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Sesshin Talks

Zen Meditation Retreat

A sesshin (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) retreat in a Japanese Zen monastery, or in a Zen monastery or Zen center that belongs to one of the Japanese Zen traditions outside of Japan.

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.

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Title	Speaker	Date
Early Days of Suzuki-rôshi Serial: BZ-00750B Tokubetsu Sesshin: Japanese and American, Saturday Lecture Suzuki Roshi, Sesshin, Tokubetsu, Practice Period, Transmission, War, Discrimination...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Sep 28 1991 Berkeley Zen Center
What is Sesshin? Serial: BZ-00967B Sesshin Day 4 Sesshin, Pure Existence, Building, Peace, Birth-and-Death, Nirvana, Karma, Happiness...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jun 29 1991 Berkeley Zen Center
Walking With Mountains and Rivers Sesshin, Effort, Original Nature	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Jun 11 1989
Effort During Sesshin Serial: BZ-00326 Sesshin Day 5 Effort, Sesshin, Equanimity, Concentration, Repentance, Big Mind, Hindrances,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Feb 22 1989
Infinite Worlds in a Single Speck Sesshin, Japan, Lotus Sutra	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Mar 12 1987
Seven Factors of Enlightenment: Part I Serial: BZ-00868B Mindfulness and Effort in Sesshin, Rohatsu Day 4 Enlightenment, Effort, Sesshin, Mindfulness, Posture, Concentration, Equanimity,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 04 1985 Berkeley Zen Center
Sitting Sesshin as a Beginner Serial: BZ-00425B Sesshin Day 1 Sesshin, Zazen, Peace, Intuition, Hate, Posture, Anger, Silence, Concentration, Bell...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 16 1985 Berkeley Zen Center
Dropping the Buddha Bowl: Combining Sesshin with Outside Work and Family Serial: BZ-00407B Rohatsu Sesshin, Daily Life, Repentance, Practice Period, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Precepts,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 08 1984 Berkeley Zen Center
What's the Use of Sesshin? Serial: BZ-00407A Difficulty and Ease, Rohatsu Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Nirvana, Peace, Daily Life, Doubt, Equanimity, Enemies,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 07 1984 Berkeley Zen Center
Sesshin and Daily Life; Questions and Discussion Serial: BZ-00406A Rohatsu Sesshin, Daily Life, Daily Life, Mindfulness, Harmonizing, Don't Know Mind,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 05 1984 Berkeley Zen Center
Vigor During Sesshin: Soto and Rinzai Practice Compared Serial: BZ-00007A Sesshin Day 3 Sesshin, Soto Zen, Rinzai, Practice, Time, Soto Zen	Sojun Mel Weitsman	May 21 1982 Berkeley Zen Center
Embracing Moments in Zen Practice Posture, Time, Sesshin	Zentatsu Richard Baker	Apr 01 1978
Embracing Emptiness Through Mindful Zen Tozan, First Principle, Sesshin	Zentatsu Richard Baker	Aug 11 1974
Zen and Environmental Balance Time, Sesshin, Buddhism	Zentatsu Richard Baker	Feb 06 1972
Sewing Sesshin Serial: SR-00122 Sunday, June 20, 1971 Sesshin Lecture No. ____ San Francisco Sesshin, Okesa, Dogen, Attachment, New Year, Freedom, Bodhidharma, Lay, Concentration...	Suzuki Roshi	Jun 20 1971 City Center
Freedom from Everything Serial: SR-00150 Sesshin Lecture, Day 5 Wednesday, June 9, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, Happiness, Demons, Precepts, Perfect Wisdom, Attachment, New Year, Zazen,...	Suzuki Roshi	Jun 09 1971 City Center
Calmness of Mind Serial: SR-00151 Sesshin Lecture No. 2 Sunday, June 7, 1971 San Francisco Practice is to expose yourself as you are, express yourself fully. Accepting your teacher's words.... Sesshin, Zazen, Breath, Community, Emptiness, Priest, Pain, Community, Hate, Death,...	Suzuki Roshi	Jun 07 1971 City Center
The Teaching Just for You Serial: SR-00147 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Saturday, June 5, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, Precepts, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Truth, Buddha Nature, Politics, Transmission...	Suzuki Roshi	Jun 05 1971 City Center
It Is Actually Buddha's Practice Sesshin, Tatsugami, Zazen, Karma	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 20 1971 Tassajara
Calmness of your Mind Serial: SR-00079 Saturday Morning, February 13, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, Pain, New Year, Suffering, confusion, Oneness, Beginners, Community,...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 13 1971 City Center
Just Enough Problems Serial: SR-00273 Sesshin Lecture, Lecture 7: Page Street Apples Friday Morning February 12, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, War, Enemies, Hate	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 12 1971 A City Center
Not Sticking to Enlightenment Serial: SF-05445B ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #26, by Shundo David Haye ===== It's not completely clear how this talk dropped off the radar, as the tape had been copied and... Sesshin, Sixth Patriarch, Emptiness	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 12 1971 B City Center
Humor Is More Real Than Reallity Serial: SR-00274 Sesshin Lecture No. 5 Tuesday, February 9, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, Eiheiji, Dogen, Discrimination, Dragons, Observe, Emotions, Instruction,...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 09 1971 City Center
Wherever You Go, You Will See Yourself Serial: SR-00271 Sesshin Lecture No. 3 Sunday Afternoon or Evening February 7, 1971 San Francisco Sesshin, Tozan, Sandokai, Discrimination, Precepts, Freedom, Death	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 07 1971 City Center
Resuming Big Mind Serial: SR-00272 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Friday, February 5, 1971 San Francisco [”For this seven-day sesshin, there are only transcriptions for lectures given on Days 1, 3... Sesshin, Big Mind, Zuimonki, Hate, Zoom, Zazen, Anger, Ceremony, Pain	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 05 1971 City Center
Restore the Buddhist Teaching in its Original Way Serial: SF-06121A Sunday Evening, August 16, 1970 San Francisco Lecture A [The first part of the lecture was not recorded.] Sesshin, Faith	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 16 1970 A City Center
Our Practice is Expression of Our True Buddha-mind Serial: SR-00067 Sesshin Lecture, No. 4 Tuesday Evening, August 4, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Precepts, Beginner’s Mind, Precepts, Buddha Mind, Discrimination, Sutra,...	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 04 1970 City Center
Zazen Practice and Listen to the Right Teacher Serial: SF-05631 ===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #24, by Shundo David Haye ===== In the last years of Suzuki Roshi's life, very few talks were lost from the collections... Sesshin, Dogen, Bodhidharma, Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Observe, Precepts, Faith...	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 03 1970 City Center
Walk like an Elephant and Sitting like a Frog Serial: SR-00066 True Practice As Expression Of Buddha-Nature Sesshin Lecture No. 2 Sunday, August 2, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Sengai, Buddha Nature, Family Practice, War, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Monks...	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 02 1970 City Center
Observation of Precepts and Practice of Zazen is Same Thing Serial: SF-06049 Sesshin Lecture No. 1 Saturday, August 1, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Precepts, Precepts, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Faith, Ceremony, Ordination, Lay,...	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 01 1970 City Center
Open Your Intuition Serial: SF-05587B Sesshin Meeting Friday, July 31, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Intuition, Instruction, Beginners	Suzuki Roshi	Jul 31 1970 City Center
Sincere Practice and Way-Seeking Mind Serial: SR-00043 Sesshin Lecture No. 3, Sunday, May 3, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Transmission, Buddha Nature, Hate, Realization, Offering, Building	Suzuki Roshi	May 03 1970 City Center
Helping Others Serial: SR-00138 Sesshin Lecture, No. 2, Saturday, May 2, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Dogen, Zuimonki, Building, Doubt	Suzuki Roshi	May 02 1970 City Center
On Breathing Serial: SR-00139 Sesshin Lecture, No. 1, Saturday Evening, May 2, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Posture, Pain, Sangha, Enemies, Death	Suzuki Roshi	May 02 1970 City Center
Way-Seeking Mind Serial: SF-05361 Saturday Lecture Of March Sesshin Saturday, March 28, 1970 San Francisco Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Monastic Practice, Peace	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 28 1970 City Center
Non-Dualistic Practice Serial: SR-00260 Sesshin Lecture No. 3: Wednesday, February 25, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Big Mind, difficulty, Duality, Karma, Anger, Mahayana, Emptiness, Suffering...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 25 1970 City Center
Selflessness, Being and Non-Being: The Background of Shikantaza Serial: SR-00261 Sesshin Lecture No. 1: Monday, February 23, 1970 San Francisco Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Evil, Mahayana, Posture, Freedom, Continuous...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 23 1970 City Center
Each One Of Us Is A Cook Serial: SR-00258 Afternoon Sesshin Tea Lecture Sunday, February 1, 1970 Sesshin, Emptiness, Forms, Compassion, Pain	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 01 1970 B
Brown Rice is Just Right Serial: SR-00247 Morning Sesshin Lecture Sunday, February 1, 1970 City Center Sesshin, Emptiness, Discrimination, Buddha Nature, Hate, Suffering, Pain, difficulty...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 01 1970 City Center
Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 6 Sesshin, Ceremony, Freedom, Observe, Wisdom, Oneness, Beginners, Precepts	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 04 1969 Tassajara
Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5 Serial: SR-00202 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5 Wednesday, December 3, 1969 Tassajara Sesshin, Bodhisattva, Dogen, Shobogenzo, Oneness, Ceremony, Precepts, Wisdom...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 03 1969 Tassajara
Practice Should Not Be Perfect, So Descendants Have Something To Do Serial: SR-00203 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 4 Tuesday, December 2, 1969 Sesshin, Dogen, Building, difficulty, Monastic Practice, Transmission, Zazen, Breath...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 02 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part III Serial: SR-00194 Winter Sesshin, Day 3, Lecture No. 3 Monday, December 1, 1969 Tassajara Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Big Mind, difficulty, Vow, Monks, Priest	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 01 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part II Serial: SR-00266 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 2 Sunday, November 30, 1969 Tassajara Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind, Big Mind, Intention,...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 30 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part I Serial: SR-00267 Winter Sesshin, Lecture No. 1 Saturday, November 29, 1969 Tassajara Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Faith	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 29 1969 Tassajara
Sesshin, Third Night Lecture Serial: SR-00130 Tassajara September, 1969 Sesshin, Emptiness, Passions, Intuition, Bell, Forms, difficulty	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Shosan Ceremony Serial: SR-00213 Tassajara September, 1969 [Beginning of ceremony not recorded.] Sesshin, Shosan, Perfect Wisdom, Dragons, Breath, Death, Intuition, Lay, Bell,...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Sesshin, Sixth Night Lecture Serial: SR-00129 Tassajara September, 1969 Sesshin, Don't Know Mind, Posture, Ceremony, Addiction, Duality, Beginners,...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Stand Up By The Ground Serial: SF-05209 Protection Master "Suzuki Roshi summer sesshin 1969 2nd night lecture Sesshin, Second Night Lecture September, 1969 Tassajara Sesshin, Dogen, Time, Continuous Practice, Freedom, Doubt	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Not Always So Serial: SR-00124 August Sesshin Lecture Thursday, August 7, 1969 San Francisco Sesshin, Dogen, Interdependence, Freedom, Gratitude, Composure, Posture, Emptiness,...	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 07 1969 Sokoji

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