Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, a Japanese Zen priest belonging to the Soto lineage, went to San Francisco in 1959 at the age of fifty-four.
Already a respected Zen master in Japan, he was impressed by the seriousness and quality of "beginner's mind" among Americans he met who were interested in Zen and decided to settle there.
As more and more people of non-Japanese background joined him in meditation, San Franciso Zen Center came into being and he was its first abbot. Under his tutelage, Zen Center grew into City Center, Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
He was undoubtedly one of the most inspiring and influential Zen teachers of his time. Suzuki-roshi died in 1971.
Ryushin Paul Haller Roshi, dharma heir & current Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center, is also our main Teacher at Black Mountain Zen Centre.
Buddhism:
The Buddha Shakyamuni lived 2,500 years ago in India. He was a human being who possessed the same spiritual potential that is within us all. He realised enlightenment and spent His life helping others find what He had found. Enlightenment is the direct realisation of one's true nature and the nature of all existence. It is the end of suffering and the awakening of compassion.
In the 6th century C.E., an Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, arrived in China. His teaching emphasized meditation and unceasing practice. The Sanskrit word for meditation was "Dhyana" which was pronounced as "Ch'an" in Chinese and "Zen" in Japanese; therefore this teaching became known as Ch'an Buddhism in China and Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Soto Zen(Chinese: Ts'ao-Tung Ch'an) is the oldest tradition extant within Zen Buddhism. It was brought from China and introduced into Japan by Great Master Dogen in the 13th century. This teaching stresses the practice of meditation, the necessity of keeping the Buddhist Precepts, and the unity of training and enlightenment.
Since the time of the Buddha many schools of Buddhism have developed. The external form of Buddhist practice has changed and adapted to each particular culture as Buddhism moved from India, to China, to Japan and now to the West, but the essence of the Buddha's teaching remains unchanged. The aim of each Buddhist school has been to express the essence of the Buddha's teaching in a manner appropriate to the time and culture.
The Soto Zen School embodies:
1. The practice of meditation.
2. Keeping the moral Precepts of Buddhism, both in service to others and in keeping faith with oneself.
3. The teaching that all beings have the Buddha Nature. All are fundamentally pure; but out of ignorance we create suffering, thereby obscuring our real nature.
4. Awakening the heart of compassion and expressing it through selfless activity.
Meditation
Through meditation we can discover the Truth directly for ourselves, therefore it is the foundation of religious practice. It is to sit still with an open, alert and bright mind, neither suppressing nor indulging the thoughts and feelings that arise.
In meditation, one learns how to accept oneself and the world as it is. Profound transformation becomes possible once we know things as they are.
If I believe I am separate from everyone else, then I act selfishly to get what I want. If I know that within diversity, nothing is separate, then I already have all I need, for I am One with all things. Meditation enables us to discover the real nature of our own being.
The Buddhist Precepts
The Precepts are a description of enlightened action and serve as a guide. They are never imposed, but may be undertaken freely by anyone who wishes.
The final authority is wisdom born of the compassionate heart, but we should develop the humility to check our understanding with the Buddha's teaching (the Dharma) and with the Sangha, the living community of those who follow the Buddha's Way.
All beings have the Buddha Nature
In the Soto Zen School one can follow the Way as a lay person or as a monk. We use the term 'monk' for women as well as men, since there is complete spiritual and functional equality within our school.
We can all learn to meditate because we all have the Buddha Nature, even though it may be buried under much confusion. All beings are Buddhas and should be respected as such, whatever manner of life they may be in.
Awakening the Heart of Gratitude and Compassion
Compassion is aroused when we realise we are One with all life. When we realise that all things teach, we can accept them with gratitude. Meditation embraces both the good and the bad without judgement. When we are touched by the infinite compassion that is the foundation of all existence, the desire to help all beings arises naturally. By understanding and embracing the darker side of ourselves, we come to understand that the Precepts are our life blood; and that to go against them causes suffering for ourselves and others.
Buddhism is not a fanatical religion. Our aim is to make the Buddha's teaching available to all, but never to try to impose it upon others. Buddhism does not claim an exclusive Truth; it is simply a way that has led many to the deepest fulfilment.
