Explore every episode of the podcast Seattle Soto Zen

In this Dharma talk, Kyosen Mark explores the famous Zen koan “Not the Wind, Not the Flag,” Case 29 of the Gateless Barrier, and its connection to the teachings of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen.

Beginning with the story of Huineng's awakening and his encounter with two monks arguing over whether the wind or a temple flag is moving, Mark examines how our tendency to divide the world into opposing concepts can keep us trapped in dualistic thinking.

Drawing on the Platform Sutra, the Gateless Barrier, and the story of the Zen nun Miaoxin from The Hidden Lamp, the talk explores how even the idea that “mind is moving” can become another attachment. A teaching from Ajahn Chah about a heavy boulder offers a practical illustration of the difference between managing our burdens and simply putting them down.

Returning to Chapter 17 of the Platform Sutra, Mark considers Huineng's three foundational teachings—freedom from thought, freedom from form, and freedom from fixation—and how they invite us to experience life without clinging to our thoughts and judgments.

Ultimately, the talk asks: How often do we become caught in arguments about what is right or wrong, true or false? And what freedom might we discover by going beyond these distinctions?

Books Referenced

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. Yampolsky
Amazon

The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan) — Translation and commentary by Robert Aitken
Amazon

The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women — Edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon
Amazon

In this second class exploring the Platform Sutra, Mark turns to the teachings of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, and his radical assertion that meditation and wisdom are not separate practices but two expressions of the same realization.

Drawing on commentaries by D.T. Suzuki, Red Pine, and Norman Fischer, the discussion explores the Buddhist triple discipline of morality, meditation, and wisdom; the meaning of straightforward mind; and the relationship between sudden and gradual enlightenment.

The class also introduces three foundational principles of Huineng's teaching—no thought, no form, and non-abiding—and considers how these teachings relate to Soto Zen's practice of just sitting. Through readings and group discussion, participants reflect on the nature of enlightenment, the limitations of conceptual thinking, and the possibility that the wisdom we seek is already present in our everyday lives.

Books Referenced

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. Yampolsky
Amazon

The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Translated by Red Pine
Amazon

The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind: The Significance of the Sutra of Hui-Neng — D.T. Suzuki
Amazon

Daughters of Emptiness: Poems of Chinese Buddhist Nuns — Beata Grant
Amazon

Seeing the Nature: Prajna and the Platform Sutra

In this Dharma talk, we explore the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor, Huineng, focusing on prajna (wisdom), kensho (seeing one's true nature), and the limits of intellectual understanding. Through comparisons of several translations, reflections on Dogen's teachings, and personal stories, we consider the difference between knowing something intellectually and experiencing it directly. What does it mean to awaken to our true nature, and how do we bring that understanding into everyday practice?

Books referenced in this talk:

• The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Philip B. Yampolsky (the translation used for the practice period)
• The Sutra of Hui-neng, Grand Master of Zen — Thomas Cleary
• The Diamond Sutra and The Sutra of Hui-neng — Wong Mou-lam and A. F. Price
• The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Red Pine
• The Sixth Patriarch's Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra, with commentary by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua — Buddhist Text Translation Society

Suggested Donation $5

What can an illiterate woodcutter teach us about awakening?

In this opening class on The Platform Sutra, we explore the extraordinary story of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, whose chance encounter with the Diamond Sutra helped transform the course of Buddhist history.

Through the history of early Chinese Chan Buddhism, the famous poetry contest between Huineng and Shenxiu, and the transmission of the Dharma, we encounter profound questions about sudden and gradual awakening, Buddha nature, and the meaning of practice.

Along the way, we discover how this ancient, surprisingly human story continues to illuminate our own Zen practice today.

Books Referenced in This Talk

• The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng — Translated by Red Pine. An accessible translation with commentary on Huineng's life and teachings.
• The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch — Translated by Philip B. Yampolsky. A scholarly translation of the early Dunhuang manuscript, with extensive historical background.
• The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind — D. T. Suzuki. Explores Huineng's teachings on no-mind, Buddha nature, and awakening.
• The Diamond Sutra — Translated by Red Pine. The foundational sutra that inspired Huineng's awakening.
• The Lankavatara Sutra: Translation and Commentary — Translated by Red Pine. An influential early Chan text that provides historical context for the development of Zen.

Fresh from receiving Dharma transmission, Seattle Sōtō Zen guiding teacher Kanshin reflects on the ceremonies, traditions, and personal experiences surrounding this significant milestone in Zen practice. Sharing stories from eight days spent with his teacher, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Kanshin explores the meaning of lineage, the transmission of the precepts, and the responsibility of carrying the Dharma forward. With warmth, gratitude, and humor, she considers what it means to belong to a lineage of teachers and to pass the teachings from one generation to the next.

Suggested Donation $5 - 10/11/26

Through the Zen koan of Baizhang’s Wild Fox, this Dharma talk explores karma, cause and effect, and the interconnected nature of our lives. Practice does not free us from the consequences of our actions; rather, it helps us see them clearly and respond with greater awareness. Drawing on Dōgen, Norman Fischer, and teachings on dependent origination, the talk considers how we can embrace both the relative world of everyday choices and the absolute perspective of practice—living fully within karma while working to cause as little harm as possible.

October 5th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

Books mentioned:

Entangling Vines: A Classic Collection of Zen Koans — Thomas Yūhō Kirchner. This is the most directly used book in the talk: the speaker specifically reads Kirchner’s translation of Baizhang’s Wild Fox. The publisher confirms that it is a translation of the Shūmon Kattōshū. Simon & Schuster
Amazon

The Gateless Gate (Mumonkan). The talk identifies this as another collection containing the Wild Fox koan. It doesn’t specify an edition; Kōun Yamada’s The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans is a well-established English edition. Simon & Schuster
Amazon

The Blue Cliff Record. Mentioned when discussing Bodhidharma and Emperor Wu. The Cleary/Cleary translation is a standard English edition. Shambhala Pubs
Amazon

Shōbōgenzō — Eihei Dōgen. The talk repeatedly quotes Dōgen’s fascicle Shinjin Inga, dealing specifically with deep faith in cause and effect. 
Amazon

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikāya) — Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli & Bhikkhu Bodhi. The Majjhima Nikāya is cited for the Buddha’s teaching connecting dependent origination and Dharma. Amazon Music
Amazon

Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos — M. Mitchell Waldrop.  Goodreads Amazon

What does it mean to truly belong to a sangha? In this talk welcoming new members to Seattle Soto Zen, Kanshin reflects on community as a shared practice—learning to support one another, receive guidance, and “stand beautifully” together. Drawing on Thích Nhất Hạnh’s image of the sangha as a forest, the talk explores how practicing together can strengthen and transform each of us.

Sept 20th, 2026 - $5 suggested donation - Kanshin Allison Tait

Book mentioned:
Joyfully Together: The Art of Building a Harmonious Community — Thích Nhất Hạnh

This Dharma talk explores the Four Noble Truths through Robert Thurman’s playful framing of the “Four Friendly Fun Facts.” Looking at suffering as something to understand rather than escape, the talk considers how self-centeredness creates alienation, how compassion reconnects us with others, and how the Eightfold Path offers a practical way to work with our lives as they actually are. Along the way, it touches on impermanence, Tonglen practice, and approaching Buddhist practice as an ongoing experiment in wisdom and compassion.

Books mentioned: Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life by Robert Thurman, and Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong by Norman Fischer.

Suggested Donation $5 - 09/13/2026

What does it mean to truly enjoy Zen practice? In this talk, Kanshan explores joy, presence, and the meaning of practicing without a “gaining idea.” Drawing on Suzuki Roshi and Zenkei Blanche Hartman, he reflects on our tendency to think something is missing or wrong with us, and how Zen invites us instead to meet this life with greater openness, balance, love, and joy.

------

Kanshin Allison Tait - 09/06/26 - Suggested Donation $5

In this Dharma talk, Kanshin explores the history, symbolism, and sometimes surprisingly contentious traditions surrounding Buddhist robes in Soto Zen. From the origins of the okesa and rakusu to the practice of sewing robes for Jukai and Dharma transmission, the talk looks at how these garments embody practice, lineage, and “the field of merit.” Along the way, Dogen’s teachings offer a practical lesson: we can keep what is wise and true from our teachers while leaving behind what is harmful or mistaken.

Kanshin Allison Tait - August 23rd 2026 - $5 Suggested Donation

This talk concludes Seattle Soto Zen’s exploration of Dogen Zenji’s Fukanzazengi, reflecting on the limits of our perception and the transformative challenge of sincere Zen practice. Through Dogen’s images of “groping for the elephant” and encountering the “true dragon,” the talk considers how we see only part of reality—and how practice can reveal uncomfortable truths about ourselves as well as expand our understanding.

At the heart of the teaching is Dogen’s encouragement to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to zazen. Rather than treating meditation as a way to obtain enlightenment, zazen is presented as the expression of our already-complete Buddha nature: a chance to stop performing, judging, and striving, and simply allow life to live itself. Through sustained practice, we discover that the wisdom, compassion, and awakening we seek have been with us all along.

Kanshin Allison Tait - 08/16/26 - $5 Suggested donation 

This Dharma talk explores Dogen’s reminder in Fukanzazengi that human life offers a rare opportunity for practice—and that we shouldn’t waste it. Through teachings on the six realms, everyday examples, and reflections on impermanence, we’re encouraged to wake up to the fleeting nature of life and keep practice close. Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh, the talk reminds us that impermanence isn’t simply a cause for sadness: recognizing that everything changes can help us cherish the people, experiences, and moments of our lives more deeply.

08/09/26 - Kanshin Allison Tait - $5 suggested donation 

Shindo Steve Given - August 2nd 2026 - Suggested Donation $5 - Through the koan “What is Buddha? Three pounds of flax,” this talk explores the limits of language and our tendency to become trapped in explanations, distinctions, and opinions. Drawing on Dōgen, Suzuki Roshi, and other Zen teachers, it points toward zazen as a direct encounter with Buddha nature—not something to be understood through words, but something realized in silence, practice, and the immediacy of this moment.

Total Engagement in Immovable Sitting - Fukan Zazengi (Part 11) - Kanshin Allison Tait - July 26th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5 - The talk explores Dōgen’s teaching that Zen practice is not about becoming someone better or achieving a special state, but about wholeheartedly living the life we already have. Through stories of Dharma transmission, the image of a silver needle in a silver bowl, and Kōdō Sawaki’s teaching that “zazen is good for nothing,” it emphasizes that practice does not erase our individuality: a violet should bloom as a violet, and a rose as a rose. The path is simply to keep returning—to our posture, our breath, our true intention, and respectful care for everything we encounter—within the ordinary conditions of everyday life.

The Acrostic Jewel Mirror - Genzen Ed Cadman - Talk Date: 03/29/26 - Suggested Donation $5 - Genzen Ed Cadman reflects on the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, exploring how the teachings of “thusness” are passed intimately through Buddhas, ancestors, community, and creative expression. He shares his personal project of transforming the ancient poem into autobiographical acrostic poetry, weaving together Zen practice, family memories, and gratitude for those who have shaped his life.

Everydayness - Fukan Zazengi (Part 10) - Daiho Chris Middleman - 07/12/26 - Suggested Donation $5 - Drawing on Dogen’s Fukanzazengi, this talk explores Zen practice as something ordinary, wholehearted, and available to everyone. It reflects on honest effort, the temptation to make spiritual practice seem special or otherworldly, and the freedom of fully inhabiting our everyday lives just as they are.

The Dharma Gate of Repose and Bliss - Fukan Zazengi (Part 8) - Kanshin Allison Tait - Suggested Donation $5

Think Not Thinking - Fukan Zazengi (Part 7) - Kanshin Allison Tait - Suggested Donation $5

Bowing into the Life of Vow - Eko Jeff Kelley - 06/07/2026 - Suggested Donation $5 -

This talk explores bowing as a practice of humility, surrender, and connection. Using the Soto bowing verse, it reflects on letting go of the separate self, recognizing that we are “not two,” and returning to everyday life guided by the bodhisattva vows.

Zazen Body - Fukan Zazengi (Part 6) - Kanshin Allision Tait - May 31 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

Samzen Instructions - Fukan Zazengi (Part 5) - Kanshin Allison Tait - May 24th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

Turn The Light Around - Fukan Zazengi (Part 4) - Kanshin Allison Tait -  May 17th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

When You Rise - Fukan Zanzengi (Part 9) - Kanshin Allison Tait - 07/05/26 - Suggested Donation $5

Sitting Long and Getting Tired - Fukan Zanzengi (Part 3) - Kanshin Allison Tait - May 10th 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

The Mind is Lost In Confusion - Fukan Zanzengi (Part 2) - Kanshin Allison Tait - May 3rd 2026 - Suggested Donation $5

Zazen For The People - Fukan Zanzengi (Part 1) - Kanshin Allison Tait on April 26th 2026 - $5 Suggested Donation