Dear All,
I am pleased to announce that Soto Priest, Zen historian, translator and author Rev. Taigen Dan Leighton will be offering a very special Zazenkai and Talk NEXT SATURDAY JULY 25th, LIVE from Chicago and Treeleaf Tsukuba.
More about Taigen ...
Taigen Dan Leighton is a Soto Zen priest and Dharma successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. Taigen first studied Buddhist art and culture in Japan in 1970, and began formal everyday zazen and Soto practice in 1975 at the New York Zen Center with Kando Nakajima Roshi. This led to his returning to graduate in East Asian Studies and study Japanese language at Columbia College. Through the 70s Taigen was also an award-winning documentary film editor in New York and San Francisco, including work for NBC News and Bill Moyers Journal. While editing TV news, it was necessary for Taigen to learn about the one who is not busy. Taigen left his filmmaking career in 1979 to work full time for the San Francisco Zen Center at the Tassajara Bakery, and he was ordained in 1986 by Reb Anderson Roshi.
Taigen practiced and resided for years at San Francisco Zen Center, Tassajara monastery, and Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. He also practiced for two years in Kyoto, Japan, 1990-92, translating Dogen with Rev. Shohaku Okumura, and practicing with several Japanese Soto Zen teachers, including one monastic practice period. Taigen founded the Mountain Source Sangha meditation groups in Bolinas in 1994, then added branches in San Rafael and San Francisco. He received Dharma Transmission in 2000 from Reb Anderson.
Taigen is author of Zen Questions: Zazen, Dogen, and the Spirit of Creative Inquiry, Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and Their Modern Expression, and Visions of Awakening Space and Time: Dogen and the Lotus Sutra. He is co-translator and editor of several Zen texts including: Dogen's Extensive Record; Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi; The Wholehearted Way: A Translation of Dogen's "Bendowa" with Commentary; and Dogen's Pure Standards for the Zen Community: A Translation of "Eihei Shingi". He has also contributed articles to many other books and journals.
Taigen has long been active in various Engaged Buddhist programs for social justice, including work against the Death Penalty and sustained Peace and Environmental activism.
At the beginning of 2007 Taigen relocated to Chicago, and now is Guiding Dharma Teacher for Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.
Taigen practiced and resided for years at San Francisco Zen Center, Tassajara monastery, and Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. He also practiced for two years in Kyoto, Japan, 1990-92, translating Dogen with Rev. Shohaku Okumura, and practicing with several Japanese Soto Zen teachers, including one monastic practice period. Taigen founded the Mountain Source Sangha meditation groups in Bolinas in 1994, then added branches in San Rafael and San Francisco. He received Dharma Transmission in 2000 from Reb Anderson.
Taigen is author of Zen Questions: Zazen, Dogen, and the Spirit of Creative Inquiry, Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and Their Modern Expression, and Visions of Awakening Space and Time: Dogen and the Lotus Sutra. He is co-translator and editor of several Zen texts including: Dogen's Extensive Record; Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi; The Wholehearted Way: A Translation of Dogen's "Bendowa" with Commentary; and Dogen's Pure Standards for the Zen Community: A Translation of "Eihei Shingi". He has also contributed articles to many other books and journals.
Taigen has long been active in various Engaged Buddhist programs for social justice, including work against the Death Penalty and sustained Peace and Environmental activism.
At the beginning of 2007 Taigen relocated to Chicago, and now is Guiding Dharma Teacher for Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.
The festivities will begin at 11:00 AM CHICAGO TIME SATURDAY (that is NOON in New York, US West Coast 9:00AM, London 5:00pm and Paris 6:00pm, all SATURDAY JULY, 25th).
THE ZAZENKAI WILL BE VISIBLE AT THOSE TIMES and AFTER HERE:
Our sitting schedule will look like the following although please be prepared for some flexibility and the possibility to run a little long: perhaps 30 minutes of Zazen, a Talk by Taigen for 45 minutes or so, and some Questions from our Treeleaf participants. I anticipate the the event will be about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
I would like to fill our hangout and show Taigen a big turnout. I NEED AS MANY FOLKS AS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE FAMILIAR WITH HANGOUTS, WHO CAN COMMIT TO JOIN US LIVE FOR THIS ZAZENKAI! If you are interested and can come, please EMAIL （jundotreeleaf[@]gmail.com) or PM me (Jundo). It will be worth your time.
I will post immediately below more information on our Hangouts and a list of folks committing to attend.
Let's all get together to welcome Taigen! I believe this is his first experience with this kind of netcast Zazenkai, or with a "not bound by walls" Sangha like ours, so I would like to make a nice impression.
Gassho, Jundo
PS - It would be polite for those participating to offer a little donation to Taigen's Sangha, Ancient Dragon Zen Gate, in gratitude to the Teacher. Below is a link for donations, and I am going to ask all our Treeleaf members who benefit from Taigen's visit (not only the folks joining live, but those who will sit later or just listen to his words), to offer a donation for their upkeep there ...
... and/or to purchase one of his books (always encouraged anyway, as all his titles and recorded talks are found on our Treeleaf Recommended Media & Book List) ...
As well, here is the link toAncient Dragon Zen Gate, where there is also a link and more information: http://www.ancientdragon.org/
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