Canberra Soto Zen Group - CSZG

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Canberra Soto Zen Group - CSZG

We hold weekly ‘Zanzenkai’ services, in the Soto Zen (Mahayana) tradition. Lyneham. Contact: canberrasotozengroup@gmail.com

Canberra Soto Zen Group, an unincorporated not-for-profit association, was established in August 2012. The Group’s aims are:
“To practice the Soto Zen tradition in accordance with the teachings of Zen Master Dogen Zenji, taught by Zen Master Ekai Korematsu Osho, Teacher and Abbott of Jikishoan Zen Buddhist Community (JZBC). To provide an environment for and support to those in the Canberra region community who have an interest in the Soto Zen tradition and more generally in Zen Buddhism. To maintain a link with Zen Master Ekai Korematsu Osho, and encourage members of CSZG and interested individuals to do so.”

The Zanzenkai sessions are held Sundays 2:30pm - 5:00 pm @ 32 Archibald St.

15/11/2025

Zen points to an understanding of Reality that goes beyond knowledge, thoughts and ideas. In this week's talk, Believing in Nothing, Shunryu Suzuki gives us a clear direction: "it is absolutely necessary for everyone to believe in Nothing [No-thing]."

Our challenge in practising Zen is to let go of self-centred thinking, to expand our consciousness from things to No-thing, from self to no fixed-self.

As Suzuki Roshi says in the Preface, "...Zen is difficult because it is hard to keep our mind pure and our practice pure in its fundamental sense." What is a 'pure' mind and 'fundamental sense' when related to Nothing-ness and Emptiness?

A pure mind is one that accepts everything as it is. No judgement, no expectation. One moment there's this reality, the next moment there's another reality. They all come from the same fundamental Source, which we might call Nothing-ness or Emptiness. The Heart Sutra reminds us that our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are the mechanisms by which we perceive reality. If we grasp at reality or try to process it, we lose sight of the Source, because everything that comes also goes. We suffer because we become distracted from the Source, which is our true nature.

So the way out of suffering is not to adopt a particular attitude, idea or religion. It is to remain utterly open to Emptiness, as it appears in all its Forms. "If you are always prepared for accepting everything we see as something appearing from Nothing, knowing that there is some reason why a phenomenal existence of such and such form and color appears, then at that moment you will have perfect composure."

Then "you will appreciate yourself as a wonderful part of Buddha's great activity, even in the midst of difficulties." This appreciation is what we embody as a community at Sunday Zazen-kai.

07/11/2025

From the beginning,

all beings are Buddha

When we hear words like 'enlightenment' or 'awakening', we are likely to think of something as far from our daily reality as we can possibly imagine. In this week's talk, Nothing Special, Shunryu Suzuki helps us understand that our everyday reality is enlightenment itself.

"For people who have no experience of enlightenment, enlightenment is something wonderful. But if they attain it, it is nothing."

Only our delusion of being a separate self keeps us from realising this. When we see through the veil of separation, we find our true nature is always there as Awareness.

"Zen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Of course, whatever we do is the expression of our true nature, but without this practice it is difficult to realize."

The key point is that "Everything is Buddha nature" - this means everything, just as it is right now, is Buddha (Awakened, Enlightened). There are no non-Buddha elements. This applies to humans as much as it does to every other form of existence: "To be a human being is to be a Buddha. Buddha nature is just another name for human nature, our true human nature."

By deepening our practice, little by little we can look beyond the illusion of 'self' and, through this awakening process, appreciate that we are the wonderful unfolding of the universe right before our eyes.

"In Zazen what you are doing is not for the sake of anything. You may feel as if you are doing something special, but actually it is only the expression of your true nature; it is the activity which appeases your inmost desire." It's what we endeavour to do at Zazen-kai as a community of practitioners.

—-

For your diary: Canberra Soto Zen Group will be holding a short retreat at Lake George from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th of December. This will be the formal end to the practice year for our Sangha and will include an exiting ceremony along with oryoki meals, zazen, kinhin and chanting practice.

02/11/2025

To resume our original nature, which is there 'from the beginning'. is to be a Buddha. Although Zen teachings are vast and rich, they are only pointers to the basic truth that in this very moment we are living the life of a Buddha, even though we may not realize it.

This week's talk, Experience, Not Philosophy, tells us that "whether Buddhism is philosophically deep or good or perfect is not the point. To keep our practice in its pure form is our purpose."

Trying to understand what Zen practice is isn't the point either. As Shunryu Suzuki says, "We do not even know what we are doing when we just practise with a pure mind." In Zazen we 'just sit': there is no one sitting!

So to be a Buddha is simply to practise without any agenda. "Those who are attached only to the result of their effort will not have any chance to appreciate it."

Pure practice is simply returning to being Aware (body and mind drop off). All that arises, moment after moment, appears to universal Awareness. This, Zen Master Suzuki tells us, is the key to fully appreciating life:

"When we resume our original nature and to incessantly make our effort from this base, we will appreciate the result of our effort moment after moment, day after day, year after year. This is how we should appreciate our life."

P.S. The Canberra Soto Zen Group is planning a retreat on 12-14 December at the Mirramu Arts Centre (Lake George). The date should be confirmed by next Sunday.

24/10/2025

The right understanding of Zazen as a practice is 'returning to our original nature, moment by moment'. In this week's talk, Nirvana, the Waterfall, Suzuki Roshi gives us a powerful metaphor for our original nature, and of our temporal life in living and dying: the river and the individual separate droplets formed by the waterfall, which return to the river again.

We can see this in our experience as human beings: "Before we were born we had no feeling; we were one with the universe. This is called "Mind-only," or "Essence of mind," or "Big mind." After we are separated by birth from this oneness, as the water falling from the waterfall is separated by the wind and rocks, then we have feeling."

This sense of separation is the root of our suffering: "You have difficulty because you have feeling...When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear."

Zen practice allows us to see through the sense of separateness, if even for a moment. When we can let go of all that arises in shikantaza, we return to Big Mind, become one with the river and we can have a radically different understanding - "Our life and death are the same thing."

"One whole river or one whole mind is Emptiness. When we reach this understanding we find the true meaning of our life. When we reach this understanding we can see the beauty of human life... by your practice of Zazen you can cultivate this feeling."

17/10/2025

A major and fundamental aspect of the Buddhist perspective is the question of ‘suffering’ (dukka) and how to overcome it. As we continue with our reading of the Heart Sutra, it's important to appreciate its view on suffering. In its first sentence we find:

"Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when practising deep Prajna Paramita, clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty and thus relieved all suffering."

How is it possible to relieve human suffering by seeing that all objects, phenomena and mental formations have no substance of their own? In this week's reading, Transiency, Zen master Shunryu Suzuki explains:

"Because each existence is in constant change, there is no abiding self." That means everything, including our sense of self, is constantly changing and, at the same time, in constant interaction with everything else. Nothing has separate existence, i.e. sense objects are 'empty'.

Our tendency, however, is to see objects as separate things. It is our attachment to the products of this separation that causes us to suffer. "Because we cannot accept the truth of transiency, we suffer."

It follows that when we accept transiency completely, we can "relieve all suffering". We can understand that "Good is not different from bad. Bad is good; good is bad. They are two sides of one coin." Actually there's no reason to use labels like 'good' and 'bad' if you accept that everything is in constant and interconnected change.

When we commit to 'prajina paramita' Wisdom practice, such as attending community practice such as Zazen-kai , we loosen our reliance on conventional thinking and can see for ourselves the truth that Avalokiteshvara revealed.

10/10/2025

In the Dhammapada* we find "Rare it is to gain birth as a human being; hard is the life of mortals. Hard is the hearing of the sublime truth; rare is the appearance of the Buddhas". This statement emphases the rarity of being born human, a form that allows for a balance of pain and pleasure that can make us humans inquire about Reality. Hearing the Dharma** is even rarer, as it requires specific conditions to be open to awakening (to our true nature). Rarer still is actualizing the 'sublime truth' through practicing those teachings.

Anyone who has heard of and has been attracted to practice Zen (Meditation) is already well on the path of awakening.

One of the most well known expressions of the Dharma is The Maha Prajina Paramita Hridaya Sutra (The Heart Sutra), which we chant at every Zazen-kai as part of community practice. We will be reading a translation by Thich Nhat Hanh and reflecting on a commentary by Kaneta Taiten Roshi.

*a collection of the sayings of the Buddha

** The Buddha's teachings on the nature of Reality, but also as Dharmas, the phenomenal world.

03/10/2025

At Sunday Zazen-kai, recitation of the Heart Sutra, in both the original language and in English, is a very formal practice. It is introduced by three bells, with prostrations to highlight its importance as a Wisdom Sutra. What makes it so central to our practice? It is a statement of the Truth that Emptiness (beyond the senses) and Form (sense objects) are not different.

In this week's reading, 'Readiness, Mindfulness', Shunryu Suzuki reminds us that the knowledge that all sense objects (phenomena/forms) are empty (of substance) 'relieves' all suffering.

To hear that everything is arising spontaneously out of Emptiness is to see that the world is completely new in every moment, and therefore we cannot attach ourselves to any sense object (suffering).

"It is not after we understand the truth that we attain enlightenment. To realize the truth is to live — to exist here and now." Given that, "it is not necessary to make an effort to think in a particular way." The best preparation for the present moment is no particular thought. It is the readiness to think and act according to what arises. This is mindfulness - keeping the mind supple and flexible in the face of unceasing change. "When our thinking is soft, it is called imperturbable thinking."

The Heart Sutra says there's 'no path, no knowledge and no attainment... with nothing to attain, a Bodhisattva relies on Prajna Paramita' which is Wisdom. "Wisdom is not something to learn. Wisdom is something which will come out of your mindfulness. So the point is to be ready for observing things, and to be ready for thinking. This is called emptiness of your mind. Emptiness is nothing but the practice of Zazen."

25/09/2025

From the beginning, all beings are Buddha

At last weekend's retreat, we delved into Zen readings that emphasise non-duality - that everything in existence is one with the source of that existence. In Zen Buddhism this is known as One Mind or Big Mind, or Buddha Dharma. Since everything is within Big Mind we are able to express fully our true nature, which is universal.

Zen emphasises practice as a way to work that Truth out for ourselves.

"When we practise zazen, we limit our activity to the smallest extent. Just keeping the right posture and being concentrated on sitting is how we express the universal nature. Then we become Buddha, and we express Buddha nature."

In this week's reading, Limiting Your Activity, we hear the words of Zen Master Joshu: "A clay Buddha cannot cross water; a bronze Buddha cannot get through a furnace; a wooden Buddha cannot get through fire." Buddha is not a sensory object somewhere out there to be found. Buddha is not external to us.

"If you understand the secret of our practice, wherever you go, you yourself are 'boss.' No matter what the situation, you cannot neglect Buddha, because you yourself are Buddha."

This secret is revealed through our sincere effort to practise open awareness, moment after moment.

16/09/2025

Due to this weekend's retreat at Lake George, there will be no Zazenkai in Lyneham this Sunday 21/9.

12/09/2025

In this week's reading, Repetition, Shunryu Suzuki's metaphor of how "flour becomes bread when put it in the oven" is a pointer to returning to our original nature (bread) from being a an individual body/mind (flour or dough). That was Shakyamuni Buddha's practice: "In order to find out how dough became perfect bread, he made it over and over again, until he became quite successful."

Repetition means doing the same thing again as for the first time, afresh, with Beginner's Mind. Each time we sit in shikantaza, it's a new sitting. This may seem a tedious task, but it is Zen's open secret: "Actual practice is repeating over and over again until you find out how to become bread."

When we appreciate the importance of repetition, practising as a community at Zazen-kai and retreats enhances the power of Meditation as the Way to awakening.

05/09/2025

Dear Canberra Soto Zen Members and Friends near and afar,

Sunday Zazenkai 2:00 - 4:00 pm

(Han struck at 1:55pm)

Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre

32 Archibald St., Lyneham

and online via Zoom link below

From the beginning, all beings are Buddha

If we accept (even on a tentative basis) that from the beginning we are already Buddha (Awake), then Dogen Zenji's question in his Fukanzazengi naturally follows:

"The Way (Reality, Buddha Dharma) is originally perfect and all-pervading. What need is there for practice and realization?" A second question. fundamental in Buddhist teachings, also follows: 'Why do we suffer?'

Many of us have been asking these questions and possibly queried the need for 'practice', Zen's word for the effort to return to our natural state. Some of us have adopted this practice as a way of life, including it in our everyday activities. We have developed 'constancy' and 'repetition' by making the practice a daily event and going to week long retreats.

At this Sunday's Zazen-kai, Tony and Simon will give a talk about their experience after attending a 7-day Zen monastic retreat. The focus is on 'why practice?' and to reflect on the impact of a retreat on the awakening process.

We suggest reading the attached edited version of Fukanzazengi and provide your own reflections on those questions.

P.S. 19-21 September retreat at Mirramu. Please let us know of your interest in participating by the 15th.

21/08/2025

Please note this Sunday's Zazenkai will be in-person only.

One of the challenges in practising Meditation as a way of life (i.e. not just when we sit on a cushion in the Zendo) is to understand a basic and 'utterly simple' attitude to life itself: the direct experiencing of whatever it is at any moment.

According to Charlotte Joko Beck* in this week's reading from "Ordinary Wonder: Zen life and practice": it is essential to appreciate what 'experiencing' really is: "It doesn’t mean anything more than, just for a second, being without the thought. It is whatever you are when you’re not thinking about yourself. Just let your mind be quiet for two seconds. You feel whatever you feel; that’s it.”

In Soto Zen, that is the precisely the 'non-thinking' attitude that Dogen Zenji describes when practising shikantaza (just sitting).

Joko Beck provides further guidance with: "...when you can sit, say an hour or two, just experiencing, your life transforms at a tremendous rate. It’s nothing spectacular. It doesn’t mean thoughts won’t come up, but it’s like thoughts bubble up out of the water, you experience them, and they disappear."

Zazen-kai practice is "sitting for an hour or two, just experiencing".

P.S. A Zen retreat is another opportunity to practice 'just experiencing' over three days. The next retreat is on 19-21 September at Mirramu, Lake George.

*Charlotte Joko Beck (March 27, 1917 – June 15, 2011) was an American Zen teacher and the author of the books Everyday Zen: Love and Work and Nothing Special: Living Zen. In 1995 she founded the Ordinary Mind Zen School at the San Diego Zen Center.

Address

32 Archibald Street
Canberra, ACT
2602

Opening Hours

2:30pm - 5pm

Website

https://canberrasotozengroup.wixsite.com/canberrasotozengroup

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Canberra Soto Zen Group, an unincorporated not-for-profit association, was established in August 2012. The Group’s aims are: “To practice the Soto Zen tradition in accordance with the teachings of Zen Master Dogen Zenji, taught by Zen Master Ekai Korematsu Osho, Teacher and Abbott of Jikishoan Zen Buddhist Community (JZBC). To provide an environment for and support to those in the Canberra region community who have an interest in the Soto Zen tradition and more generally in Zen Buddhism. To maintain a link with Zen Master Ekai Korematsu Osho, and encourage members of CSZG and interested individuals to do so.” The Zanzenkai sessions are held Sundays 8:00-9:30-45am Now Online and at 1 Tilden Street Cook and Thursdays On Request for New Zazen Students 6:30- 8 pm. Contact: canberrasotozengroup@gmail.com