Treeleaf Special Event: Guest Speaker, Prof. Steven Heine

On Sunday, May 17th, Professor Steven Heine—Buddhism and Zen historian and a noted specialist on the life and writings of Master Dogen—will join us for a return visit and a very special zazenkai and talk, live from Miami, USA, and Treeleaf Tsukuba. The event will consist of about 25 minutes of zazen, a talk by Prof. Heine for approximately 30 minutes, followed by questions from our Treeleaf participants. The entire event will last about 90 minutes.

Dr. Heine’s new book examines Wansong Xingxiu (1166–1246), a pivotal figure in the development of Caodong Chan/Sōtō Zen and a key contributor to two influential Caodong/Sōtō koan collections. Tongxuan’s 100 Chan Questions—the primary focus of Dr. Heine’s study—captures a crucial, though lesser-known, phase of Caodong Chan history centered in northern China. The other collection, the Shōyōroku (Book of Serenity), is better known today and widely cherished by Sōtō Zen practitioners.

Although Wansong lived during the same period that Dōgen was in China, they were in very distant regions and most likely never met. Dōgen may also not have had direct knowledge of either koan collection during his lifetime. In this talk, Professor Heine will explore the historical and spiritual irony that links these two figures and their roles in the development of Caodong/Sōtō thought and literature, using several key examples from their respective works.

This event is offered free of charge, although donations are welcome. Click the button below to see the local time for this event.