Find out more about Zen Practice

“To study Buddhism is to study the Self”

Eihei Dogen (1200-1253)

Find out more about Zen Practice

Key:         
•  = articles  
•  = audio files  
•  = other resources

Audio files are of talks (teisho) or guidance given during Zazen (kusen). Typically, kusen are short, so here we’ve often combined several into one file. To listen, we recommend you sit in Zazen at home while playing the audio

From time to time, particular texts are selected for discussion within a group of established sangha members in the monthly online meeting of Bristol Zen Dojo Sutra Study group

Soto Zen Foundations Course

In Autumn 2022, we provided a six-week foundation course covering the basics of our practice. Recordings of the associated talks can be found on the title link above

Teisho Series (2024) – The Bodhisattva Way 

This series of talks explored what it means to take what Master Deshimaru referred to as the Bodhisattva ordination – taking the precepts and the vows of the Bodhisattva. The talks are primarily to support those preparing for ordination, and are broadly based on the texts used within the ordination ceremony. Further resources, including translations of texts used in the ceremony, are available from the Zen in London website

• 23 February 2024
• 5 April 2024
• 12 April 2024
• 19 April 2024 – not recorded. Use instead ‘The Precepts, Part 2‘
• 26 April 2024
• 3 May 2024
• 17 May 2024

The Question and Response sessions which took place after each talk will be added and linked here. These are password protected, and available only for members of Bristol Zen Dojo to respect potential confidentiality concerns of those asking the questions

Shikantaza & Zen Practice

• Bristol Zen Dojo – Introduction Jeremy Zen Ki Cole

• Dogen’s Fukanzazengi 14 mins, Recommendation of zazen, Seiho Chris Preist

• Zen and zazen Nancy Nanshin Amphoux

• Zazen & Buddha-nature Mokudo Shogen Jean Baby

• Shikantaza 22 mins, Just sit, Seiho Chris Preist

• Shikantaza and Sokushin zebutsu 30 mins, Seiho Chris Preist

• The Soto Zen emphasis on posture Philippe Rei Ryu Coupey

• Mushotoku 16 mins, Non-gaining mind, Seiho Chris Preist

• Kusen: Presence and Awareness – Part 1 7 mins, Seiho Chris Preist

• Kusen: Presence and Awareness -Part 2 7 mins, Seiho Chris Preist

• Issho Fujita – A Fresh Outlook Shin Yu Claire Ruddick

• Dogen’s Early Works

• Zen Meditation, Zazen

The Role of Ritual in Zen

• Rituals and Ceremonies

Chanting and the Core Chants

• The Four Bodhisattva Vows Shigu Seiganmom,   Chris Sei Ho Preist

• Sho sekai bon no ge & Shosai myokichijo dharahi  Mokurei Jan Pearse

• Chanting the Sutras  16 mins, including the Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo,  Adrian Mokugyo Tuttiett

• Zen, faith and religion  Nancy Nanshin Amphoux

Zen and Life

• Zen and everyday life  Nancy Nanshin Amphoux

• Zen and Now  18 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Zen in Daily Life  32 mins, Talk at Leeds Dojo,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Zen Practice in Daily Life  25 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Buddha, Self and Action  21 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Zen and Daily Life  Roland Yuno Rech

What is Ordination?

• Expressions of Commitment and Ordinations at Bristol Zen Dojo Chris Sei Ho Preist

• Bodhisattva ordination and how it affects zen practice  Taiun Jean-Pierre Faure

The Three Poisons

• The Three Poisons  28 mins, The Cycle of Suffering,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

The Bodhisattva and the Vows

• The Four Bodhisattva Vows   Shigu Seiganmon, Chris Sei Ho Preist

• The Bodhisattva’s mind of awakening   Guy Mokuho Mercier

• The Four Bodhisattva Vows – Absolute & Relative Perspectives 28 mins, [2021], Chris Sei Ho Preist

• The Four Bodhisattva Vows  29 mins, [2017], Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• The Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance  24 mins, Approaches to social relations,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

Dharma Transmission

• I Shin Den Shin: Transmission from heart to heart 19 mins, Chris Sei Ho Preist

Zen and Ethics

• Zen and Ethics  20 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist   

• The Precepts, Part 1  19 mins, The Three Pure Precepts,  Chris Sei Ho Preist   

• The Precepts, Part 2  31 mins, The Ten Bodhisattva Precepts,  Chris Sei Ho Preist   

The Kesa/Rakusu

• Takkesa Ge – The Kesa Sutra  Brigitte Seijo Crépon/Mokurei Jan Pearse

• The Kesa 30 mins,  Maddie E Shin Parisio 

Wisdom & Compassion 

• How does practising zazen help other people?  Guy Mokuho Mercier

• Wisdom and Compassion  26 mins, A Buddhist perspective,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• The Art of Compassion  18 mins, Compassion and empathy,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Compassion  27 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

Mahayana Mind

• Mahayana Mind   Chris Sei Ho Preist

History of Zen Buddhism

• Chan Buddhism  Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh

• The Origins of Zen Buddhism  Taiun Jean-Pierre Faure

Hannya Shingyo

• Chanting the Sutras  16 mins, including the Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo,  Adrian Mokugyo Tuttiett

Sekito Kisen’s San Do Kai

• Sandokai  Adrian Mokugyo Tuttiett

• Kusen: San Do Kai, Part 1  32 mins, The Harmony of Difference and Unity,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Kusen: San Do Kai, Part 2 26 mins, The Harmony of Difference and Unity,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Themes of the Sandokai Sen Yu Edgar Koeb

Dogen’s Genjokoan

• Genjokoan, Part 1 23 mins, Early paragraphs of the Genjokoan,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Genjokoan, Part 2  13 mins, Later paragraphs of the Genjokoan,  Chris Sei Ho Preist   

• Kusen: Genjokoan  6 mins, Chris Sei Ho Preist

The Six Paramitas

• The Six Paramitas – commentaries by Guy Mokuho Mercier

Memories of Jean Baby

• A Ceremony for Jean Baby at La Gendronniere   Chris Sei Ho Preist

• Farewell to Jean Baby – Butsuka Alan Smith

• Memories of Jean Baby  21 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

The Four Noble Truths

• The Four Noble Truths   Chris Sei Ho Preist

• Why is there so much suffering in the world?  Mokuso Shogen Jean Baby

• The Four Noble Truths  20 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist

The Dhammapada

• The Dhammapada  12 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist

Selected Sutras and Commentaries

• The Satipatthana Sutra  16 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist  

• Madhyama Agama : Five ways to end anger, Guy Mokuho Mercier

Meditation – General

• Various Forms of Meditation  44 mins,  Chris Sei Ho Preist

NB – This last item is different in kind, covering the range of different forms meditation can take. It was given at a yoga retreat so its subject matter is not limited to Zen meditation.