Treeleaf Zendo

Last updated
Treeleaf Zendo
Basic information
Affiliation Sōtō
Website www.treeleaf.org
Architectural description
Founder Jundo Cohen
Completed 2006

Treeleaf Zendo is a Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sōtō tradition. [1] Treeleaf's teacher is Jundo Cohen [1] and the zendo is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. [2]

Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as the Chan school (Chánzong) of Chinese Buddhism and later developed into various schools. Chán Buddhism was also influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen.

Buddhism World religion, founded by the Buddha

Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. Buddhism originated in ancient India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada and Mahayana.

Sōtō Zen or the Sōtō school is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism. It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān Liánjiè. It emphasizes Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.

Contents

Treeleaf Zendo was designed specifically as an online practice place for Zen practitioners [1] [3] [4] who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide netcast Zazen sittings, retreats, Jukai, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online and without charge. [1]

But, really, we are a Sangha just about like any Sangha, and the place feels like a small, intimate group of people who sit together and support each other in practice. That is the way it should be. [4]

The focus is Shikantaza "Just Sitting" Zazen [5] as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen. [6]

Shikantaza (只管打坐) is a Japanese translation of a Chinese term for zazen introduced by Rujing, a monk of the Caodong school of Zen Buddhism, to refer to a practice called "Silent Illumination", or "Serene Reflection", by previous Caodong masters. In Japan, it is associated with the Soto school.

Ordination policy

Since 2012, Treeleaf has ordained several novice priests in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the UK and Europe in ceremonies which occurred simultaneously in each country joined by netcast over the internet. [7] Largely in response to this,. [8] Soto Zen Buddhist Association passed a resolution rejecting online ordination for new members wishing to join that organization, requiring the ceremony to be conducted in one place at a time in the same physical room. [7] [8]

The Soto Zen Buddhist Association was formed in 1996 by American and Japanese Zen teachers in response to a perceived need to draw the various autonomous lineages of the North American Sōtō stream of Zen together for mutual support as well as the development of common training and ethical standards. With about one hundred fully transmitted priests, the SZBA now includes members from most of the Japanese-derived Sōtō Zen lineages in North America. The founding president was Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, followed by Sojun Mel Weitsman, Myogen Steve Stucky, Jishō Warner, and Eido Frances Carney.

Based on the belief that it is necessary and reasonable to require that the primary relationship between teacher and trainee contain significant physical face-to-face meetings, which is the basis for evaluating a student’s readiness for ordination and eventually membership in the SZBA, the Board believes that the Tokudo ordination itself be performed face-to-face, in the same physical room. This format will be the basis for membership in the SZBA.

Given the serious nature of priest ordination, the dedication and commitment that should be required of the priest trainee, and our tradition's emphasis on face-to-face transmission of the Dharma, we conclude that tokudo ceremonies are most appropriately conducted in person except under rare and extenuating circumstances, such as a deathbed ordination. Exceptions should be made in consultation with the SZBA Board. By extension, transmission ceremonies should likewise be conducted in person. [8]

Jundo Cohen has expressed his intention to continue online ordination ceremonies at Treeleaf despite the opinion of some in the SZBA. [8] Jundo has stated, "beyond any ceremony, the real test and responsibility will be the training and education as clergy, ministers and teachers that it is our responsibility to now provide these novice priests. In order to do so, we are about to embark on a road which will take years of hard and sincere effort, also combining traditional ways and some very new, innovative ways of education" [9] and "We expect the training period will require several years, and there is no promise or expectation of the outcome. The “goalless goal” is the creation of priests who have profoundly penetrated into the way of Zazen, who are ethical, who can serve the community and people who come to them for guidance, and who embody the ways of their Lineage. No corners can be cut, and nothing should be rushed, for we would risk giving birth to clergy and teachers who are ill equipped, ill informed and ill prepared for their roles." [10]

To compromise with the SZBA, in 2014 Cohen conducted in the United States a special "face-to-face" ceremony with several Treeleaf novice priests residing in North America, and each of those novice priests has now been admitted as an associate member to the SZBA. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "About Treeleaf, teacher Jundo and our Lineage". Treeleaf Zendo. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Treeleaf Zendo". Soto Zen Buddhist Association . Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  3. ↑ "BG 053: Virtual Zen: Dropping Here and There". Buddhist Geeks. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Jundo Cohen interview". Sweeping Zen. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Lineage: a continuing history..." Treeleaf Zendo. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Jundo Cohen Bio". Sweeping Zen. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Treeleaf Zendo conducts Shukke Tokudo via the internet". Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly . Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Ordination Tribulation". Treeleaf.org. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Shambhala SunSpace » Welcome to the future: Zen priest ordination performed simultaneously on three continents". Shambhalasun.com. Retrieved 2013-11-17.
  10. ↑ "Shambhala SunSpace » Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Priest Ordinations at Treeleaf". Shambhalasun.com. Retrieved 2013-11-17.
  11. ↑ "SZBA Associate Members".


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