Soto Zen Talks

Sōtō Zen or the Sōtō school (曹洞宗, Sōtō-shū) is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān Liángjiè. It emphasizes Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.

The Japanese brand of the sect was imported in the 13th century by Dōgen Zenji, who studied Cáodòng Buddhism (Chinese: 曹洞宗; pinyin: Cáodòng Zōng) abroad in China. Dōgen is remembered today as the ancestor of Sōtō Zen in Japan along with Keizan Jōkin.

With about 14,000 temples, Sōtō is one of the largest Japanese Buddhist organizations. Sōtō Zen is now also popular in the West, and in 1996 priests of the Sōtō Zen tradition formed the Soto Zen Buddhist Association based in North America.

From Sōtō on Wikipedia

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Title	Speaker	Date
August 28th, 2009, Serial No. 01549, Side H American, Monastic Practice, training, Transmission, Blue Cliff Record, Culture,...		Aug 28 2009
Embracing Impermanence in Zen Practice Serial: EB-00235 Dogen's Genjo Koan; dealing with delusion, enlightenment and suffering; mastery is not getting rid of negative emotions and thoughts; story of Montana smoke-jumper. ... realization, Delusion, Death, Soto Zen	Edward Brown	Aug 12 2009
Zen Living: Mindfulness in Action Practice Period, Zendo, Soto Zen, Baso	Edward Brown	May 12 2009
Bicycle Wheel Dharma, Serial No. 01089 Birth-and-Death, Ordinary Mind, Ego, Obstacles, Composure, Soto Zen, Daily Life,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jan 31 2009 Berkeley Zen Center
The Practice That Fills and Is Filled by the Entire Universe and the Bodhisattva Precept of Not Killing Lotus Sutra, Buddha Ancestors, Soto Zen, Dogen, Buddha Mind	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Nov 22 2008 Morning No Abode Hermitage
Embracing Life's Ordinary Wonder Intention, Precepts, Right Speech, Lay, Soto Zen	Edward Brown	Oct 26 2008
Beginner's Sitting; Serial No. 01163 Serial: BZ-01163 Beginners' Sesshin Zazen, Monastic Practice, Soto Zen, Religion, Don't Know Mind, Priest, Precepts...	Hozan Alan Senauke	Oct 05 2008 Berkeley Zen Center
Twelve Links as Conditioned By Delusion and True Minds Serial: BZ-01156A Twelve Links, Continued from morning session, Teaching Retreat Dependent Origination, Dependent Origination, Karma, Mindfulness, Ego, Attachment,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Aug 31 2008 Part 2 of 2 Berkeley Zen Center
Entering and Embodying Truth Soto Zen, Japan, Bodhisattva Precepts, Perfect Wisdom	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Jul 29 2008 The Yoga Room
July 26th, 2008, Serial No. 01149 Ordinary Mind, Instruction, Lotus Sutra, Teacher-and-Student, Passions, Daily Life,...		Jul 26 2008
Bodhisattva Action is to Remain Unmoved Lotus Sutra, Manjushri, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Bodhisattva Way, Soto Zen...	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Jun 14 2008 No Abode Hermitage
June 7th, 2008, Serial No. 01137 Discrimination, Five Ranks, Separation, Blue Cliff Record, Impermanence,...		Jun 07 2008
2008.05.01-MZMC-pm true dharma, Bodhisattva Vow, Soto Zen, Bodhisattva Precepts, Desire, Commitment,...	Tenshin Reb Anderson	May 01 2008 Minnesota Zen Center
April 19th, 2008, Serial No. 01126 Karma, Right Speech, Soto Zen, Conversation, Culture, Peace, Cultivation, Silence...		Apr 19 2008
February 17th, 2008, Serial No. 01115 Birth-and-Death, Blue Cliff Record, Buddha Mind, Impermanence, Funeral, Gratitude,...		Feb 17 2008
3 Topics: Takuhatsu, Identity Action, Ryokan Plays with Children Serial: BZ-01110 Part 1 of 2 teaching retreat Separation, Soto Zen, American, Gratitude, Mahayana, Transmission, Discrimination,...	Shohaku Okumura	Jan 26 2008 1 Berkeley Zen Center
2008.01.21-serial.00112E Buddha Mind, Buddha Ancestors, Compassion, Soto Zen, Samadhi, Dependent Origination,...		Jan 21 2008
2008.01.21-serial.00112F Practice Period, Hindrances, Interdependence, Soto Zen, Liberation, Heart Sutra,...		Jan 21 2008
2008.01.20-serial.00112D training, Buddha Nature, Impermanence, Daily Life, Soto Zen, Repentance, Meditation,...		Jan 20 2008
2008.01.19-serial.00112A Fasting, zen, Culture, Impermanence, Soto Zen, Meditation, Vow, Compassion		Jan 19 2008
October 20th, 2007, Serial No. 01004 Offering, Soto Zen, American, Mahayana, Vow		Oct 20 2007
Blue Cliff Record: Case #61 Serial: BZ-01002 Raising a Particle of Dust, Saturday Lecture Sangha, Community, BCR-61, Dragons, Soto Zen, Teacher-and-Student, Silence, Lineage,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Oct 06 2007 Berkeley Zen Center
Balancing the Spiritual and Material Wheels: Serial: BZ-01001 The Protests in Burma, Saturday Lecture Balance, Politics, Burma, War, American, Soto Zen, Fundraising, Lay, Chanting,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Sep 29 2007 Berkeley Zen Center
Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow During this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... Bodhisattva Vow, zen meditation, Balance, Karmic Consequences, resistance, Confession...	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Aug 21 2007 The Yoga Room
Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow During this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... zen meditation, Obstacles, Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva Vow, Soto Zen, Confession-and-...	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Aug 07 2007 The Yoga Room
Zen Meditation as Bodhisattva Vow During this course, we will study the bodhisattva vow, to see how the compassionate intentions of enlightening beings generate, work, and play with the mind of enlightenment to promote peace and... resistance, Discrimination, Giving-and-Taking, Soto Zen, Samadhi, Non-discrimination...	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Jul 31 2007 The Yoga Room
Only a Buddha and a Buddha The Lotus Sutra says that the desire to help beings open to Buddha's wisdom is the condition for Buddha's appearing in this world. Lotus Sutra, Soto Zen, Desire, Religion	Tenshin Reb Anderson	Jul 28 2007 Afternoon No Abode Hermitage
July 17th, 2007, Serial No. 01276 Monastic Practice, Practice Period, Nirvana, Lay Practice, Soto Zen, Buddha Nature,...		Jul 17 2007
July 7th, 2007, Serial No. 00984 Concentration, Buddha Nature, Right Effort, Impermanence, Mundane Life, Heart Sutra,...		Jul 07 2007
Sesshin Lecture Serial: SF-00994 Strategies, gaining ideas; "paying it forward"; close investigation of the self; Orpheus and Eurydice; Rilke; hidden anger - staying with the emotion Dongshan, Sesshin, Suzuki Roshi, Monkey Mind, Vow, Buddha Nature, Emotions, Manjushri...	Myogen Steve Stücky	Apr 05 2007 Green Gulch
Letter and Spirit of Rules and Regulation Serial: BZ-01427 Dogen's Eihei Shingi, Saturday Lecture Brahmaviharas, Equanimity, Passions, Hate, Religion, Buddha Nature, Ego, Big Mind,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 24 2007 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen's Acupuncture Point of Zazen: Beating the cart or beating the horse Serial: BZ-01423 Saturday Lecture Zazenshin, Dogen, Lineage, Separation, Dharma Transmission, Dogen, Transmission,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 03 2007 Berkeley Zen Center
2007.01.19-serial.00117D Practice Period, Silence, training, Buddha Mind, Soto Zen, Dependent Origination,...		Jan 19 2007
2007.01.18-serial.00117B Bodhidharma, Soto Zen, Lineage, true dharma, training, Buddha Ancestors, confusion,...		Jan 18 2007
2007.01.18-serial.00117C Oneness, Silent Illumination, Buddha Nature, Meditation, Soto Zen, Buddha Ancestors,...		Jan 18 2007
Practice in the New Year: This is It! Serial: BZ-01411 Saturday Lecture Practice, New Year, confusion, Birth-and-Death, Instruction, Ordinary Mind, Hate,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jan 13 2007 Berkeley Zen Center
Commmentary on "Respect for Things" (from Not Always So) Serial: BZ-01408B Faith is Synonymous for Enlightenment, Saturday Lecture Faith, Enlightenment, Big Mind, Culture, Bodhisattva Way, Building, Soto Zen, Bowing...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 09 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
The Gift of Nothing Serial: SF-00929 Sunday Lecture Children's Lecture: one who is not busy, one reality; the gift of nothing; sesshin, from Suzuki Roshi; our mind is the same as Buddha's; all things are... Buddha's Enlightenment, Sesshin, Koan, Daowu, Keizan, Suzuki Roshi, Nirvana...	Fu Schroeder	Dec 03 2006 Green Gulch
Mindful Living Through Zen Cooking Mill Valley, Soto Zen, Money, Instruction	Edward Brown	Oct 22 2006
Breathing In, Breathing Out Serial: SF-01146 Sunday Lecture: simplicity; story of Prajnatara in Malawi; the sun comes up, the sun goes down; connections; the four foundations of mindfulness; Navajo rain dance Mindfulness, Four Foundations, Book of Serenity, Four Noble Truths, Nirvana, Buddha...	Fu Schroeder	Oct 08 2006 Green Gulch
Heart Sutra: Dealing with a Problematic Public Library Patron Serial: BZ-01236D Saturday Lecture Heart Sutra, Practice Period, Anger, Practice Position, Interview, Lay Practice, Soto...	Karen Sundheim	May 20 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
History of Berkeley Zen Center Pt. II Serial: BZ-01222B Kid Zendo: Figures on the Altar, Saturday Lecture Berkeley Zen Center, Teacher-and-Student, Dharma Transmission, Priest, Transmission,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 18 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
Fukanzazengi Part II Serial: BZ-01218 Zazen Anecdotes, Sesshin Day 3 Fukanzazengi, Sojun Mel Weitsman, Meditation, Posture, Don't Know Mind,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Feb 20 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
Fukanzazengi Serial: BZ-01217 Part I, Sesshin Day 2 Fukanzazengi, Silent Illumination, Lineage, Discrimination, Daily Life, Sanctuary,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Feb 19 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
Encouragement for Upcoming Sesshin Serial: BZ-01215 Thoughts on his early days, Saturday Lecture Sesshin, Sojun Mel Weitsman, Pure Existence, Karma, Monastic Practice, Soto Zen,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Feb 11 2006 Berkeley Zen Center
“Poems are not Poems”: The Poetry of Ryokan Serial: BZ-01213 Teaching Retreat, part 1 of 2 Priest, Silence, Discrimination, Aspects of Practice, Practice Period, Beginners,...	Shohaku Okumura	Feb 04 2006 1 Berkeley Zen Center
2006.02.03-serial.00017 Soto Zen, zen, Vow, true dharma, Buddha Ancestors, lecture, Interdependence		Feb 03 2006
2006.01.29-serial.00007 Soto Zen, Dharma Transmission, Sangha, Ordination, Enemies, lecture, zen, difficulty...		Jan 29 2006
Faith and Doubt Types Serial: BZ-01203B Rohatsu Day 3 Faith, Doubt, Doubt, Soto Zen, Rinzai, Karma, Sixth Patriarch, Platform Sutra,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 30 2005 Berkeley Zen Center
From "Not Always So": Wherever You Are, Enlightenment is There Serial: BZ-01201B "Enlightenment Is Right Where You Are", Rohatsu Day 1 Practice, Enlightenment, Faith, Buddha Nature, Composure, Non-duality, Suzuki Roshi, perfection,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 28 2005 Berkeley Zen Center

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