White Wind Zen Community

A Community practising and teaching Dogen’s Zen since 1985

Mountains and Rivers

Zen Teachings on the San Sui Kyo of Dogen zenji

Ebook: PDF 426K
Book: draft edition*, 8.5" by 11", 80 pages, perfect bound with colour cover

Mountains and Rivers is a translation of the text “San Sui Kyo” by Dogen zenji, the founding master of the Soto Zen lineage, together with commentary on the text by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi, a direct descendant of Dogen’s transmission.

The “San Sui Kyo” has inspired countless Zen teachers and students since its composition in 1240 at the Kosho-horin-ji monastery in Japan. In this important essay, Dogen zenji explores the fundamental issues of Zen practice and realization. The text ranges from the practice of koan to comments on childbirth.

Anzan roshi, a Soto Zen priest and Zen master and Abbot of the Zen Centre of Ottawa, translated this important text with his own teacher, Yasuda Joshu Dainen roshi. Having studied not only the text, but also through having completed formal practice of the koan that Dogen zenji uses in the “San Sui Kyo,” Roshi brings Dogen’s words to vibrant life. In four classes with his students at the River Road Zendo in 1986, Roshi uses the text as a starting-point to consider such diverse themes as mindfulness practice, transmission, impermanance, the relativity of all viewpoints, the Bodhisattva Vow and the moment to moment practice of opening to our own realization.

 

*Draft editions are made available so that you can make use of them before the formal publications take place. Slight variations might occur between them and the final published editions. They are not to be reproduced in any form without prior permission.