Sanshin's practice vision

T​enets and teachings
Core elements of Soto Zen doctrine
  • Sokushin zebutsu 即心是佛 (Mind itself is Buddha)
  • Ichibutsu ryoso 一佛両祖 (One Buddha, two founders)
  • Seiden no buppo 正伝の仏法 (Authentic transmission of the Buddhadharma)
  • The practice of zazen is realized as the form of Buddha (butsu no sugata 仏の姿)
  • Igi soku buppō, sahō kore shūshi 威儀即仏法, 作法是宗旨 (Dignified deportment is the Buddhadharma, and etiquette is the principle of our school)
  • Ten main themes of Dogen's teaching
  • Buddhist essentials​
Stories and symbols
More gateways for connecting with the intangible 
  • Nyoho: clothing (robes), food and shelter (sacred space) made or used according to thusness
  • Scriptures and texts
  • ​Iconography and cosmology
  • ​Our storytelling tradition
Practices and precepts
Our actions, rituals, and behaviors that make the dharma tangible 
Sangha and society
Embodying the dharma together toward peace and harmony 

Special topics

Every year we take up a particular area of exploration that helps us to answer this question: Why do we practice the way we do?  We began with a specific focus on the immediate influences on our style of practice, then gradually broadened our view.  Throughout the year we create and collect resources about the topic that engage areas across the practice vision, and these resources remain freely available for anyone who wants to dig in.   
Lineage and Legacy
All about our immediate three 20th century ancestors and the teachings and practice we've inherited here at Sanshin.
Tangible Thusness
Discovering the three faces of nyoho, or things made and used according to the dharma: clothing, food and shelter.
The World of Soto Zen
Culture and context that gives us the background to understand our tradition beyond zazen and Dogen.