NOTE: The next session (#6) is going to be on Tuesday, October 20, instead of Monday.

In order to intimately understand the Zen teachings we need to meet the individuals who transmitted them mind to mind and warm hand to warm hand throughout the ages. The ancestral lineage of Soto Zen (Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s line) starts with Shakyamuni Buddha, leading from India through China and Japan to the West. There are currently 89 male and 65 female lineage holders (not counting living ones) who we honor in our services.

Each student will choose (a) particular person(s) whose story they prepare and share with the class.
We will also learn about the historical context and compare the situations that these people lived in with our own.

Course Books: Transmission of Light. Zen in the Art of Enlightenment by Zen Master Keizan. Translated by Thomas Cleary

Women of the Way. Discovering 2,500 Years of Buddhist Wisdom by Sallie Tisdale

You may also research Zen Ancestors online; there are many useful websites.

Fee for non-members: $60.00 or pay what you can afford. Member discounts apply.

Please register by email: info@mkzen.org. You will receive the zoom link after registration.