Seattle Soto Zen

In this second class exploring the Platform Sutra, Mark turns to the teachings of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, and his radical assertion that meditation and wisdom are not separate practices but two expressions of the same realization.Drawing on commentaries by D.T. Suzuki, Red Pine, and Norman Fischer, the discussion explores the Buddhist triple discipline of morality, meditation, and wisdom; the meaning of straightforward mind; and the relationship between sudden and gradual enlightenment.The class also introduces three foundational principles of Huineng's teaching—no thought, no form, and non-abiding—and considers how these teachings relate to Soto Zen's practice of just sitting. Through readings and group discussion, participants reflect on the nature of enlightenment, the limitations of conceptual thinking, and the possibility that the wisdom we seek is already present in our everyday lives.Books ReferencedThe Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. YampolskyAmazonThe Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Translated by Red PineAmazonThe Zen Doctrine of No-Mind: The Significance of the Sutra of Hui-Neng — D.T. SuzukiAmazonDaughters of Emptiness: Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns — Beata GrantAmazon

In this Dharma talk, Kyosen Mark explores the famous Zen koan “Not the Wind, Not the Flag,” Case 29 of the Gateless Barrier, and its connection to the teachings of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen.Beginning with the story of Huineng's awakening and his encounter with two monks arguing over whether the wind or a temple flag is moving, Mark examines how our tendency to divide the world into opposing concepts can keep us trapped in dualistic thinking.Drawing on the Platform Sutra, the Gateless Barrier, and the story of the Zen nun Miaoxin from The Hidden Lamp, the talk explores how even the idea that “mind is moving” can become another attachment. A teaching from Ajahn Chah about a heavy boulder offers a practical illustration of the difference between managing our burdens and simply putting them down.Returning to Chapter 17 of the Platform Sutra, Mark considers Huineng's three foundational teachings—freedom from thought, freedom from form, and freedom from fixation—and how they invite us to experience life without clinging to our thoughts and judgments.Ultimately, the talk asks: How often do we become caught in arguments about what is right or wrong, true or false? And what freedom might we discover by going beyond these distinctions?Books ReferencedThe Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. YampolskyAmazonThe Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan) — Translation and commentary by Robert AitkenAmazonThe Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women — Edited by Florence Caplow and Susan MoonAmazon

Seeing the Nature: Prajna and the Platform SutraIn this Dharma talk, we explore the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor, Huineng, focusing on prajna (wisdom), kensho (seeing one's true nature), and the limits of intellectual understanding. Through comparisons of several translations, reflections on Dogen's teachings, and personal stories, we consider the difference between knowing something intellectually and experiencing it directly. What does it mean to awaken to our true nature, and how do we bring that understanding into everyday practice?Books referenced in this talk:The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Philip B. Yampolsky (the translation used for the practice period)The Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen — Thomas ClearyThe Diamond Sutra and The Sutra of Hui-neng — Wong Mou-lam and A. F. PriceThe Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Red PineThe Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, with commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua — Buddhist Text Translation SocietySuggested Donation $5

The Platform Sutra, Part 1: The Woodcutter Who Changed ZenWhat can an illiterate woodcutter teach us about awakening?In this opening class on The Platform Sutra, we explore the extraordinary story of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, whose chance encounter with the Diamond Sutra helped transform the course of Buddhist history.Through the history of early Chinese Chan Buddhism, the famous poetry contest between Huineng and Shenxiu, and the transmission of the Dharma, we encounter profound questions about sudden and gradual awakening, Buddha nature, and the meaning of practice.Along the way, we discover how this ancient, surprisingly human story continues to illuminate our own Zen practice today.Books Referenced in This TalkThe Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Translated by Red Pine. An accessible translation with commentary on Huineng's life and teachings.The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. Yampolsky. A scholarly translation of the early Dunhuang manuscript, with extensive historical background.The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind — D. T. Suzuki. Explores Huineng's teachings on no-mind, Buddha nature, and awakening.The Diamond Sutra — Translated by Red Pine. The foundational sutra that inspired Huineng's awakening.The Lankavatara Sutra: Translation and Commentary — Translated by Red Pine. An influential early Chan text that provides historical context for the development of Zen.

Fresh from receiving Dharma transmission, Seattle Sōtō Zen guiding teacher Kanshin reflects on the ceremonies, traditions, and personal experiences surrounding this significant milestone in Zen practice. Sharing stories from eight days spent with his teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Kanshin explores the meaning of lineage, the transmission of the precepts, and the responsibility of carrying the Dharma forward. With warmth, gratitude, and humor, she considers what it means to belong to a lineage of teachers and to pass the teachings from one generation to the next.Suggested Donation $5 - 10/11/26

Through the Zen koan of Baizhang’s Wild Fox, this Dharma talk explores karma, cause and effect, and the interconnected nature of our lives. Practice does not free us from the consequences of our actions; rather, it helps us see them clearly and respond with greater awareness. Drawing on Dōgen, Norman Fischer, and teachings on dependent origination, the talk considers how we can embrace both the relative world of everyday choices and the absolute perspective of practice—living fully within karma while working to cause as little harm as possible.October 5th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5Books mentioned:Entangling Vines: A Classic Collection of Zen Koans — Thomas Yūhō Kirchner. This is the most directly used book in the talk: the speaker specifically reads Kirchner’s translation of Baizhang’s Wild Fox. The publisher confirms that it is a translation of the Shūmon Kattōshū. Simon & SchusterAmazonThe Gateless Gate (Mumonkan). The talk identifies this as another collection containing the Wild Fox koan. It doesn’t specify an edition; Kōun Yamada’s The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans is a well-established English edition. Simon & SchusterAmazonThe Blue Cliff Record. Mentioned when discussing Bodhidharma and Emperor Wu. The Cleary/Cleary translation is a standard English edition. Shambhala PubsAmazonShōbōgenzō — Eihei Dōgen. The talk repeatedly quotes Dōgen’s fascicle Shinjin Inga, dealing specifically with deep faith in cause and effect. AmazonThe Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikāya) — Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli & Bhikkhu Bodhi. The Majjhima Nikāya is cited for the Buddha’s teaching connecting dependent origination and Dharma. Amazon MusicAmazonComplexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos — M. Mitchell Waldrop.  Goodreads Amazon

What does it mean to truly belong to a sangha? In this talk welcoming new members to Seattle Soto Zen, Kanshin reflects on community as a shared practice—learning to support one another, receive guidance, and “stand beautifully” together. Drawing on Thích Nhất Hạnh’s image of the sangha as a forest, the talk explores how practicing together can strengthen and transform each of us.Sept 20th, 2026 - $5 suggested donation - Kanshin Allison TaitBook mentioned:Joyfully Together: The Art of Building a Harmonious Community — Thích Nhất Hạnh

This Dharma talk explores the Four Noble Truths through Robert Thurman’s playful framing of the “Four Friendly Fun Facts.” Looking at suffering as something to understand rather than escape, the talk considers how self-centeredness creates alienation, how compassion reconnects us with others, and how the Eightfold Path offers a practical way to work with our lives as they actually are. Along the way, it touches on impermanence, Tonglen practice, and approaching Buddhist practice as an ongoing experiment in wisdom and compassion.Books mentioned: Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life by Robert Thurman, and Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong by Norman Fischer.Suggested Donation $5 - 09/13/2026

What does it mean to truly enjoy Zen practice? In this talk, Kanshan explores joy, presence, and the meaning of practicing without a “gaining idea.” Drawing on Suzuki Roshi and Zenkei Blanche Hartman, he reflects on our tendency to think something is missing or wrong with us, and how Zen invites us instead to meet this life with greater openness, balance, love, and joy.------Kanshin Allison Tait - 09/06/26 - Suggested Donation $5

In this Dharma talk, Kanshin explores the history, symbolism, and sometimes surprisingly contentious traditions surrounding Buddhist robes in Soto Zen. From the origins of the okesa and rakusu to the practice of sewing robes for Jukai and Dharma transmission, the talk looks at how these garments embody practice, lineage, and “the field of merit.” Along the way, Dogen’s teachings offer a practical lesson: we can keep what is wise and true from our teachers while leaving behind what is harmful or mistaken.Kanshin Allison Tait - August 23rd 2026 - $5 Suggested Donation