What does it mean to say that difference is essence? One day, Sekito read the phrase: “The true sage is one who becomes all the existences of the Universe.” Sekito wondered: how can one existence become all the existences of the Universe? From that day on, this question illuminated his path. The practice of zazen…
To explain the differences in capacity among his disciples, the Buddha used the simile of the four types of horses. Other masters have also spoken about this. Master Sekito says: “In the ordinary world there are people of different capacities, but in the Way there is no distinction between people from the north and people…
Buddha-nature is, in itself, impermanence and interdependence. An interdependence with all beings in the Universe. Like Indra’s net, in which each being is a many-faceted diamond, and on each facet it reflects the facet of another diamond. In this way, a net is formed in which all the diamonds are connected to one another by…
The Buddha said: “If you want to see Buddha-nature, observe cause and effect intimately. When the moment arrives, Buddha-nature manifests.” To see Buddha-nature is to see our original nature; it is the awakening of consciousness. Awakening from delusion and fixation. Awakening to the fleeting reality of life. To observe cause and effect intimately is seated…
How could a drop of water feel loneliness in the middle of the ocean? Kodo Sawaki used to say that our existence is like a bubble of foam, trembling and ephemeral. Ultimately, we are nothing more than a drop of water in the middle of the ocean, and yet we feel alone. In the midst…
Lluís Nansen Salas: Dharma Zen.El ojo de la maravillosa revelación, Ediciones Invisibles, Barcelona, 2019. A selection of texts from the great Zen Buddhist masters that helps us deepen our understanding of this ancient practice that connects body and mind. The Japanese master Taisen Deshimaru said:“Zen is not a philosophy; it is not something that can…
Gran Sangha Taisen Deshimaru: On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Taisen Deshimaru’s arrival in Europe, the Sangha Sans Demeure undertook the laborious task of creating a tree that illustrates the growth of Taisen Deshimaru’s Zen lineage in Europe. We thank our friend Stéphane for sharing this genealogical chart with us. To view the…
After the Buddha asked Mahakashyapa about the Bodhicitta, he said: “The awakened mind and the mind that aspires to awaken others first are indistinguishable. But the mind that aspires to awaken others is more difficult to find. I bow before the mind that aspires to awaken others first.” The Bodhicitta, the mind that aspires to…
Report with an interview featuring Lluís Nansen about Zen practice, on the program Tierra de Sueños from the local channel 25Television. It was recorded at the Dojo Zen Barcelona Kannon and broadcast in Catalonia and South America. 25Television interviews Master Nansen Lluís Nansen, a leading figure in the world of meditation and Zen practice in…
