoint, often in conjunction with Christian elements in a comparative spirit. His essays include "God, Buddha, and Buddhahood" and "Zen, Sin, and Death".

The British philosopher Alan Watts took a close interest in Zen Buddhism and wrote and lectured extensively on it during the 1950s. He understood Zen as a vehicle for a mystical transformation of consciousness, and also as a historical example of a non-Western, non-Christian way of life that had fostered both the practical and fine arts.

The Dharma Bums, a novel written by Jack Kerouac and published in 1959, gave its readers a look at how a fascination with Buddhism and Zen was being absorbed into the bohemian lifestyles of a small group of American youths, primarily on the West Coast. Beside the narrator, the main character in this novel was "Japhy Ryder", a thinly veiled depiction of Gary Snyder. The story was based on actual events taking place while Snyder prepared, in California, for the formal Zen studies that he would pursue in Japanese monasteries between 1956 and 1968.[27]

Thomas Merton (19151968) was a Catholic Trappist monk and priest.[web 4] Like his friend, the late D.T. Suzuki, Merton believed that there must be a little of Zen in all authentic creative and spiritual experience. The dialogue between Merton and Suzuki[28] explores the many congruencies of Christian mysticism and Zen.[29][30][non-primary source needed]

Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle (18981990) was a Jesuit who became a missionary in Japan in 1929. In 1956 he started to study Zen with Harada Daiun Sogaku. He was the superior of Heinrich Dumoulin, the well-known author on the history of Zen. Enomiya-lassalle introduced Westerners to Zen meditation.

Robert Kennedy (roshi), a Catholic Jesuit priest, professor, psychotherapist and Zen roshi in the White Plum lineage has written a number of books about what he labels as the benefits of Zen practice to Christianity. He was ordained a Catholic priest in Japan in 1965, and studied with Yamada Koun in Japan in the 1970s. He was installed as a Zen teacher of the White Plum Asanga lineage in 1991 and was given the title 'Roshi' in 1997.

In 1989, the Vatican released a document which states some Catholic appreciation of the use of Zen in Christian prayer. According to the text none of the methods proposed by non-Christian religions should be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian:

On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian concept of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured.[web 5]

While Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, was a 1974 bestseller, it in fact has little to do with Zen as a religious practice, nor with motorcycle maintenance for that matter. Rather it deals with the notion of the metaphysics of "quality" from the point of view of the main character. Pirsig was attending the Minnesota Zen Center at the time of writing the book. He has stated that, despite its title, the book "should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice". Though it may not deal with orthodox Zen Buddhist practice, Pirsig's book in fact deals with many of the more subtle facets of Zen living and Zen mentality without drawing attention to any religion or religious organization.

A number of contemporary authors have explored the relationship between Zen and a number of other disciplines, including parenting, teaching, and leadership. This typically involves the use of Zen stories to explain leadership strategies.[31]

In Europe, the Expressionist and Dada movements in art tend to have much in common thematically with the study of kans and actual Zen. The early French surrealist Ren Daumal translated D.T. Suzuki as well as Sanskrit Buddhist texts.

Over the last fifty years mainstream forms of Zen, led by teachers who trained in East Asia and their successors, have begun to take root in the West.

In North America, the Zen lineages derived from the Sanbo Kyodan school are the most numerous. The Sanbo Kyodan is a Japan-based reformist Zen group, founded in 1954 by Yasutani Hakuun, which has had a significant influence on Zen in the West. Sanbo Kyodan Zen is based primarily on the Soto tradition, but also incorporates Rinzai-style kan practice. Yasutani's approach to Zen first became prominent in the English-speaking world through Philip Kapleau's book The Three Pillars of Zen (1965), which was one of the first books to introduce Western audiences to Zen as a practice rather than simply a philosophy. Among the Zen groups in North America, Hawaii, Europe, and New Zealand which derive from Sanbo Kyodan are those associated with Kapleau, Robert Aitken, and John Tarrant.

The most widespread are the lineages founded by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi and the White Plum Asanga. Maezumi's successors include Susan Myoyu Andersen, John Daido Loori, Chozen Bays, Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Nicolee Jikyo McMahon, Joan Hogetsu Hoeberichts, and Charlotte Joko Beck.

Soto has gained prominence via Shunryu Suzuki, who established the San Francisco Zen Center. In 1967 the Center established Tassajara, the first Zen Monastery in America, in the mountains near Big Sur.

The Katagiri lineage, founded by Dainin Katagiri, has a significant presence in the Midwest. Note that both Taizan Maezumi and Dainin Katagiri served as priests at Zenshuji Soto Mission in the 1960s.

Taisen Deshimaru, a student of Kodo Sawaki, was a Soto Zen priest from Japan who taught in France. The International Zen Association, which he founded, remains influential. The American Zen Association, headquartered at the New Orleans Zen Temple, is one of the North American organizations practicing in the Deshimaru tradition.

Soyu Matsuoka established the Long Beach Zen Buddhist Temple and Zen Center in 1971, where he resided until his death in 1998. The Temple was headquarters to Zen centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Everett, Washington. Matsuoka created several dharma heirs, three of whom are still alive and leading Zen teachers within the lineage: Hogaku ShoZen McGuire, Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston Sensei, and Kaiten John Dennis Govert.

Brad Warner is a Soto priest appointed by Gudo Wafu Nishijima. He is not a traditional Zen teacher, but is influential via his blogs on Zen.

Rinzai gained prominence in the West via D.T. Suzuki and the lineage of Soen Nakagawa and his student Eido Shimano. Soen Nakagawa had personal ties to Yamada Koun, the dharma heir of Hakuun Yasutani, who founded the Sanbo Kyodan.[32] They established Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji in New York. In Europe there is Egely Monastery established by a Dharma Heir of Eido Shimano, Denko Mortensen.

Some of the more prominent Rinzai Zen centers in North America include Rinzai-ji founded by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi in California, Chozen-ji founded by Omori Sogen Roshi in Hawaii, Daiyuzenji founded by Dogen Hosokawa Roshi (a student of Omori Sogen Roshi) in Chicago, Illinois, and Chobo-Ji founded by Genki Takabayshi Roshi in Seattle, Washington.

The lineage of Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi Roshi is represented in the UK by the White Plum Sangha UK.

Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey was founded as a sister monastery to Shasta Abbey in California by Master Reverend Jiyu Kennett Roshi. It has a number of dispersed priories and centres.[citation needed] Jiyu Kennett, an Englishwoman, was ordained as a priest and Zen master in Shoji-ji, one of the two main Soto Zen temples in Japan.[a] The Order is called the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives.[citation needed]

Taisen Deshimaru Roshi's lineage is known in the UK as IZAUK (International Zen Association UK).[citation needed]

The Zen Centre in London is connected to the Buddhist Society.

The Western Chan Fellowship is an association of lay Chn practitioners based in the UK.[citation needed] They are registered as a charity in England and Wales, but also have contacts in Europe, principally in Norway, Poland, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland and the USA.

Modern classics

Classic historiography

Critical historiography

(Japanese) Zen as living religious institution and practice

The start of this article was based on a translation of the Dutch Wikipedia (7 decembre 2011)

Oversight

Rinzai-zen

Soto-zen

Sanbo Kyodan

Critical Zen-practice

Zen centers

Texts

Critical Zen Research

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August 21st, 2015 at 10:48 am

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Wikipedia, the …

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (ZAMM), first published in 1974, is a work of philosophical fiction, the first of Robert M. Pirsig's texts in which he explores his Metaphysics of Quality.

The book sold 5 million copies worldwide. It was originally rejected by 121 publishers, more than any other bestselling book, according to the Guinness Book of Records.[1]

The title is an apparent play on the title of the book Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. In its introduction, Pirsig explains that, despite its title, "it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either."

The book is generally regarded as an American cultural icon in literature.[citation needed]

The book describes, in first person, a 17-day journey on his motorcycle from Minnesota to Northern California by the author (though he is not identified in the book) and his son Chris. They are joined for the first nine days of the trip by close friends John and Sylvia Sutherland, with whom they part ways in Montana. The trip is punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions, referred to as Chautauquas by the author, on topics including epistemology, ethical emotivism and the philosophy of science.

Many of these discussions are tied together by the story of the narrator's own past self, who is referred to in the third person as Phaedrus (after Plato's dialogue). Phaedrus, a teacher of creative and technical writing at a small college, became engrossed in the question of what defines good writing, and what in general defines good, or "Quality". His philosophical investigations eventually drove him insane, and he was subjected to electroconvulsive therapy which permanently changed his personality.

Towards the end of the book, Phaedrus's personality begins to re-emerge and the narrator is reconciled with his past.

In a 1974 interview with National Public Radio, Pirsig stated that the book took him four years to write. During two of these years, Pirsig continued working at his job of writing computer manuals. This caused him to fall into an unorthodox schedule, waking up very early and writing Zen from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m., then eating and going to his day job. He would sleep during his lunch break and then go to bed around 6 in the evening. Pirsig joked that his co-workers noticed that he was "a lot less perky" than everyone else.[2]

In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig explores the meaning and concept of quality, a term he deems to be undefinable. Pirsig's thesis is that to truly experience quality one must both embrace and apply it as best fits the requirements of the situation. According to Pirsig, such an approach would avoid a great deal of frustration and dissatisfaction common to modern life.

In the book, the Narrator describes the "Romantic" approach to life of his friend, John Sutherland, who chooses not to learn how to maintain his expensive new motorcycle. John simply hopes for the best with his bike, and when problems do occur he often becomes frustrated, and is forced to rely on professional mechanics to repair it. In contrast, the "classical" Narrator has an older motorcycle which he is usually able to diagnose and repair himself through the use of rational problem solving skills.

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July 17th, 2015 at 11:43 am

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What is Zen – Taoism .net

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What is Zen?

by Derek Lin

"Zen" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character "chan," which is in turn the Chinese translation from the Indian Sanskrit term "dhyana," which means meditation.

Zen, like Tao, cannot be totally explained in words. Much of your grasp of Zen must necessarily depend on your own intuition. Bodhidharma (528 A.D.) had this to say about it:

Not dependent on the written word, Transmission apart from the scriptures; Directly pointing at ones heart, Seeing ones nature, becoming Buddha.

Given thats the case, the closest we can come to describing Zen in words may be as follows:

Paradox is a part of Zen and the teaching of Zen. A paradox nudges your mind into a direction other than the routine. It helps you disengage the rational mind and free up the intuition. It also points to a truth that cannot be rationally derived through the use of logic. Therefore:

It's easy for some to dismiss Zen as a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, devoid of real meaning. These would be the people who aren't yet ready to move up to this particular level of spiritual development. That's alright. Such things should not and indeed cannot be rushed. Michael Valentine Smith, the main character from Stranger in a Strange Land, would say that one must "wait for fullness" and that "waiting is."

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May 30th, 2015 at 1:42 pm

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Zen Bins Drop Test – Video

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Zen Bins Drop Test
Drop test in slow motion of our prototype Collectible Dice Game Stackable Storage Solution. We can adjust the tightness of these as much as we want but the trick is to keep them so they are...

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May 5th, 2015 at 10:52 am

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Avengers: Age of Ultron Zen Pinball 2 – The SEO Friendly VGVS – VideoGamer – Video

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Avengers: Age of Ultron Zen Pinball 2 - The SEO Friendly VGVS - VideoGamer
Marvel #39;s Avengers: Age of Ultron is a film, right, and they made this pinball table out of it, right, and we had an office tournament, and everyone complained about cheating. Join The VideoGamer...

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