Zen Meditation Retreat
Sesshin Talks
A sesshin (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) in a Zen monastery.
While the daily routine in the monastery requires the monks to meditate several hours a day, during a sesshin they devote themselves almost exclusively to zazen practice. The numerous 30- to 50-minute-long meditation periods are interleaved with short rest breaks, meals, and sometimes short periods of work (Japanese: 作務 samu) all performed with the same mindfulness; nightly sleep is kept to a minimum, at six hours or fewer. During the sesshin period, the meditation practice is occasionally interrupted by the master giving public talks (teisho) and individual direction in private meetings (which may be called dokusan, daisan, or sanzen) with a Zen Master.
In modern Buddhist practice in Japan and the West, sesshins are often attended by lay students and are typically one, three, five, or seven days in length. Seven-day sesshins are held several times a year at many Zen centers, especially in commemoration of the Buddha's awakening to full enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi). At this Rohatsu sesshin, practitioners seek to relax and quiet the mind to the point of cessation of mental chatter and emotional impulse, samadhi, kensho, or satori.
Title | Speaker | |
---|---|---|
Stand Up By The GroundSerial: SF-05209 Protection Master "Suzuki Roshi summer sesshin 1969 2nd night lecture Sesshin, Second Night Lecture Sesshin, Dogen, Time, Continuous, Freedom, Doubt |
Sep 1969 Tassajara |
|
Not Always SoSerial: SR-00124 August Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Dogen, Interdependence, Freedom, Gratitude, Composure, Posture, Emptiness,... |
Aug 07 1969 Sokoji |
|
To Actually Practice SelflessnessSerial: SR-00125 August Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Pain, Fox, Precepts, Freedom, Funeral, Monks, Liberation, difficulty,... |
Aug 06 1969 Sokoji |
|
Zen Is Not Something To Talk About, And Also It Is Something To Talk AboutSerial: SR-00015 Shunryu Suzuki (with Ryogen Yoshimura) Audio includes Yoshimura at beginning. Sesshin, Suffering, lecture, Monks, Don't Know Mind, Priest, Community, Posture... |
Apr 19 1969 |
|
Find Out for YourselfSerial: SR-00011 Find out what "buddha-nature" and "enlightenment" mean. Study without purpose. How his teacher in Japan treated him; trying to discover the right thing to do. Sesshin, Zazen, Eiheiji, Suffering, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Beginners, Posture, zen,... |
Mar 15 1969 Sokoji |
|
Shikantaza, Tenryu's One FingerSerial: SR-00236 Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Gutei, Yakusan, Community, Pain, sitting, Monks, Obstacles, Instruction,... |
Oct 12 1968 A Sokoji |
|
Because I Was Not WellSerial: SF-05143A SR023 Track 1 Suzuki Roshi's afternoon sesshin 4-23-68 copied [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A - per tape operator's... Sesshin, Koan, Ordinary Mind, everyday mind, Faith, Composure, Doubt, Religion... |
Apr 23 1968 A Tassajara |
|
Shosan CeremonySerial: SF-05143B SR023 Track 1 to 1/3 of other side Suzuki Roshi Question and Answer ceremony - copied 2 tapes [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A... Sesshin, Shosan, Echo, Emptiness, Attachment, Hate, Faith, Interview, Enemies, Evil,... |
Apr 23 1968 B Tassajara |
|
Shuso CeremonySerial: SF-05143C SR023 Last 2/3 side 2 Philip's discussion ceremony - copied 2 tapes [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A - per tape operator... Sesshin, Shuso Ceremony, Big Mind, Bell, Bodhidharma, Gratitude, Buddha Nature,... |
Apr 23 1968 C Tassajara |
|
Shosan CeremonySerial: SF-05985-A Shosan Ceremony, Sesshin, Feb 1968 This ceremony is re-edited from the original cassette, with non-SR (Bishop Sumi) sections removed, and the speed... Shosan, Sesshin, First Principle, Beginner’s Mind, First Principle, Lotus Sutra,... |
Feb 1968 Tassajara |
|
Everything Itself Is BuddhaSerial: SF-05140A SR20 - Reel #5 Suzuki track 1 - Roshi's lecture sesshin #7 12/6/67 Afternoon - copied (This audio is only the first part of the talk) Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Buddha Nature, Observe, Hate, Faith |
Dec 06 1967 B Tassajara |
|
Good and Bad FeelingSerial: SF-05141-A Tuesday, December 5, 1967 Sesshin, Attachment, Discrimination, Separation, Liberation, Freedom, Doubt, Faith... |
Dec 05 1967 A Tassajara |
|
Nature of Our PracticeSerial: SF-05141-B Tuesday, December 5, 1967, Lecture B Sesshin, Dogen, Fukanzazengi, Dragons, Daily Life, Observe, Freedom, training,... |
Dec 05 1967 B Tassajara |
|
The More We Study Our Way, The More Difficult It Is To Explain ItSerial: SF-05142 SR018 - Track 1 - Roshi's Lecture sesshin #4 12/4/67 Evening - copied Sesshin, Dogen, Observe, Ceremony |
Dec 04 1967 Evening Tassajara |
|
Think the UnthinkableSerial: SF-05137B ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #20, by Shundo David Haye ===== This talk comes from the middle of the second sesshin at Tassajara, in December... Sesshin, Fukanzazengi, Buddha Mind, training, Sanctuary, Beginners, Echo, Duality,... |
Dec 04 1967 Afternoon Tassajara |
|
Inner Power of PracticeSerial: SF-05137A SR017 - Track 1 - slow - Roshi Lecture - 12/2/67 - afternoon - copied Sesshin, Blue Cliff Record, Concentration, Precepts, Monastic Practice, New Year,... |
Dec 02 1967 Tassajara |
|
Putting Power In Your HaraSerial: SF-05133-A Afternoon Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Dogen, Fukanzazengi, Buddha Mind, Big Mind, Separation, New Year,... |
Dec 01 1967 A Tassajara |
|
True PracticeSerial: SF-05133-B Evening Sesshin Lecture Sesshin, Zuigan, Fox, Gratitude, Fox, Buddha Nature, Addiction, Discrimination,... |
Dec 01 1967 B Tassajara |
|
OLD - Reflections on the Prajna Paramita SutraSerial: 67-08-24C Thursday, August 24, 1967 Tassajara Introduction and end note from the Wind Bell During the seven day sesshin that ended Tassajara's first two month... Sesshin, |
Aug 24 1967 C Tassajara |
|
Shosan CeremonyAugust Sesshin, 1967 [Opening sentences of Introduction missed.] Sesshin, Shosan, |
Aug 24 1967 B Tassajara |
|
Genjo Koan no 4Serial: SF-05136 Track 1 17/8 - Suzuki lectures - beginning missed, one or two sentences; beginning: This is the last lecture of sesshin. We have talked of emptiness and form, but have not... Sesshin, Dogen, Genjokoan, Time, Faith, Emptiness, Continuous, Dragons |
Aug 24 1967 A Tassajara |
|
Reflections on the Prajna Paramita SutraSerial: SF-05135A ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #19, by Shundo David Haye ===== This is the talk that was chosen by the... Sesshin, Sengai, Time, Emptiness, Ego, Continuous, Evil, Nirvana, Concentration,... |
Aug 24 1967 Tassajara |
|
Buddhism Is Not a Special Teaching; Enlightenment Is Not a Particular StageSerial: SF-05134D ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #17, by Shundo David Haye ===== About half way through this sesshin talk, you can start to hear crickets in the background, getting... Sesshin, Dogen, Genjokoan, Enemies, Continuous, Doubt, Religion, Peace |
Aug 23 1967 Tassajara |
|
To Polish A Tile Is Our Practice ActuallySerial: SF-05135B ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #18, by Shundo David Haye ===== Further to the date confusion and missing talks discussed last time, it seems that even Suzuki Roshi... Sesshin, Prajna Paramita, Shobogenzo, Discrimination, Silence |
Aug 23 1967 Tassajara |
|
Genjo Koan no 2Serial: SF-05134C ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #16, by Shundo David Haye ===== This third talk from the historic inaugural sesshin at Tassajara in 1967, given the day after the... Sesshin, Dogen, Priest, Emptiness, Dragons, Describe, confusion, Hate |
Aug 21 1967 Tassajara |
|
Genjo KoanSerial: SF-05134A ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #14, by Shundo David Haye ===== The acquisition of Tassajara in 1967 was a huge leap for Zen Center. Suzuki Roshi had long been... Genjokoan, Dogen, Sesshin, Emptiness, New Year, Interview, Freedom |
Aug 20 1967 Morning Tassajara |
|
When You Have A New ExperienceSerial: SF-05134B ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #15, by Shundo David Haye ===== This talk was given later on the same day of the first Tassajara sesshin as the last one discussed (... Sesshin, Faith, Doubt |
Aug 20 1967 Evening Tassajara |
|
Sesshin Lecture: Three TreasuresSerial: 67-06-11 Sunday, June 11, 1967 [Suzuki seems to be commenting on Shi Sho Ku* (?) of Dogen. When this is evident, Dogen's words are in quotation marks.] *SHUSHOGI [jrb... Sesshin, Shushogi, Precepts, |
Jun 11 1967 |
|
This Sesshin Was Wonderfully DoneSerial: SF-05100-C Saturday, April 22, 1967 Sesshin, Priest, Evil, Doubt, training |
Apr 22 1967 B Sokoji |
|
You Must Give Up Worldly DesiresSerial: SF-05100-B Saturday, April 22, 1967 Sesshin, Family Practice, Doubt, Dragons, resistance, Priest, Hate, Freedom |
Apr 22 1967 A Sokoji |
|
OLD - In the first instruction of ten instructions in Gakudō-yōjin-shūSerial: SR-00089 Reel was wrongly dated - transcript matches 66-12-17-A Discussion of fascicle Shobogeno Gakudo Yojinshu. Way-seeking mind and responding to encountering the... Sesshin, Dogen, Shobogenzo, Sixth Patriarch, training, Birth-and-Death, Instruction,... |
Dec 17 1966 A Sokoji |
|
OLD - The Need for Training in Buddhism without Self-Seeking MindSerial: SF-05838 This had been labeled as A - transript matches B. temporary audio from this date hidden - SDH Saturday, December 17, 1966 DECEMBER ONE-DAY SESSHIN LECTURE:... Sesshin, Dogen, training, New Year, Don't Know Mind, Buddha Nature, Practice... |
Dec 17 1966 B Sokoji |
|
In the first instruction of ten instructions in Gakudō-yōjin-shūSesshin, Dogen, Shobogenzo, Sixth Patriarch, Platform Sutra, training, Instruction,... |
Dec 17 1966 A Sokoji |
|
Blue Cliff Records Case 45Serial: SF-05097-E Friday, August 19, 1966 Blue Cliff Record, Sesshin, Joshu, Eiheiji, Observe, Diversity, Duality |
Aug 19 1966 D Sokoji |