Treeleaf Zendo is a Zen Buddhist Sangha in the Sōtō tradition, Treeleaf was designed specifically as an online practice place for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide Zazen sittings, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online. Members now sit in over 40 countries. The focus is Shikantaza \"Just Sitting\" Zazen as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen. Jundo Cohen is a Sōtō Zen Priest, founder and teacher of the Treeleaf Zendo. Jundo Cohen was Ordained in 2002 and subsequently received Dharma Transmission from Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima, and is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and American Zen Teachers Association.
We continue our series on Master Keizan's 'Zazen-Yōjinki'or 'Notes to Keep in Heart for Zazen'
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
HERE»
Master Keizan, considered with Master Dogen one of the two "Founders" of Soto Zen in Japan, lived from 1264 to 1325. His essay “Zazen-Yōjinki” might be considered an expansion and further exploration of Dogen's explanation of Zazen, the 'Fukanzazengi'. The advice is often very practical, covering such topics as how to sit, breathe, what to wear, eat beforehand and what to do on those days when the mind just won't settle down, while other parts of the essay (such as today's portion) are wild, willy and mind wowing as only Zen writings can be!
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
March 2024 Monthly Zazenkai»
Today's Talk will reflect on our "Dedication of Merit", which we recite each time, but maybe without looking closely
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Dedication of Merit»
This is the sixth (and last) in our monthly series based on the modernized translation of the Genjo Koan, from Jundo's book "The Zen Master's Dance" A Guide to Understanding Dōgen and Who You Are in the Universe. Today a message very appropriate for a good life in this New Year and every day ...
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - A Happy New Year Genjo!!
Today, we find enlightenment in EVERY aspect of this world, even the hard parts we do not welcome. And we find enlightenment in how we live in this world, finding our own role
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI»
We continue our series on Genjo Koan, 'Realizing the Truth Right Here,' and the way of Bodhidharma found there.
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Remember Bodhidharma Day!
This time, we will be looking at passages of Genjokoan based on the modernized translation from 'THE ZEN MASTER’S DANCE A Guide to Understanding Dōgen and Who You Are in the Universe' in light of our Jukai (Undertaking the Precepts) and Ango (Peaceful Abiding) Season ...
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - Commencing JUKAI & ANGO!
Practitioners sometimes think that enlightenment is the endpoint of practice rather than an ongoing series of daily actions that are each an opportunity to manifest either ignorant or enlightened behavior. They think that they must get to a perpetually blissful place called “enlightenment,” removed from the pain and complexity of this world, and all their problems will disappear but their wishes and desires will be fully satisfied. Actually, that has never been the way Zen masters considered enlightenment
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
Aug 4-5th 2023 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hr ZAZENKAI - Genjo Koan (II) - The Key to Dogen's Zen
We Start of New Series on Genjo Koan, 'Realizing the Truth Right Here," the Key to Master Dogen's Zen. The text for the talk today, the first in a monthly series, is based on Jundo Cohen´s modernized translation of the Genjo Koan, from his book ¨THE ZEN MASTER’S DANCE¨ A Guide to Understanding Dōgen and Who You Are in the Universe
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
July 7-8th 2023 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hr ZAZENKAI - Genjo Koan (I) - The Key to Dogen's Zen
The following is an audio version of the essay with the same title by Treeleaf Sangha founder and guiding teacher, Roshi Jundo Cohen
¨One must sit Shikantaza with profound trust that sitting is whole, complete, nothing lacking, the sitting of the Buddhas and Ancestors sitting as this sitting right here and now, no other place to be, nothing more in need of doing, nothing more to attain, that Zazen embodies enlightenment itself.¨ The essay can be found HERE
The following is an audio recording of an essay by Treeleaf founder and guiding teacher, Jundo Cohen.
Here's the "elephant in the room" of Shikantaza Zazen: What does it mean to "think-non-thinking?" In ordinary life, our daily minds resemble a mad circus, maybe a chaotic jungle. We react to the elephants passing through our awareness, jumping on, leaping from one to the next, pulling their tails, prodding them with a stick, often tangled in their trunks. Sometimes we chase them to catch them, sometimes we run away in fear, sometimes we get trampled underfoot. What is more, all our meddling seemingly summons ever more elephants of thought and emotion into the crowded room. The jumbled circus of "thought jumbos" and "emotion mastodons" never ends, and we taunt them and stir them up more. But in Zazen, the elephants are tamed.
Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:
The Elephant in the Zazen Room
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