Taigen’s Seminars
Our guiding teacher emeritus, Taigen Dan Leighton, continues to offer his rich dharma through seminars on various topics, both at Ancient Dragon and elsewhere. Below is a list of his upcoming seminars and information on how to register.
SFZC Seminar: Dogen's Extensive Record
April 4 & April 11, 2026 @ 3 – 5 PM CST
Online Seminars on Dogen’s Extensive Record, Eihei Koroku, with selected excerpts. (See Dogen’s Extensive Record, translated by Taigen Dan Leighton and Shohaku Okumura, Wisdom Publications.) This is a massive work, comparable only to Dogen’s Shobogenzo in length and importance to Dogen’s teachings. The heart are Dogen’s mostly short Dharma Hall Discourses, one volume from when he was in Kyoto before he moved to the north in 1243, and provides six volumes of Discourses from his mature teachings at Eiheiji, the major source for these later teachings. These formal discourses display Dogen’s personality, warmth, and sense of humor. They include talks about ceremonial days in the Zen monastic calendar, and particular students. Other excerpts range from Dogen’s verses when studying in China to verses from his final days, longer meetings with his students, and a collection of 90 koans with his verse comments. It is possible to attend one or both seminars, and recordings will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Sliding scale available.
These seminars will be held through San Francisco Zen Center. More info about how to register on their website TBD.
Dogen's Extensive Record - Parts 1 & 2
Saturday, May 23, 2026 (Part 1) and Saturday, June 13, 2026 (Part 2) @ 1 – 3 PM CST
Online Seminars on Dogen’s Extensive Record, Eihei Koroku, with selected excerpts. (See Dogen’s Extensive Record, translated by Taigen Dan Leighton and Shohaku Okumura, Wisdom Publications.) This is a massive work, comparable only to Dogen’s Shobogenzo in length and importance to Dogen’s teachings. The heart are Dogen’s mostly short Dharma Hall Discourses, one volume from when he was in Kyoto before he moved to the north in 1243, and provides six volumes of Discourses from his mature teachings at Eiheiji, the major source for these later teachings. These formal discourses display Dogen’s personality, warmth, and sense of humor. They include talks about ceremonial days in the Zen monastic calendar, and particular students. Other excerpts range from Dogen’s verses when studying in China to verses from his final days, longer meetings with his students, and a collection of 90 koans with his verse comments. It is possible to attend one or both seminars, and recordings will be provided for those who cannot attend in person. Sliding scale available.
These seminars will be held in Ancient Dragon’s online zendo. Please click the links above to register for each seminar individually.