The world of Soto Zen

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​Our look at the world of Soto Zen will have two aspects.  One is the way we understand and describe our core beliefs and values.  We might call it "what it means to be a Soto Zen Buddhist."  The other is the ways we express or manifest that identity in the world: our  denomination as a human organization, Soto Zen culture, how we express and interact with the dharma and incorporate teachings and practice into our lives.  We're already fairly clear about core beliefs and identity, though we'll review that.  We'll spend much of the year on how we got there, context and contributing factors, and how our Soto Zen identity shapes our communal activities, material expressions, and the stories and customs we share.  We'll broaden our view beyond zazen and Dogen to begin to discover the rest of the rich Soto Zen tradition, which is just beginning to arrive in North America.
Our tentative roadmap:
January:  Becoming Soto Zen: our denominational history
(Quiet February)
March: The surprising scope of Sotoshu  
(April through June ango, or practice period)
July:  Dankadera days: Soto Zen lay life in Japan
(Quiet August)
September:  The rest of the rituals
October:  Telling tales: our storytelling tradition
November:  Symbols of Soto
December:  Soto Zen of the world
Stories to enjoy

At our January Sanshin Salon, Transmitting Tales, Doju read three Buddhist miracle tales: "About Priest Jinyū of Echigo Province” from the Dainihonkoku Hokkegenki; "How the Great Holy One Caused the Theft of a Silk Robe in order to Benefit a Man and Two Women” from the Hasedera Kannon Genki; and "How Moritaka of Kamo Came Back to Life” from the Jizo Bosatsu Reigenki.  Learn more about Buddhist miracle tales here.