Sesshin Talks

Zen Meditation Retreat

A sesshin (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) in a Zen monastery.

While the daily routine in the monastery requires the monks to meditate several hours a day, during a sesshin they devote themselves almost exclusively to zazen practice. The numerous 30- to 50-minute-long meditation periods are interleaved with short rest breaks, meals, and sometimes short periods of work (Japanese: 作務 samu) all performed with the same mindfulness; nightly sleep is kept to a minimum, at six hours or fewer. During the sesshin period, the meditation practice is occasionally interrupted by the master giving public talks (teisho) and individual direction in private meetings (which may be called dokusan, daisan, or sanzen) with a Zen Master.

In modern Buddhist practice in Japan and the West, sesshins are often attended by lay students and are typically one, three, five, or seven days in length. Seven-day sesshins are held several times a year at many Zen centers, especially in commemoration of the Buddha's awakening to full enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi). At this Rohatsu sesshin, practitioners seek to relax and quiet the mind to the point of cessation of mental chatter and emotional impulse, samadhi, kensho, or satori.

From sesshin on Wikipedia

Showing 153 talks
 

- Reset Search

Title Speaker

Sewing Sesshin

Serial: SR-00122

Sunday, June 20, 1971
Sesshin Lecture No. ____
San Francisco

Sesshin, Okesa, Dogen, Attachment, New Year, Freedom, Bodhidharma, Lay, Concentration...
Jun 20 1971
City Center

Freedom from Everything

Serial: SR-00150

Sesshin Lecture, Day 5
Wednesday, June 9, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Happiness, Demons, Precepts, Perfect Wisdom, Attachment, New Year, zen,...
Jun 09 1971
City Center

Calmness of Mind

Serial: SR-00151

Sesshin Lecture No. 2
Sunday, June 7, 1971
San Francisco

Practice is to expose yourself as you are, express yourself fully. Accepting your teacher's words....

Sesshin, Zazen, Breath, Community, Emptiness, Priest, Pain, Community, heart, Hate,...
Jun 07 1971
City Center

The Teaching Just for You

Serial: SR-00147

Sesshin Lecture No. 1
Saturday, June 5, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Precepts, Dragons, Bodhidharma, Truth, sitting, Buddha Nature, Politics,...
Jun 05 1971
City Center

It Is Actually Buddha's Practice

Sesshin,
Feb 20 1971
Tassajara

Calmness of your Mind

Serial: SR-00079

Saturday Morning, February 13, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Pain, New Year, Suffering, confusion, Oneness, Beginners, Community,...
Feb 13 1971
City Center

OLD - Not Sticking to Enlightenment

Serial: 71-02-12-B

Sesshin Lecture, Day Seven: Closing Words
Friday Evening
February 12, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Sixth Patriarch,
Feb 12 1971
B
City Center

Not Sticking to Enlightenment

Serial: SF-05445B

===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #26, by Shundo David Haye =====

It's not completely clear how this talk dropped off the radar, as the tape had been copied and...

Sesshin, Sixth Patriarch, Emptiness
Feb 12 1971
B
City Center

Just Enough Problems

Serial: SR-00273

Sesshin Lecture, Lecture 7: Page Street Apples
Friday Morning
February 12, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, War, Enemies, Hate
Feb 12 1971
A
City Center

Humor Is More Real Than Reallity

Serial: SR-00274

Sesshin Lecture No. 5
Tuesday, February 9, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Discrimination, Dragons, Observe, Emotions, Instruction, confusion
Feb 09 1971
City Center

Wherever You Go, You Will See Yourself

Serial: SR-00271

Sesshin Lecture No. 3
Sunday Afternoon or Evening
February 7, 1971
San Francisco

Sesshin, Tozan, Sandokai, zen, Discrimination, Precepts, reality, Freedom, Death...
Feb 07 1971
City Center

Resuming Big Mind

Serial: SR-00272

Sesshin Lecture No. 1
Friday, February 5, 1971
San Francisco

[”For this seven-day sesshin, there are only transcriptions for lectures given on Days 1, 3, 5,...

Sesshin, Big Mind, Hate, stubbornness, Zoom, sitting, Zazen, Anger, Ceremony, heart,...
Feb 05 1971
City Center

Restore the Buddhist Teaching in its Original Way

Serial: SF-06121-A

Sunday Evening, August 16, 1970
San Francisco
Lecture A

[The first part of the lecture was not recorded.]

Sesshin, Faith
Aug 16 1970
A
City Center

Our Practice is Expression of Our True Buddha-mind

Serial: SR-00067

Sesshin Lecture, No. 4
Tuesday Evening, August 4, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Precepts, Beginner’s Mind, Precepts, Buddha Mind, Discrimination, Sutra,...
Aug 04 1970
City Center

OLD - Zazen Practice and Listen to the Right Teacher

Serial: 70-08-03

LECTURE
Monday, August 3, 1970

Sesshin,
Aug 03 1970

Zazen Practice and Listen to the Right Teacher

Serial: SF-05631

===== Awakening the Archive - Tape #24, by Shundo David Haye =====

In the last years of Suzuki Roshi's life, very few talks were lost from the collections...

Sesshin, Dogen, Bodhidharma, Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Observe, Precepts, Faith...
Aug 03 1970
City Center

Walk like an Elephant and Sitting like a Frog

Serial: SR-00066

True Practice As Expression Of Buddha-Nature
Sesshin Lecture No. 2
Sunday, August 2, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Sengai, Buddha Nature, Family Practice, War, Bodhidharma, Zazen, Monks...
Aug 02 1970
City Center

Observation of Precepts and Practice of Zazen is Same Thing

Serial: SF-06049

Sesshin Lecture No. 1
Saturday, August 1, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Precepts, Precepts, Doubt, Buddha Nature, Faith, Ceremony, Ordination, Lay,...
Aug 01 1970
City Center

Open Your Intuition

Serial: SF-05587-B

Sesshin Meeting
Friday, July 31, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Intuition, Instruction, Beginners
Jul 31 1970
City Center

Sincere Practice and Way-Seeking Mind

Serial: SR-00043

Sesshin Lecture No. 3, Sunday, May 3, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, American, Transmission, stubbornness, Buddha Nature, Hate, realization,...
May 03 1970
City Center

Helping Others

Serial: SR-00138

Sesshin Lecture, No. 2, Saturday, May 2, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Dogen, Zuimonki, Building, Doubt
May 02 1970
City Center

On Breathing

Serial: SR-00139

Sesshin Lecture, No. 1, Saturday Evening, May 2, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Posture, Pain, sitting, Sangha, Enemies, Death
May 02 1970
City Center

Way-Seeking Mind

Serial: SF-05361

Saturday Lecture Of March Sesshin
Saturday, March 28, 1970
San Francisco

Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Monastic Practice, Peace
Mar 28 1970
City Center

Non-Dualistic Practice

Serial: SR-00260

Sesshin Lecture No. 3:
Wednesday, February 25, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Big Mind, difficulty, zen, Duality, Karma, Anger, Mahayana, training,...
Feb 25 1970
City Center

Selflessness, Being and Non-Being: The Background of Shikantaza

Serial: SR-00261

Sesshin Lecture No. 1:
Monday, February 23, 1970
San Francisco

Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Evil, Mahayana, Posture, Freedom, Continuous,...
Feb 23 1970
City Center

Brown Rice is Just Right

Serial: SR-00247

Morning Sesshin Lecture
Sunday, February 1, 1970
City Center

Sesshin, Emptiness, Discrimination, Buddha Nature, training, Hate, Suffering, Pain,...
Feb 01 1970
A
City Center

Each One Of Us Is A Cook

Serial: SR-00258

Afternoon Sesshin Tea Lecture
Sunday, February 1, 1970

Sesshin, Emptiness, Forms, Compassion, Pain
Feb 01 1970
B

Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 6

Sesshin, Ceremony, Freedom, Observe, Wisdom, Oneness, Beginners, training, Precepts,...
Dec 04 1969
Tassajara

Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5

Serial: SR-00202

Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5
Wednesday, December 3, 1969
Tassajara

Sesshin, Bodhisattva, Dogen, Shobogenzo, Oneness, Ceremony, Precepts, Wisdom...
Dec 03 1969
Tassajara

Practice Should Not Be Perfect, So Descendants Have Something To Do

Serial: SR-00203

Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 4
Tuesday, December 2, 1969

Sesshin, Dogen, Building, difficulty, Monastic Practice, Transmission, Zazen, Breath...
Dec 02 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Part III

Serial: SR-00194

Winter Sesshin, Day 3, Lecture No. 3
Monday, December 1, 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Bodhisattva Vow, Big Mind, difficulty, Vows, heart, Monks...
Dec 01 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Part II

Serial: SR-00266

Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 2
Sunday, November 30, 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind, Big Mind, Intention,...
Nov 30 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Part I

Serial: SR-00267

Winter Sesshin, Lecture No. 1
Saturday, November 29, 1969
Tassajara

Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, reality, Faith
Nov 29 1969
Tassajara

Stand Up By The Ground

Serial: SF-05209

Protection Master "Suzuki Roshi summer sesshin 1969 2nd night lecture

Sesshin, Second Night Lecture
September, 1969
Tassajara

Sesshin, Dogen, Time, Continuous, Freedom, Doubt
Sep 1969
Tassajara

Sesshin, Sixth Night Lecture

Serial: SR-00129

Tassajara
September, 1969

Sesshin, Don't Know Mind, Posture, Ceremony, Addiction, Duality, Beginners,...
Sep 1969
Tassajara

Sesshin, Third Night Lecture

Serial: SR-00130

Tassajara
September, 1969

Sesshin, Emptiness, reality, Passions, Intuition, Bell, Forms, American, difficulty...
Sep 1969
Tassajara

Shosan Ceremony

Serial: SR-00213

Tassajara
September, 1969

[Beginning of ceremony not recorded.]

Sesshin, Shosan, Perfect Wisdom, Dragons, Breath, Death, Intuition, Lay, Bell,...
Sep 1969
Tassajara

Not Always So

Serial: SR-00124

August Sesshin Lecture
Thursday, August 7, 1969
San Francisco

Sesshin, Dogen, Interdependence, Freedom, Gratitude, Composure, Posture, Emptiness,...
Aug 07 1969
Sokoji

To Actually Practice Selflessness

Serial: SR-00125

August Sesshin Lecture
Wednesday, August 6, 1969
San Francisco

Sesshin, Pain, Fox, Precepts, Freedom, Funeral, Monks, Liberation, difficulty,...
Aug 06 1969
Sokoji

Zen Is Not Something To Talk About, And Also It Is Something To Talk About

Serial: SR-00015

Shunryu Suzuki (with Ryogen Yoshimura)
Afternoon Sesshin Lecture
Sunday, April 19, 1969

Audio includes Yoshimura at beginning.

Sesshin, Suffering, lecture, Monks, Don't Know Mind, Priest, Community, Posture...
Apr 19 1969

Find Out for Yourself

Serial: SR-00011

Find out what "buddha-nature" and "enlightenment" mean. Study without purpose. How his teacher in Japan treated him; trying to discover the right thing to do.

Sesshin, Zazen, Eiheiji, Suffering, Buddha Nature, Freedom, Beginners, Posture, zen,...
Mar 15 1969
Sokoji

Shikantaza, Tenryu's One Finger

Serial: SR-00236

Sesshin Lecture
Saturday, October 12, 1968
Sokoji, San Francisco

Sesshin, Gutei, Yakusan, Community, Pain, sitting, Monks, Obstacles, Instruction,...
Oct 12 1968
A
Sokoji

OLD - Statement at End of Sesshin

Serial: 68-04-23-C

Tuesday, April 23, 1968, Lecture C
Tassajara

Sesshin,
Apr 23 1968
C
Tassajara

OLD - Shōsan Ceremony

Serial: 68-04-23-B

Tuesday Evening, April 23, 1968, Lecture B
Tassajara

Sesshin, Shosan, Emptiness, Echo, Faith, Attachment, Hate, Forms, sitting, Tassajara...
Apr 23 1968
B
Tassajara

Because I Was Not Well

Serial: SF-05143A

SR023 Track 1 Suzuki Roshi's afternoon sesshin 4-23-68 copied [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A - per tape operator's...

Sesshin, Koan, Ordinary Mind, everyday mind, Faith, Composure, Doubt, Religion...
Apr 23 1968
A
Tassajara

Shosan Ceremony

Serial: SF-05143B

SR023 Track 1 to 1/3 of other side Suzuki Roshi Question and Answer ceremony - copied 2 tapes [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A...

Sesshin, Shosan, Echo, Emptiness, Attachment, Hate, Faith, Interview, Enemies, Evil,...
Apr 23 1968
B
Tassajara

Shuso Ceremony

Serial: SF-05143C

SR023 Last 2/3 side 2 Philip's discussion ceremony - copied 2 tapes [there are also photographs of hand-written notes on missing portions of Q&A - per tape operator...

Sesshin, Shuso Ceremony, Big Mind, Bell, Bodhidharma, Gratitude, Buddha Nature,...
Apr 23 1968
C
Tassajara

OLD - Shosan Ceremony

Serial: SF-05347

Copy - tape 2 of 2 Suzuki Roshi Q&A ceremony - no date (Spring '68?) - copy of o/r 68-04-23 - duplicate

Sesshin, Shosan, Right Effort, Emptiness, Interview
Apr 23 1968
B
Tassajara

Shosan Ceremony

Serial: SF-05985-A

Shosan Ceremony, Sesshin, Feb 1968
Tassajara

This ceremony is re-edited from the original cassette, with non-SR (Bishop Sumi) sections removed, and the speed...

Shosan, Sesshin, First Principle, Beginner’s Mind, First Principle, Lotus Sutra,...
Feb 1968
Tassajara

OLD - Everything Itself Is Buddha

Serial: 67-12-06-B

Evening Sesshin Lecture
Wednesday, December 6, 1967, Lecture B
Tassajara

Sesshin, Buddha Nature, American, Observe, Beginners, Hate, Forms, Building, Death,...
Dec 06 1967
B
Tassajara

Pages