Recording Category: Dharma Talks

Sometimes transformation flows and we feel we’re making headway; other times nothing seems to change regardless of all our effort in practice. Kakumyo explores some of the persistent beliefs and… Read more »

There’s a line in the Song of the Grass Hut that says, “Turn around the light to shine within, then just return.” Return to what? It could be talking about coming back… Read more »

Jyoshin explores the Buddhist teachings on compassion and suffering through the lens of her work as a hospital chaplain. How does her practice sustain her in the work, and what… Read more »

What is the meaning of right effort? Following several days of retreat practice focused on finding the balance between effort and ease, we will talk about being busy, being lazy,… Read more »

What is this “self” that seems to move forward through time and how might our Zen practice influence our relationship with it? And why does it carry so much baggage?

Shin’yu just spent a week in the hospital. One of her nurses had a lot of questions about Buddhism. The answers are still unfolding.

Zen is sometimes called a “formal” religion or practice. We do have a lot of forms. But what does that mean? What is a form? How do we practice with… Read more »

Rick Hogetsu Mitchell gives his first student talk at Dharma Rain. The talk reflects on the nature of friendships, personal and spiritual, and their role in supporting our practice.

Some of us find that summer changes our routines, and makes the schedule lighter. And yet, the number of hours in the day are the same, and there are still… Read more »

Sometimes practice flows and we’re carried along by it, sometimes it’s a struggle and we can’t gain any momentum and keep running into setbacks. Although we may prefer the former,… Read more »

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha tells the story of a group of tired travelers who come to a beautiful city where they can rest. He reveals this to be… Read more »

Transformation and spiritual growth tend to be common topics among Zen practitioners. For all that our teachings advise us to sit without a specific goal, often there is some aspiration… Read more »

The ordination ceremony contains the phrase: “I have changed my form but kept my wish…” This is an allusion to the continuity of our way-seeking mind, and the variety of… Read more »

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