BEING WITHOUT SELF
EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY
calligraphy by Keidô Fukushima
After 10 years studying and practicing in the United States, Jeff Shore went to Japan in 1981. He first spent a year living with Mumon Yamada, head abbot of Myôshinji monastery in Kyoto, and got his toes wet training at the monastery of Shôfukuji in Kobe. In 1982 he began practice under Keidô Fukushima, then Zen master and now Head Abbot of the major Rinzai complex of Tôfukuji in Kyoto. As lay successor to Fukushima Rôshi, Jeff’s focus is directly pointing out the very core of Zen and the heart of living Buddhism. Jeff is also professor of Zen in the Modern World at Hanazono University in Kyoto, the sole Rinzai-affiliated university in the world, where he has taught since 1987. For further detail, see his autobiographical essay.
Dharma talks
These talks are offered as PDF files. See below for sound files and links to videos and photos.
- No Bull: Zen Oxherding Pictures for the Modern World (2009)
- Clarifying the Mind of Nirvana (2008)
- The Constant Practice of Right Effort (2008)
- A Rinzai-Soto Dialogue (2007)
- Religious Experience in the Light of Zen Buddhism: Zen Buddhism in the Light of Religious Experience (2007)
- Encounters on the Way (a diary of Jeff's 2006 sabbatical)
- Becoming One and Being Without Self (2005)
- No-self in Zen Buddhism (2004)
- Principles of Zen Practice: Illuminating the Source (2003)
- Basics of Zen Practice: Just Be One (2002)
- The Unconditioned (2001)
- Zen in Early Buddhism (2000)
- The Source of Zen - Who Transmits What? (1998)
- Koan-Zen von Innen (1995)
Book
The Dutch edition of Jeff's book, Zijn Zonder Zelf: de kern van zen (Asoka, 2008) is available for €15,95 at bookstores in the Netherlands and Belgium and can also be ordered online.
The English edition, entitled Being Without Self: Zen for the Modern World contains chapters not found in the Dutch translation. It is available for free. You can pick up a copy on any working day at the early morning zazenkai in Utrecht (details here). Or, if you're in Europe, send a self-addressed envelope and €5 (or the equivalent in your currency) to cover postage to Ruth Mouton, Bollenhofsestraat 79/A, 3572VK Utrecht, Netherlands.
In the US, copies can be picked up for free in Pennsylvania and Maryland or ordered for $5 (to cover postage). For Pennsylvania, contact Dale Shimizu's Clearwater Sangha. For Maryland, contact Tina Shore.
Jeff also contributed to What Is Self? A Study of the Spiritual Journey in Terms of Consciousness (by Bernadette Roberts, Sentient Publications, 2005), and The Sayings of Layman P'ang: A Zen Classic of China (Shambhala, March 2009). For Fukushima’s biography, see The Laughing Buddha of Tofukuji: The Life of Zen Master Keidô Fukushima (by Ishwar Harris; World Wisdom). For the teaching of Fukushima’s master Zenkei Shibayama, see Gateless Barrier (Shambhala), formerly published as Zen Comments on the Mumonkan (Harper & Row).
Audio, Video, and Photos
Audio files (MP3)
- Steyl March 2009: Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Egmond March 2009: Day 1, 2, 3
- Egmond November 2008: Day 1, 2, 3, 4
- Steyl February 2008: Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Interview for Dutch radio, May 14, 2006 (external link, .rm streaming media)
- No-self in Zen Buddhism (2004)
- Principles of Zen Practice (2003)
- The Unconditioned (2001)
- Zen in Early Buddhism (2000)
- The source of Zen (1998)
Videos
Recent videos can be found on YouTube by searching for "Jeff Shore Zen".
Photos
Some pictures taken at recent retreats can be found here.
Jeff's talks and all original materials on this website are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Netherlands License.
Upcoming retreats
with Jeff Shore
February 21, 2010
Clearwater Sangha, Levittown, Pennsylvania, USA
For those who cannot come for the St. Raphaela retreat (see below), a one-day retreat in the Philadelphia area will be held Sunday February 21 from 9:00 to 17:00. Jeff will give practice-oriented talks and will be available during zazen periods for one-on-one. Registration is now closed.
February 27 - March 5, 2010
St. Raphaela’s Retreat Center, Haverford, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia), USA
Week long retreat in the Philadelphia area from the evening of Saturday February 27 to Friday March 5th, 2010, after breakfast. Sitting through the nights, health permitting. Those unfamiliar with the practice of sitting through the night can read about it here. Registration is now closed.
PUBLIC LECTURES
At the start of the retreat at St. Raphaela's, on Saturday February 27, at 7:30 p.m. Jeff will be giving a public lecture titled: Getting Stuck & Breaking Through: The Real Koan In Retreat & In Daily Life. On Tuesday, March 2 at 9:30 a.m. Jeff will be giving a lecture in honor of Keido Fukushima, former head abbot and Zen master of Tofukuji. If you would like to come to a lecture, please let Tina know before February 19.
March 12 - March 15, 2010
Nagykovácsi, Hungary
The next retreat in Hungary will run from the evening of Friday March 12 to the afternoon of Monday March 15 in Nagykovácsi, a few kilometers from Budapest. Everyone is expected to sit through the nights, health permitting. Those unfamiliar with this practice can read about it here. The fee will be around €100 or 24.000 Forint. For more details, please contact Attila as soon as you can.
March 20 - March 21, 2010
Buch am Buchrain, Germany
Short overnight retreat (18:00-18:00) with zazen, lecture, one-on-one and the chance to sit through the night (optional). It is open to all interested people regardless of their experience but requires a good sense for Buddhist practice. The Tannenhof is located 30 km East of Munich. The site is quiet and has a spectacular atmosphere with an amazing zendo and long zazen-history (one of the oldest around Munich). Jeff held the first retreat there in 2009. Cost: approx. €75. More information and registration.
August 26 - September 1, 2010
Lioba Priory, Egmond, Netherlands
The next retreat at the Lioba Priory in Egmond will run from Thursday, August 26 to Wednesday, September 1, 2010. The first two days will be open to people with little or no retreat experience. The remaining five days will be for more intensive practice. Details will be announced in the coming months. Registration has not yet started.
If you want to add an item to this list of upcoming retreats with Jeff, please send an announcement no longer than 150 words to this address. Make sure to specify start and end dates and times, location, cost, and an email address for further information and registration.
Shibayama Zenkei (right) and Fukushima Keido, USA, circa 1970
Zazenkai
Affiliated meditation groups
UTRECHT, Netherlands: Zendo West.
Morning zazen, every day 06:30-08:10, except weekends and holidays. Buurthuis Spirit, Abel Tasmanstraat 88b, Utrecht. All welcome without prior notice. No fee. Leaving for work after the first period (at 7:15) is possible. More information (in Dutch). Contact.
UTRECHT, Netherlands: ZEN onder de Dom.
Wednesdays 20:15-22:30, for experienced sitters. €80 per 3 months. Yogacentrum, Lange Nieuwstraat 3, Utrecht. Website. Contact Ron before attending.
OUDE TONGE, Netherlands: Zen op Flakkee.
Tuesdays: beginners (19:00-20.30) and experienced sitters (20.30-22.30). €45,- per 10 evenings. Website (in Dutch). Contact Guus before attending.
MIDDELBURG, Netherlands: Zen in Zeeland.
Thursdays 19:45-21:30, for experienced sitters. €65 per 3 months. Pakhuis 22, Oostkerkplein 22, Middelburg. Website (in Dutch). Contact Jeanette before attending.
LEUVEN, Belgium: Zen Dojo Leuven, Romaanse Poort.
Brusselse Straat 63, B3000 Leuven. Thursdays 19:45-21-45. All welcome. Fee €1,25. Website. Contact.
BUDAPEST, Hungary: One Drop Zendo.
Monday-Friday 7:00-8:30, 18:00-19:30. Saturday 9.00-10.30. No fee. Every month there's also a weekend sesshin. Bp. VI. Hajós u. 32, Budapest. Website (in Hungarian and English). Contact.
WASHINGTON, DC, USA: Zen Buddhist Center of Washington, DC (Ka Shin Zendo).
Saturday mornings 8:30-10:30 (two 30-40 minute periods of zazen, followed by tea/discussion). Tuesdays 18:30-21:00. (three 40-minute periods of zazen). Fee $5 per visit. Note to newcomers: The zendo is open to anyone with prior experience at a Zen or Buddhist practice center, and/or to those who have attended an orientation session.Website.
PHILADELPHIA Area, Levittown, PA, USA: Clearwater Sangha.
Zazen on Saturday evenings at 19:00 and 20:00, with tea and Dharma discussion afterwards, and the first Saturday of every month from 9:00 until noon. All are welcome. For details, contact Dale Shimizu.
MUNICH, Germany: One Drop Zendo.
Every Thursday 19:00-21:00 and every Tuesday 7:00-8:30. Once every month, Saturday all day, 8:00-18:00. Amalienstr. 71, Meditationroom of the DBU. Website (in German). Contact.
HANNOVER, Germany: Zen-Meditation e.V..
Zazenkai (open to everybody) Thursdays 19:30-21:30. Various sesshins throughout the year, rohatsu-sesshin first week of January. Contact Hartmut Borges for details.
If you'd like to add a not-for-profit zazen group to this list, please send the necessary information to this address, using the same format as the other listings (CITY, Country, Name of group, and so on).