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
Complaining Serial: BZ-00145A Women's Sitting Death-and-Dying, true dharma, Liberation, Vow, Anger, Hate, Rinzai, Enemies, Soto Zen...	Mary Mocine	Apr 20 2002 Berkeley Zen Center
Harmonizing Breath, Body, Mind and Feeling Serial: BZ-00142A Sesshin Day 3 Posture, Zazen, Ordinary Mind, Composure, Harmonizing, Attachment, Soto Zen, Nirvana...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 17 2002 Berkeley Zen Center
Zazen: It’s Good For Nothing, Thief in an Empty Room Serial: BZ-00062B Lecture uchiyama, Peace, Blue Cliff Record, Zazen Mind, Book of Serenity, Soto Zen, Dragons,...	Mary Mocine	Feb 09 2002 Berkeley Zen Center
Forms Serial: BZ-00095A One Day Sitting Precepts, resistance, Repentance, Soto Zen, Observe, Lay Ordination, Birth-and-Death...	Hozan Alan Senauke	Nov 18 2001 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen and Plum Blossoms Serial: BZ-00094A Saturday Lecture Dogen, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Dragons, Priest-and-Lay, Buddha Ancestors,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 03 2001 Berkeley Zen Center
Aspects of Practice: Suzuki Roshi Serial: BZ-00477 Class 1 of 4 War, Bell, Priest, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Precepts, Posture, Branching...	Dolly Gatozzi	Oct 04 2001 1 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen's Zazengi Serial: BZ-00086A Ego and Consciousness, Saturday Lecture Zazengi, Consciousness, Ego, Four Noble Truths, Discrimination, Ego, Concentration,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Aug 18 2001 Berkeley Zen Center
Tozan and Aspects of Self Practice Period, Giving-and-Taking, Four Noble Truths, Liberation, Soto Zen, Building...	David Weinberg	Nov 25 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness Serial: BZ-00085B Unity in Diversity, Diversity in Unity, Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Subject-and-Object, Diversity, Bell, Oneness, Precepts,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Aug 19 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
From the Beginning, No Surprises, No Lack Instruction, Beginners, Commitment, War, Rinzai, Heart Sutra, Posture, Bodhidharma,...	Richard Haefele	Aug 12 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen's Shingi, Head Gardener Serial: BZ-00060B Saturday Lecture Shingi, Lay Practice, Cultivation, Soto Zen, Teacher-and-Student, Lay, Daily Life,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Aug 05 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Women Ancestors Class Serial: BZ-00852 Class 3 of 4 Silent Illumination, Lineage, Interview, Soto Zen, Attachment, Chanting, Obstacles,...	Mary Mocine and Grace Schireson	Jul 20 2000 3 Berkeley Zen Center
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness Serial: BZ-00159 Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Oneness, Branching...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	May 27 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Zen Granny Rinzai, Concentration, Heart Sutra, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Buddha Nature,...	Myoan Grace Schireson	May 20 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Joshua’s Use of 24 Hours Serial: BZ-00207A Sesshin Day Two Blue Cliff Record, Attachment, Four Noble Truths, Soto Zen, Rinzai, Concentration,...	Hozan Alan Senauke	Mar 25 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness Serial: BZ-00205B Saturday Lecture Sandokai, Branching Streams, Precepts, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Observe,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Mar 11 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Dragon Zazen Dragons, Concentration, Posture, Don't Know Mind, Bell, Instruction, Rinzai,...	Hozan Alan Senauke	Mar 04 2000 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen’s Writings: Commentary on “Enlightenment Unfolds” Serial: BZ-00926 Class 1 of 4 Buddha Ancestors, Buddha Nature, Bodhidharma, Karma, Transmission, Teacher-and-...	Zoketsu Norman Fischer	Feb 03 2000 1 Berkeley Zen Center
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness Serial: BZ-00198B Rohatsu Day 1 Sandokai, Branching Streams, Big Mind, Soto Zen, Observe, Discrimination, Branching...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 29 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
Precious Mirror Samadhi, 6 of 8 Serial: BZ-00929 Fall practice period Five Ranks, Ego, Rinzai, Discrimination, Big Mind, Darkness and Light, Light-and-...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 04 1999 6 of 8 BZC
October 28th, 1999, Serial No. 01546 Serial: BZ-01546 #duplicate-please-hide Absolute-and-Relative, Five Ranks, Rinzai, Platform Sutra, Ego, Discrimination,...		Nov 04 1999
Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness Serial: BZ-00197A The Spirit of Practice Period, Saturday Lecture Practice Period, Branching Streams, Practice Period, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Oct 16 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
October 14th, 1999, Serial No. 00859 Five Ranks, Practice Period, Buddha Nature, Big Mind, Zazen Mind, Ego, Absolute-and-...		Oct 14 1999
September 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 00861 Precious Mirror, Five Ranks, Light-and-Darkness, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha Nature...		Sep 23 1999
Precious Mirror Samadhi, Class 1 of 8 Serial: BZ-01008A Fall practice period 1999 class 1 of 8 Hokyo Zanmai, Precious Mirror, Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha...	Sojun Mel Weisman	Sep 23 1999 1
September 23rd, 1999, Serial No. 01541 Five Ranks, Precious Mirror, Light-and-Darkness, Absolute-and-Relative, Buddha Nature...		Sep 23 1999
Blue Cliff Record: Case #50 Serial: BZ-00195A Um-mon's “Particle after Particle Samadhi”, Saturday Lecture Ummon, Samadhi, BCR-50, Attachment, Samadhi, Emotions, Lotus Sutra, Blue Cliff Record...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Sep 11 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
Breathing (Thich Nhat Hanh) Serial: BZ-00194A Sesshin Day 2 Breath, Thich Nhat Hanh, Four Foundations, Peace, Concentration, Happiness,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Sep 05 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
June 26th, 1999, Serial No. 00165, Side B Buddha Nature, Separation, Obstacles, Interview, Oneness, Soto Zen		Jun 26 1999
Genjokoan Commentary (Pt. 4/8) Serial: BZ-00753B Sesshin Day 4 Genjokoan, Buddha Nature, Separation, Soto Zen, Obstacles, Interview, Oneness,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jun 26 1999 4 Berkeley Zen Center
Genjokoan Commentary (Pt. 2/8) Serial: BZ-00078B Sesshin Day 2 Genjokoan, Precious Mirror, Duality, Buddha Nature, Five Ranks, Absolute-and-Relative...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jun 24 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
Beginners’ Sesshin Silence, Offering, Beginners, Instruction, training, Attachment, Diversity, Sangha,...	Hozan Alan Senauke	Jan 24 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
Shikantaza: "To Forget The Self" Serial: BZ-00190A Saturday Lecture Shikantaza, Birth-and-Death, Continuous Practice, Soto Zen, Offering, Renunciation,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jan 16 1999 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen’s Guidelines for Studying the Way Serial: BZ-00840 Part 1 of 4 Birth-and-Death, Impermanence, Continuous Practice, Hate, Six Realms, Attachment,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Oct 29 1998 1 Berkeley Zen Center
American Zen Alms-Prayer Pilgrimage Four Noble Truths, War, Mindfulness, American, Soto Zen, Gratitude, Bell, Culture,...	Claude Anshin Thomas	Aug 01 1998 Berkeley Zen Center
Laying Down Your Arms is the Most Intimate Big Mind, Lay, Soto Zen, Peace, Greed, confusion, Vow, Doubt, Karma	Myogen Steve Stücky	Jul 25 1998 Berkeley Zen Center
Eights Aspects Enlightened Person/Right Samadhi Serial: BZ-00324A Saturday Lecture Eight Aspects, Enlightenment, Samadhi, Samadhi, Concentration, Eight Aspects,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Nov 02 1997 Berkeley Zen Center
Recognizing Enlightenment Serial: BZ-00322B Saturday Lecture Enlightenment, Koan, Doubt, Constancy, Discrimination, Duality, Buddha Nature,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Sep 26 1997 Berkeley Zen Center
Sun Buddha, Moon Buddha Blue Cliff Record, Mindfulness, Sixth Patriarch, Culture, American, Emotions,...	Ron Nestor	Aug 02 1997 Berkeley Zen Center
Zadankai Serial: BZ-00114 Lecture Ordinary Mind, Conversation, Buddha Nature, Silent Illumination, Religion, Soto Zen,...	Robert Aitken and Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jun 16 1997 San Francisco Zen Center
Zadankai Serial: BZ-00779 Discussion Ordinary Mind, Silent Illumination, Conversation, Soto Zen, Buddha Nature, Religion,...	Robert Aitken and Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jun 16 1997 San Francisco Zen Center
Life of Buddha Serial: BZ-00845 Class 6 of 6 Karma, Nirvana, Four Noble Truths, Evil, Soto Zen, Precepts, Instruction, Don't...	Maylie Scott	Apr 17 1997 6 Berkeley Zen Center
Fukanzazengi Serial: BZ-00784A Rohatsu Day 2 Fukanzazengi, Obstacles, Posture, Manjushri, Don't Know Mind, Rinzai, Soto Zen,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Dec 03 1996 Berkeley Zen Center
Dogen’s Going Beyond Buddha Heart Sutra, Soto Zen, Silent Illumination, Buddha Ancestors, Building, Rinzai,...	Denkei Raul Moncayo	Aug 24 1996 Berkeley Zen Center
Tung Shan’s Poem Serial: BZ-00803A Shusho talk #1 Practice Period, Blue Cliff Record, Soto Zen, Lineage, Birth-and-Death, Offering,...	Ross Blum	May 18 1996 Berkeley Zen Center
Four Foundations of Mindfulness Mindfulness, Four Foundations, Right Effort, Instruction, Silent Illumination, Soto...	Maylie Scott	Mar 24 1996 Berkeley Zen Center
Blue Cliff Record: Case #57 Serial: BZ-00748 Lecture BCR-57, Attachment, resistance, Hsin Hsin Ming, Duality, Non-duality, Soto Zen,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Jan 27 1996 Tassajara
Body, Breath, Mind, Stick Serial: BZ-00821B Saturday Lecture Kyosaku, Posture, Concentration, Right Effort, Harmonizing, Bodhisattva Ceremony,...	Sojun Mel Weitsman	Oct 08 1995 Berkeley Zen Center
Jodo Shinshu Practice Buddha Nature, Soto Zen, Priest, Birth-and-Death, Anger, Karma, Gratitude, Chanting,...	Hozan Hardamon	Sep 23 1995 Berkeley Zen Center
Cultural Differences/Family Practice Soto Zen, Culture, First Principle, Lay Practice, Demons, Gratitude, Lay, Lineage,...	Raul Denkei Moncayo	Jul 22 1995 Berkeley Zen Center

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