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Dokusan

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Japanese, lit. "go alone [doku] to a high one; meeting of a Zen student with his master in the seclusion of the master's room.  Dokusan is among the most important elements in Zen training.  It provides the student an opportunity privately to present to his master all problems relating to his practice zazen and to demonstrate the state of his practice in the encounter with the master so as to test the profundity of his Zen experience.

Many koans have as their content mondos between master and student and thus give us information about dokusans of ancient times.  The practice of giving individual instruction in this manner began, according to Zen tradition, with the "secret teachings" of Shakyamuni Buddha and has been preserved in this "school of Buddha-mind" ever since.  Although it was formerly customary in all Zen lineages, the practice has nearly died out today in the Soto school and is basically still only cultivated by the Rinzai school.

The content of dokusan, for several reasons, is subject to strict secrecy.  First, dokusan requires from the student complete openness and honesty towards the master, which for many people is difficult in the presence of others.  Second, in the dokusan the student demonstrates to the master his solution of a koan; if other students were to witness this response, it could hinder them in their struggle for their own answer.  Third, it is generally the case that the instruction of the master accords with the particular situation of an individual student; he might respond to externally similar manifestations of different students in entirely different ways, which might be a source of confusion for students who have not yet reached an understanding with the master.  Dokusan can be given only by a person who has received inka shomei from an authentic master and who has, moreover, been confirmed by him as hassu.
from: The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen

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Dokusan - Joan Sutherland's explaination of Dokusan


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The Flowing Bridge: Guidance on Beginning Zen Koans by Elaine MacInnes and Ruben L. F. Habito The Flowing Bridge: Guidance on Beginning Zen Koans by Elaine MacInnes and Ruben L. F. Habito - Koans such as “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” have become part of everyday speech, yet those who encounter them while exploring Zen practice often find them utterly baffling. This book offers valuable guidance on how to work with some of the beginning koans, revealing an uncommon depth of insight and an easeful technical mastery of Zen’s most misunderstood and powerful tools. Included are teachings on fundamental koans including Joshu’s Dog and The Source of Mu, as well as lesser-known beginner's koans.


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Product DetailsNine-Headed Dragon River: Zen Journals 1969-1982 (Shambhala Dragon Editions) by Peter Matthiessen -The author of the best-selling The Snow Leopard tells here of his travels on the path of Zen. Quotes from his private journals from 1969 to 1982 are loosely linked together with a collection of Zen poems, stories, and teachings. The first half of the book uses dated passages to chronicle the beginnings of his interest in and struggles with Zen and vividly describes a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. The second half is mainly about a recent pilgrimage to Japan, and includes some fascinating thoughts on Japanese culture and history from a Zen perspective along with the author's spiritual experiences. The book is well written and full of memorable incidents and impressions of various important Zen teachers. This authentic account by a Western seeker is recommended for public libraries. C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., formerly with W. Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

 


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Sesshin-The following is a transcription of my notes taken during a Rinzai Zen Sesshin-The comments in italics were added later to provide continutiy-by J


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Taking the Path of Zen by Robert Aitken Taking the Path of Zen by Robert Aitken - "I welcome with great pleasure Robert Aitken Roshi's introduction to Zen practice, Taking the Path of Zen. I feel this will be a valuable source of information and inspiration both for those who have a passing interest in the subject and those who have determined to set out on the path of Zen themselves.
As an American who has trained in Zen practice for many years Aitken Roshi has a special understanding of the problems and questions which plague Western students of Zen. His book will thus be a godsend for people who have sought an introduction to Zen in their own language, free of the foreignisms that cultural differences can produce.
It is my sincere wish that this work will gain the wide readership it so deserves."
--Yamada Koun Roshi

 

three pillars of zen - teaching, practice, and enlightenment by phillip kapleau roshi The Three Pillars of Zen: Teaching, Practice, and Enlightenment by Phillip Kapleau Roshi - Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism.  An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.


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Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes: Japan's Tokeiji Convent Since 1285 by Sachiko Kaneko Morrell and Robert E. MorrellZen Sanctuary of Purple Robes: Japan's Tokeiji Convent Since 1285 by Sachiko Kaneko Morrell and Robert E. Morrell - Zen Sanctuary of Purple Robes examines the affairs of Rinzai Zen’s Tōkeiji Convent, founded in 1285 by nun Kakusan Shidō after the death of her husband, Hōjō Tokimune. It traces the convent’s history through seven centuries, including the early nuns’ Zen practice; Abbess Yōdō’s imperial lineage with nuns in purple robes; Hideyori’s seven-year-old daughter—later to become the convent’s twentieth abbess, Tenshu—spared by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle for Osaka Castle; Tōkeiji as "divorce temple" during the mid-Edo period and a favorite topic of senryu satirical verse; the convent’s gradual decline as a functioning nunnery but its continued survival during the early Meiji persecution of Buddhism; and its current prosperity. The work includes translations, charts, illustrations, bibliographies, and indices. Beyond such historical details, the authors emphasize the convent’s "inclusivist" Rinzai Zen practice in tandem with the nearby Engakuji Temple. The rationale for this "inclusivism" is the continuing acceptance of the doctrine of "Skillful Means" (hōben) as expressed in the Lotus Sutra—a notion repudiated or radically reinterpreted by most of the Kamakura reformers. In support of this contention, the authors include a complete translation of the Mirror for Women by Kakusan’s contemporary, Mujū Ichien.

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