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Nishijima Roshi's Zazen Retreat Lectures





   For over twenty years, Nishijima Roshi held a 3-day English language Zazen Retreat at Tokei-in temple in Shizuoka city, Japan.  During the retreat he gave four lectures of an introductory nature focusing on the teachings of Dogen Zenji. Each lecture was followed by a period of questions and answers. The following are transcripts of four lectures from the retreats in 1995 and 1996. The talks were transcribed and edited by Peter Rocca.

　

Lecture 1

  Nishijima Roshi talks about his fundamental ideas about Buddhism and civilization today. He discusses the relationship between religion and Western philosophy, and how Buddhist theory can solve the contradictory situation between idealistic and materialistic ideas.

　

Lecture 2

  Nishijima Roshi outlines the life of Master Dogen, the 13th century Buddhist priest and philosopher, and discusses the four main principles of Dogen's most famous book, the Shobogenzo. The four principles are: 1. The will to the truth; 2. The existence of the rule of cause and effect; 3. Instantaneousness of this world; 4. Zazen.

 

Lecture 3

  Nishijima Roshi outlines the origins of various Buddhist sects in Japan, and compares the two main sects which practice Zazen, the Rinzai sect and the Soto sect. He also describes Master Dogen's explanation of Zazen using four principles which Master Dogen liked to explain: 1. Not thinking; 2. Regulating the body and sitting in the right posture; 3. Getting rid of body and mind; 4. Becoming one piece.

 

Lecture 4

  The last of the four lectures is an open discussion between Nishijima Roshi and the retreat participants during which Nishijima Roshi answers various questions about Buddhism in modern society and in our daily lives.

　

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