Bendowa Bendowa (talk on the wholehearted practice of the Way) is one of the primary writings about practice/enlightenment by the great Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen (1200–1253).
In this writing Dogen emphasizes that practice and enlightenment are one. He describes practice/enlightenment as totally culminated enlightenment, the manifestation of ultimate Reality, and the total manifestation of Truth. He calls this the essence of the Buddha Way, and he points out the relevance of this practice/enlightenment to everyday life.
In this class we will be looking at Dogen's teachings in Bendowa and also the helpful commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi (a modern-day Japanese Zen master).
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text: The Wholehearted Way, tr Shohaku Okumura and Taigen Daniel Leighton. A limited number will be available in the book store.
Buddhist Psychology I: Yogacara Studies This course provides an overview of the ancient Yogacara philosophy of mind and its implications for modern psychology. We will consider what consciousness is, how it functions, and how mental experience is often misapprehended or misunderstood. We will also examine a number of enigmas, problems and contradictions associated with our common notions about mind and consciousness.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text: The Thirty Stanzas, by Vasubandhu* *Course materials including a comparative compilation of five translations of The Thirty Stanzas can be ordered through Dharma Field the first night of class for $10.
The following PDFs will be used the first night of class. If you have trouble with the links, please contact the office. The office is staffed M–Th 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
The following is a color-coded version of The 100 Dharmas included in the text. You may find it useful to color-code your version by referring to this PDF.
Buddhist Psychology II: Contemporary Studies
This course focuses on the nature of Mind, matter, and consciousness in light of recent studies in neuroscience, psychology, and physics. We'll consider how certain basic assumptions in these disciplines prevent us from understanding the nature of mind and consciousness.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text: Please see below
Please download the following class handouts and bring to class. If you have trouble with the links, please contact the office. The office is staffed M–Th 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
The Dawn of Zen This course is a study of two early Zen texts, "Trusting the Heartmind" (Hsin Hsin Ming) and "The Merging of Difference and Unity" (Ts'an T'ung Ch'i). These texts draw our attention to actual experience and inspire us to place our trust and energy there, rather than in our time-bound, mental constructs of thought and belief.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text will be provided at no charge.
For the students' convenience, the following class handouts are available for download in pdf format:
The Diamond Sutra Beyond the basic wisdom teachings of the Buddha—The Four Noble Truths,The Eightfold Noble Path, Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self, and The Precepts of the One Mind—lies the Prajñaparamita, or Wisdom Beyond Wisdom teachings. Building on the basic teachings of the Buddha, the Diamond Sutra teaches how we may cut through our basic views of reality—ourselves and the world—to awaken to Reality unencumbered by theory, speculation, or belief.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text is available at no charge by downloading the pdf file below, or contact the Dharma Field office to request a printout to be provided at cost.
The following class handouts are available for download in pdf format:
*For those purchasing this course on CDs please note: The Diamond Sutra is recommended to follow the Nagarjuna series.
Fukanzazengi This course focuses on Eihei Dogen Zenji's essay Fukanzazengi, which translates as Universal Recommendations for Sitting Meditation. Written shortly after returning to Japan from China, it is a most direct and compact expression of Dogen's essential teaching of the importance of zazen.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text will be provided at no charge.
The following class handouts are available for download in pdf format:
The Heart Sutra The Heart Sutra presents the essence of Mahayana wisdom teachings. It cuts through the conceptualized misinterpretations of the Buddha’s original teachings that arose after his death. It clarifies the essential nature of Reality and points to an authentic way of life.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text will be provided at no charge.
The following class handout is available for download in pdf format:
Introduction to Dogen Dogen Zenji, one of the most influential teachers in the Soto Zen tradition, brought Soto Zen from China to Japan in the thirteenth century C.E. This course focuses on Dogen's essay Genjokoan, which translates roughly as the Realization of Ultimate Reality. This is a foundational piece for much of Dogen's writings and provides an ideal introduction to this great writer and teacher.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text will be provided at no charge.
The following class handout is available for download in pdf format:
Peace Studies There is no way to peace, only ways from it. This course is a study in the Way of peace and understanding, and thereby the road to happiness.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Rise of the Mahayana I(from
the Buddha to Nagarjuna) This course
surveys the various philosophies and sects of Buddhism beginning with those which developed
after the time of the Buddha to those leading up to the Middle Way school
of Nagarjuna (Madhyamika) and the wisdom teachings of the Mahayana
(the Prajñaparamita).
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Either of the following texts is recommended: A Concise History of Buddhism, by Andrew Skilton,
-OR- Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations, by Paul Williams
Rise of the Mahayana II(from Bodhidharma to Dogen) This course will provide the cultural context from which Zen Buddhism arose and evolved, including brief discussions of Hua-yen, Pure Land, and Tendai Lotus schools. Significant Zen ancestors in ancient China, from Bodhidharma to Dogen, will be considered in association with our current-day studies and practice.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text: Handouts to be provided.
For the students' convenience, the following class handouts are available for download in pdf format:
The Six Perfections The Perfections, which are central to Mahayana Buddhism, are derived from the three branches of the Eightfold Noble Path: conduct, practice, and wisdom. The first four Perfections (giving, morality, patience, and vitality) relate to ethical conduct. The fifth Perfection is meditation, and the sixth is the Perfection of Wisdom itself. Like the Precepts, the Perfections are not rules of conduct, but expressions of the enlightened mind.
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Handouts will be provided at no charge.
For the students' convenience, the following class handout is available for download in pdf format:
Stewardship The Buddha spoke of right action and right livelihood. What is our impact on our environment? What do the Teachings say about taking care of our environment? Before taking meals at sesshin we acknowledge the many labors that have brought us our food. What is involved in bringing our food to us every day? What does it mean to live for the benefit of all? These and many other related questions will be considered in this course.
Prerequisite:
Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended:
Completion of Foundation Studies
Class Preparation:
Watch the movie Fresh
Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz before the first class
Please download the following class handout and bring to class. If you have trouble with the link, please contact the office. The office is staffed M–Th 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Totality and Non-Obstruction What is meant by Totality and Non-Obstruction? It is to transcend the tight confines of ego with the realization that Reality is found in interrelationship rather than in discreteness. Leaving behind all dualistic interpretations of experience, this course focuses on the radical view of the world as seen by the Awakened.
Prerequisite: Completion of Dependent Arising and the Unlocatable Self
Recommended: Completion of Foundation Studies
Text: Hua-yen Buddhism: The Jewel Net of Indra, by Francis H. Cook.
For the students' convenience, the course syllabus is available for download in pdf format: