Teaching
A short introduction to the ideas our practice is built on — from the foundations of Buddhism to the path of Mahayana and the Pure Land.
Foundation
Everything in the Buddhist teaching begins with one observation: life contains suffering (dukkha); suffering has a cause — craving and attachment; that cause can be removed; and the path to its removal is a practical, followable path.
The Eightfold Path — right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration — is not a set of rules, but a direction for daily life.
The Bodhisattva's Path
The Mahayana schools extend the goal of practice beyond personal liberation: the practitioner strives to develop compassion for all beings and to follow the path of the Bodhisattva — one who postpones their own full liberation in order to help others.
Central virtues are the six perfections (paramitas): generosity, morality, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom.
Lineage
Tradition holds that the transmission of Zen from teacher to student has formed an unbroken "spiritual lineage" spanning more than 2,500 years. In the sixth century, the Buddha's teaching was carried from India to China by the monk Bodhidharma. There it unfolded under the name Chan — Chinese Zen.
In the 12th century, the Japanese monk Myōan Eisai, dissatisfied with how Buddhism was taught in his homeland, traveled to China to study the authentic teaching. He returned to Japan in 1191, bringing with him the Rinzai Zen tradition and founding Japan's first Zen temple, Shōfuku-ji.
Not long after, Dōgen Kigen (1200–1253), unsatisfied with the answers he found in the existing schools, also traveled to China. There, the master Rujing (Nyojo) taught him shikantaza — "just sitting" in silence, here and now. Returning to Japan, Dōgen founded the Sōtō Zen tradition and the temple Eihei-ji. His masterwork, the Shōbōgenzō, is still studied today.
Pure Land
The Pure Land school teaches of Amitabha Buddha and his vow to receive into his "pure land" anyone who calls upon him with a sincere heart. The practice of reciting his name (nembutsu) is an accessible path, open to everyone regardless of knowledge or circumstance.
For our community this is a complement, not a substitute, for sitting meditation — the two practices nourish each other.
Foundation of the path
Not an escape under the protection of a powerful being, but respect and gratitude for the teaching — and a resolve to seek Buddha-nature within ourselves.
The Buddha's teaching — understanding the Four Noble Truths and applying it to daily life, so as to free ourselves from anger and ignorance.
The community of practitioners who gather to study, share, and meditate together — support essential to the path, whether you are a monastic or a layperson.
Panchasila
Basic ethical guidelines, a common ground for every Buddhist school — not a rigid set of rules, but a practical support for a moral life.
Refrain from killing — understood broadly, including violence in speech: lying, abusive speech, gossip.
Refrain from stealing — avoiding deceit and exploitation.
Refrain from sexual misconduct — avoiding infidelity and any form of sexual exploitation.
Refrain from lying — honesty in words and intentions.
Refrain from intoxicants — as they often lead to breaking the other four precepts.
Cause and effect
Karma means cause and effect, not fate. Understanding that each of us bears responsibility for our own life leads us to consciously accumulate positive impressions — this brings happiness and helps us avoid the causes of future suffering.
Nirvana is the state of final liberation — the removal of attachment, suffering, and grief; a mind of perfect understanding, joined with boundless kindness and compassion.
The teaching is not something to accept on faith — it is verified through one's own experience.
Continue
Join one of our regular meetings — the teaching is best understood through conversation and shared practice.
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