Teisho Today Archives
Welcome to the Teisho Today archives where we present our most recent Daily Zen Journals as audio files for your enjoyment. Over time we aim to have the entire library of journals available in this format, however, this is a work in progress as the first journal was released in 1998, and this is now 2022!
Join us on this journey as Daily Zen evolves and grows into the present moment heading into our 25th year.
West Mountain Evening Talk – Part 1
When the Master was living at Nanzen-ji as a head priest, Gen’no Osho said to him, “For the last twenty years, ever since you finished your study in the monasteries, you have been moving from one place to another. By now you have changed the place you live more than ten times. I think this is harmful to a Zen student. It exhausts him and interferes with his practice.
The Unborn – Part 1
I was still a young man when I came to discover the principle of the Unborn and its relation to thought. I began to tell others about it. What we call a “thought” is something that has already fallen one or more removes from the living reality of the Unborn.
The Heart of the Pine
The heart of the pine is solid, the joints of bamboo are hard; therefore they do not wither in the cold of winter, but continue to flourish even through snow and frost.
Doctrine of Mind
When the people of the world hear it said that the Buddhas transmit the Doctrine of the Mind, they suppose that there is something to be attained or realized apart from Mind, and thereupon they use Mind to seek the Dharma, not knowing that Mind and the object of their search are one.
Aspiration for Enlightenment
In the Buddhist teachings, various distinctions are drawn among aspirations for enlightenment. Essentially, it may be said that there are two kinds of aspiration for enlightenment: the shallow aspiration and the true aspiration.
Investigating Chan and Comtemplating Mind
Our sect focuses on investigating Chan and the purpose of investigating Chan is to “illuminate the Mind and see one’s own self-nature,” which means to thoroughly investigate and comprehend our original face. This investigation is also called “clearly realizing one’s Mind and thoroughly perceiving one’s intrinsic nature.”
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.
Practice of Meditation
Ultimately, all true learning is done on one’s own
