website sangha sans demeure - friends and disciples of Philippe Rei Ryu Coupey
Welcome to the web page of the Sangha Sans Demeure, an international group of friends and disciples of the monk Rei Ryu Philippe Coupey.
Philippe Coupey was a close disciple of Master Deshimaru. Today he practices and teaches in Paris. He also directs sesshin (retreats) in Germany and France, amongst others at La Gendronnière, the temple of the International Zen Association (AZI)
The Shinjinmei is the first of Zen’s four fundamental texts. Thus, it is central to all Zen lineages and schools, and an essential source of study for all Zen practitioners. Here, Philippe Coupey, reflects on each of the 73 verses of this famous text. His remarks are not based on scholarly studies, as for some well-known translators, but on the understanding transmitted through a lineage of practice, teaching and commenting on the Shinjinmei by great teachers and masters of the traditions, including Coupey’s own teacher Taisen Deshimaru.
Zen today is often coopted by the dominant marketing paradigm, with all types of products branded this way, and loses its potency when it devolves into yet another form of relaxation. Not so here. Coupey reflects a raw, unreserved approach. His commentaries are also more exhaustive and detailed than others published so far. People who are tired of self-development “Zen” books might find real answers (and questions) here.
The underlying message of the Shinjinmei is to avoid clinging to the extremes–left and right, good and bad, love and hate. The opening stanza reads: “Entering the Way is not difficult, But you must not love, or hate, or choose, or reject.” This clinging leads to the separation of one thing from another and is therefore the origin of many of the big problems in society today.
The first half of this book (verses 1-31, originally published as volume one, with the same title, In the Belly of the Dragon) were the result of eight years of teaching lectures (kusen) during which Coupey made oral commentary on the text. The remainder of the book (verses 32-73) was created more recently as written essays. The style of these presentations is less formal, and more intimately represents the dynamic spirit of the author’s practice. The entire collected work vivifies the ancient Zen text for modern students of the Way and is a valuable resource for all those interested in Eastern thought and religion.
| Hohm Press, Prescott Arizona, 2020 |
| 504 pages |
| ISBN: 978-1942493532 |
| paperback 5.5 X 8.5 inches |
Zen, Simply Sitting is published by Hohm Press, a publishing house founded by the Western Baul guru Lee (“Mr. Lee”) Lozowick (1943-2010).
![[Philippe Coupey and Lee Lozowick laughing and enjoying a cup coffee at an outdoor table of the Café de la Liberté, Paris.]](https://stage.zen-road.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Coupey_Lozowick3.jpg "Coupey and Lozowick at the Café de la Liberté, Paris, 2005.")
![[Philippe Coupey, in khaki jacket and black ski hat, arm and arm with Lee Lozowick, who sports a rainbow beret and a grey braid down to his waist, on the rue de la Gaité in Paris.]](https://stage.zen-road.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Coupey_Lozowick5.jpg "Master and Guru: Coupey and Lozowick on the Rue de la Gaité, Paris, 2005.")
Phlippe Couepy and Lee Lozowick at the Café de la Liberté, Paris Montparnasse
To sit “without objective” – This meditation practice, zazen, is considered to be the essence of Zen by the Soto School, the realisation of the full dimension of each person’s life.
Without being limited by a goal or seeking profit.
Thus, in our school, spiritual commitments, such as ordinations, teaching responsibilities, etc … are not granted definitively but need to be constantly updated by the practice within the sangha (community of practitioners).
This is what is called in the Buddhist tradition, using the three treasures – Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
In line with the spirit of Master Deshimaru and his master Kodo Sawaki, we practice zazen within our everyday social and professional lives and those who teach are volunteers.
We are part of the International Zen Association founded by Master Deshimaru and we are organized administratively into a federation of many “dojo” (places of practice) in several countries in Europe.
Thus the Sangha Sans Demeure has chosen not to build a temple but to carry on the tradition of ‘no fixed abode’, organizing the practice in various temporary halls.
Furthermore, in order to promote communication and organization of joint sesshins among all former disciples of Master Deshimaru, we are developing a project to create a larger meeting platform called “Zen Simply Sitting..”
[Ch. Espiau, B. Schütz, F. Lang]
L’abonnement par mail aux enseignements de Philippe Coupey est un abonnement hebdomadaire (un envoi par semaine sauf pendant les deux mois d’été); il concerne les kusens journaliers donnés par Philippe dans les deux dojos parisiens (au DZP et à Seine Zen). La cotisation est de 10€ par an.
Il existe également un abonnement aux kusens de sesshin : quatre envois par an — il s’agit d’un choix de kusens donnés pendant les sesshin et non de l’intégralité de ces kusens. La cotisation est de 5€ par an.
Si vous êtes intéressés, merci d’envoyer un mail à julietteheymann@orange.fr