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    What is Zen Buddhism?

    Find out how to start a Zen practice within the context of the Buddha's teachings.

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    Series

    Troubleshooting Zen Study & Practice

    Do you have a question about the study and practice of Buddhism, Zen, the teachings, meditation, mindfulness, the concepts or philosophy in Buddhism?

    Forward from 'The Daily Devotional Chants of The Zen Centre'

    Book Extracts 
    Given that Buddhism is so concerned with self inquiry and self realisation, why is Buddhism also so devotional?

    Advice on Starting out In Daily Life Practice

    The fundamentals of Zen practice for both new and experienced practitioners.

    Suffering Injustice

    Bodhidharma's Two Entrances | Part 1
    Bodhidharma talks about facing injustice, not by explaining what to do about it, but instead how to respond to it. A crucial entry point for walking the Way.

    A Handful of Grass for the Water Buffalo

    While ideas around rebirth can feel irrational, the Buddha's teachings on this topic can help us better understand our true nature.

    Latest Articles

    Audio Talks

    Why do you worship?

    Objects of Meditation

    This is Just This

    Practice

    Do I need to be a Buddhist to practise Zen meditation?

    You do not need to be a Buddhist to practise Zen meditation, though within Buddhist practice its purpose - cultivating wisdom and compassion - differs from...

    What is the difference between Zen meditation and mindfulness?

    Zen meditation and mindfulness both cultivate the same quality of wholehearted attention, applied to sitting versus the activities of daily life.

    What is the relationship between meditation and everyday life?

    What we cultivate on the meditation seat, we continue to cultivate in everyday life - the two practices support and deepen one another.

    Why do we focus on the body and the breath?

    The body and breath give us an immediate, ever-present field of sensation to return attention to, without needing to think about it.

    Why is it helpful to meditate with a teacher or a Zen group?

    Sitting with a teacher or Zen group brings companionship, shared wisdom and encouragement that support and sustain a solitary meditation practice.

    Magazine

    Hakuin's Song of Zazen

    Hakuin Ekaku, one of the most influential Rinzai Zen teachers, encapsulates...

    The Selected Letters of Master Daie Soko

    With commentary by Ven Myokyo-ni
    Master Daie gives his lay students practical advise on how to apply Zen in ordinary life, in this invaluable collection of letters.

    Easy by Nature

    Lao Tsu
    The virtues of being like water in spiritual training.

    Gentling the Bull | Chapter 7

    A reading from a foundational text about Zen training.

    Yoka Daishi’s Realising the Way

    This book is a companion and a guide. The poem itself is not so much an instruction manual, rather it’s a distillation of what and how it is to be a pupil of...

    Buddhism

    This week in the Dharma Centre...

    Our online community to complement The Zen Gateway online resource and magazine.

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