Branching streams flow in the darkness by shunryu suzuki. The text sandokai the title the mind of the great sage of india is intimately transmitted from west to east. It was constructed over a longer period of time, and contains different layers of writing. It is designed to be constantly challenging, yet rewarding. Sandokai means precisely that we have to go beyond sticking to.
An important, liberating book by one of the great founders of american zen, this work connects the wilderness of nature and mind. Like zen mind, beginners mind, it is a collection of lectures that reveal the insight, humor, and intimacy with zen that made suzuki roshi so influential as a teacher. Zen talks on the sandokai, shunryu suzuki university of california press, 1999. This is an important zen verse that is chanted in many centers and monasteries every day. This film of shunryu suzuki roshi is an excerpt from a talk he gave at tassajara in 1971 on the poem sandokai trans. When shunryu suzuki roshis zen mind, beginners mind was published in 1972, it was enthusiastically embraced by westerners eager for spiritual insight and knowledge of zen.
In my first talk i explained the meaning of the title, sandokai, and the first line. Branches of the sandokai, by shunryu suzuki by buddhism now on 8 july 2018 0. Difference simply exists, so it is not possible to say that differences are truly good or bad, or to make comparisons. Branching streams flow in the darkness is the first followup volume to suzuki roshis important. This work is attributed to the chinese monk dongshan liangjie japanese. A comprehensive resource for zen and buddhism practitioners. This is shunryu suzukis commentary on the sandokai. The sandokai sekito kisen the book branching streams flow in the darknes s is a collection of lectures on the ancient chinese poem the sandoki sekito kisen ch. Books by jokai, mor sorted by popularity project gutenberg. Shunryu suzuki branching streams flow in the darkness.
Shunryu suzuki 19041971 was the founder of the san francisco zen center and author of the popular zen mind, beginners mind. Its recited daily in soto zen temples throughout the world one of only a handful of zen or buddhist scriptures similarly honored. Borges, what influenced him in his writings, and a brief history of his place of origin, argentina. Hi all sandokei fans, we finish up the sandokai this week and we should finish the book next time. Popular youkai books showing 150 of 194 natsumes book of friends, vol. Here is a link to online talks on the sandokai from the sandokai retreat lectures 2006 given by reverend master eko little, the current abbot of shasta abbey, using kennett roshis translation. The sandokai is chinese zen teaching poem written by sekito kisen 700790 ce. Zen talks on the sandokai university of california press. Home buddhism branches of the sandokai, by shunryu suzuki.
Cleary, thomas, minding mind, shambala publications, boston, massachusetts, 1995 katagiri, dainin, returning to silence, shambala dragon ed. The endpiece shows suzuki roshi and his wife, mitsu okusan suzuki sensei, at tassajara in june 1970, at the wedding ofed brown and meg gawler. Given in 1970 at tassajara zen mountain center, the lectures are an example of a zen teacher in his prime elucidating a venerated, ancient, and difficult work to his western students. Not always so harper, 2002 is another collection of short talks. This sequel to the widely read zen and the brain continues james austins explorations into the key interrelationships between zen buddhism and brain research. These lectures became the basis of the book, branching streams flow in the darkness.
In my first talk i explained the meaning of the title,sandokai, and the first line, the mind of the. I am indebted to shunryu suzuki roshi and many others who have translated and commented on the original sandokai. Everyday zen dvedhavitakka sutta two kinds of thought. Toward the end of his life shunryu suzuki roshi gave a series of lectures on the sandokai. The sandokai a poem by the eighthcentury zen master sekito kisen ch. Pauls episcopal church 2216 17th street bakersfield, ca 93301 this oneday retreat includes zazen seated meditation and kinhin walking meditation, samu work practice, a monks breakfast, and lunch.
We have just added many new sources, including the expositors bible commentary, bengels gnomon, langes commentary, hastings great texts and many more. The sandokai is a poem revered by the soto school of zen buddhism. Shengyen, a famous zen teacher, published a commentary in english on both sandokai inquiry into matching halves and the precious mirror of samadhi under the title the. In january 2001, i entered the new orleans zen temple for a halfday introduction. Publication of branching streams, the commentary on the sandokai by shunryu suzuki is a great benefit to those of us learning about zen, and life, here in the west. It covers a variety of works on zen, life, just sitting shikantaza zazen, master dogen and buddhism in general.
Click the commentary tab or pulldown menu for a full selection of commentaries over any bible passage you are researching. Branching streams flow in the darkness zen talks on the sandokai. Shitou xiqian is the subject of these talks given by shunryu suzuki roshi, author of the influential zen mind, beginners mind. The following excerpts come taigen dan leightons preface to the book, the art of just sitting ed. These have been published as the book branching streams flow in the darkness. Shunryu suzukis voice from his lecture on june 3rd, 1970 synched with footage from the sandokai film. Its recited daily or at least weekly in most zen monasteries and practice centers because of its profound teaching about the relationship between the absolute and relative aspects of reality. This poem was composed by the 8th century chinese zen master shitou xiqian.
Shunryu suzuki has 21 books on goodreads with 88622 ratings. Nevertheless, i remember being particularly impressed by a first zen reader, which included a very fine commentary on hakuins song of zazen that i read on a solitary retreat in north wales. Branching streams flow in the darkness is the first followup volume to suzuki roshis the book became the most successful treatise on buddhism in english, selling more than one million copies to date. Tozan ryokan, who lived during the end of tang dynasty, as well as two sets of verse commentaries by him. Shunryu suzukis most popular book is zen mind, beginners mind. In this volume edited by mel weitsman and michael wenger, this teacher presents his interpretation and commentary on the sandokaia poem by the eighth century zen master sekito kisen. Suzuki explores the poem, expounding on the meanings of its imagery and relevance to buddhist practice and to life. The book branching streams flow in the darkness is a collection of lectures on the ancient chinese poem the sandoki sekito kisen ch. The book became the most successful treatise on buddhism in english, selling more than one million copies to date. I checked out 10 or 11 books from the library, and this poem was in. List of interesting books in english abze association. The practice transmitted to us by our founder suzuki roshi and other early teachers included the formal rituals and ceremonies that are practiced at zen monasteries in japan.
This retreat we are focusing on a chant known as the identity of the relative and absolute, or the sandokai. The paperback of the the night parade of one hundred demons. Branches of the sandokai, by shunryu suzuki buddhism now. Branching streams is culled from a series of talks given by suzuki on a challenging, 22couplet chinese poem called the sandokai, written by the eighthcentury zen master sekito kisen chinese. This my second episode on the sandokai, an ancient teaching poem composed by chinese zen master sekito kisen shitou xiqian, 700790. The book became the most successful treatise on buddhism in english.
In this paper, i will discuss several short stories written by mr. The book became the most successful treatise on buddhism in english, selling. Sandokai 3 talks on the identity of relative and absolute. Included with the lectures are student questions and suzuki roshis answers, along with a meditation instruction. A few that i have not yet read i will try hard to read. Branching streams flow in the darkness university of california press, 1999 is a commentary on the sandokai, an eighthcentury poem. The sandokai, is a poem written by sekito kisen daiosho, a zen buddhist priest who practiced and taught the true body of meditation in china during the first half of the eight century. Sandokai talk 2 of 6 a series of talks on zen poem merging of difference and unity part two. Project gutenberg offers 61,477 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. While human faculties are sharp or dull, the way has no northern or southern ancestors. Nagarjuna, the 2nd century indian buddhist monk and poet, is an almost mythical figure in buddhist history. Zen practice in books by tony shinro doubleday stonewater. Book of serenity, by hsinghsiu, thomas cleary introduction an important collection of 100 classic zen buddhist koans with commentaries. All translation is treason, okakura kakuzo said in the book of tea.
Oct 01, 2001 branching streams flow in the darkness is the first followup volume to suzuki roshis important work. Among the earliest of the specifically zen texts, dating back to at least the 8th century, is the platform sutra of the sixth patriarch, attributed to huineng. Verse by verse exploration of the sandokai sekito kisens sandokai. Master daishin also gives a commentary on the sandokai in his book buddha recognizes buddha see references. This dialectic, derived by shitou from chinese huayan thought based on the flower ornament avatamsaka sutra, combined with some use of daoist imagery, became the philosophical background of soto, as expressed by dongshan in the five ranks teachings, and later elucidated by various soto thinkers.
Here is the inimitable master sheng yen at his best, illuminating the ancient texts of the chinese zen tradition to show how wonderfully practical they really are, even for us today. The sandokai is a poem by the eighth chinese zen ancestor shitou xiqian. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Sandokai lecture series by shunryu suzuki that led to. Branching streams flow in the darkness book by shunryu. Branching streams flow in the darkness by shunryu suzuki, mel. Jul 08, 2018 home buddhism branches of the sandokai, by shunryu suzuki.
Sep 24, 2010 a sequel to the popular zen and the brain further explores pivotal points of intersection in zen buddhism, neuroscience, and consciousness, arriving at a new synthesis of information from both neuroscience research and zen studies. Both books contain material from both the soto and the rinzai. Books by jokai, mor sorted by popularity project gutenberg books by jokai, mor sorted by popularity. In infinite circle, one of americas most distinctive zen teachers takes a backtobasics approach to zen. Unlike many groups that split away from their parent body, we decided that it would not be correct etiquette to continue teaching a syllabus from a system that we no longer ascribed to. Zen talks on the sandokai suzuki, shunryu, suzuki, shunryu, weitsman, mel, wenger, mich. Branching streams flow in the darkness, a compilation of. Nov 26, 2014 im studying the sandokai with sensei daiken nelson along with the assistance of two trusty tour guides shohaku okumuras living by vow and shunryu suzukis branching streams flow in the darkness. The harmony of difference and sameness the mind of the great sage of india is intimately transmitted from west to east. These talks provide a succinct overview of suzukis views on enlightenment, suffering, the big mind, the dangers of dualistic thinking, and the futility of knowing in the head what zen is. Further readings about zen reading list compiled by janet cooke batchelor, stephen, verses from the center. Each chapter focuses on one to several of the lines of the poem. A reminder that our next book is this, starting in a few weeks. More may be added over time as this is an ongoing project.
Branching streams flow in the darkness book by shunryu suzuki. In this volume edited by mel weitsman and michael wenger, this teacher presents his interpretation and commentary on the sandokai a poem by the eighth century zen master sekito kisen. In the first episode i read the whole poem, discussed the big deal about absolute and relative why zen talks about. Hi, the following is a recommended book list for our sangha. Im studying the sandokai with sensei daiken nelson along with the assistance of two trusty tour guides shohaku okumuras living by vow and shunryu suzukis branching streams flow in the darkness. A sequel to the popular zen and the brain further explores pivotal points of intersection in zen buddhism, neuroscience, and consciousness, arriving at a new synthesis of information from both neuroscience research and zen studies. Sekkei harada in his beautiful book unfathomable depths 2014 writes. This dharma talk, offered by sensei alan during a zazenkai daylong silent meditation retreat, is a wonderful concise commentary on the zen poem song of the grass hut.
Translation and commentary zen fellowship of bakersfield. For instance, because he is not so smart, the dull person must study hard and read one book over and over again. The teachings of the five ranks may be inspired by the sandokai, a poem attributed to shitou xiqian traditional chinese. Thank you to all who provided input, and the list is still open to new suggestions and additions i am trying to read about everything before it goes on the list. The sandokai is a poem by zen master sekito kisen on the inseparability of the relative and the absolute. The sandokai is a japanese translation of an eighth century chinese poem by shitou xiqian, a student of qingyuan xingsi, who was in turn a dharma heir of huineng, the sixth ancestor. Branching streams flow in the darkness is the first sequel to suzuki roshis important work. The identity of relative and absolute part v march 1, 2015 by unlockthedoortolearning the four elements return to their true nature as a child to its mother. The frontispiece is a traditional chinese woodcut of sekito kisen. Glassman illuminates three key teachings of zen buddhism, offering linebyline commentary in clear, direct language. Everyday zen talk 05 commentary on the first words of. In this first talk norman gives a detailed talk on the origin and significance of the sandokai. This is some talks by suzuki roshi on the sandokai a poem written by shitou xiqian a chinese chan master in the 8th century.
A classic collection of koansthe paradoxical teaching devices that have been closely associated with zen study and practice since the tenth century. Norman begins his 2010 series of talks on the sandokai referencing suzuki roshis book branching streams flow in the darkness. Jorge luis borges is a famous spanish author, known best for his short stories. The sandokai syllabus is a framework designed to guide the student into a lifetime career in the martial arts, enabling all to find their own niche within the system while stressing technical excellence and etiquette. The sandokaia poem by the eighthcentury zen master sekito kisen ch. Also, to those of us who practice or try to learn about zen without benefit of teachers, and the guided life of a monastery. You will find this poem in many zen and buddhism books. In the next two episodes ill explore the meaning of the sandokai. An analysis of jorge luis borgess the book of sand kibin.
The zfb is hosting a day of zen practice on saturday, 17 december. Though the new book is a marked departure in both tone and style from the less formal, more freeflowing and spacious structure of zen mind, it nevertheless delivers an abundance of suzukis. Introduction to the sandokai turning wheel buddhist temple, leicester posted on 2 september, 2016 by turning wheel buddhist temple, leicester march 27, 2018 rev. Practice of the wild, gary snyder north point press, 1990.
Nowadays, the word discrimination has a bad connotation, but discrimination against certain things or other people is not the sense meant here. When sandokai progressed from a concept to a reality the senior grades sat down and pooled over 100 years of karate experience. Books by shunryu suzuki author of zen mind, beginners mind. A collection of suzukis talks on the sandokai, an eighthcentury poem written by the chinese zen master sekito kisen. Sandokai harmony of difference and sameness annotated.
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