where to sit
Zazen (seated meditation), as transmitted by Master Taisen Deshimaru, is practiced in the groups and
dojos listed below. Each link will take you to a page with more detailed information.
Check our links page for other Soto Zen practice places.
Kodo Sawaki wrote about the dojo:
“A group behaves just like a coal fire. A burning ember that is not fanned goes out all by
itself. A big pile of embers becomes a blazing furnace.
When there are many of us, each person must take it upon himself to not disturb the others, by virtue
of which we obtain a unique atmosphere. It is precisely by this atmosphere that we recognize a dojo of
the Buddha Way.”
Taisen Deshimaru wrote about the dojo:
“The atmosphere of the dojo and the presence of the master and disciples are a precious aid
to meditation. A tendency toward emulation occurs in the dojo, which prevents you from giving up at the
first sign of fatigue or pain. Doing zazen together, with other people, leads us to practice every
zazen as though it were the first time.”
Philippe Coupey wrote about the dojo:
“Every dojo with a strong, solid practice has its own energy. It’s an energy that comes from
doshu — how the people in the dojo express the Way through their bodies and minds.
If you visit a dojo and don’t go back for awhile, remember that this place exists, and that you have
received the Buddhist teaching there. And if you do go back, please try to practice on a regular basis.
Remember the mind you have at the very beginning. Don’t become an old hand at the practice, thinking
you know more than other people, and so on. Beginning mind. This is zazen mind.”