Recording Category: Dharma Talks

The story of the historical Buddha is often used as a lens to examine our own practice and path. This talk touches on the point where he escapes the confines of his privileged life and affluent shelter and begins to examine the suffering outside. A key figure is his father the king, who tried to… Read more »

Happy Mother’s Day! For some, Mother’s Day can bring up memories of crayon drawings on refrigerators, sharing space with brightly colored magnetic letters of the alphabet. This is part of how small children investigate their environment and learn about themselves and the world around them. Mothers (and those who take on the role of mother)… Read more »

Why do we feel different when we are alone? The self alone changes when it meets others. Is one self more authentic than the other? How do we resolve the tension between solitude and relationship? We will consider the ways that we protect ourselves around other people as well as the ways we fall into… Read more »

This week we have been on Denkoe Sesshin, with up to 25 people practicing in the zendo in the evenings. Kakumyo explores the value of this in his talk on Sunday.

At this week’s Dharma Talk, we played a recording of a talk given by Kyogen. He discussed our liturgical calendar, and the seasons and teachings associated with each part of it. He then focused specifically on the upcoming Denkoe retreat, and the study of the Denkoroku. This very special Dharma Talk allowed us to hear… Read more »

We all have high expectations. In the workplace, in our social lives, in our Zen practice. The idea that we ourselves or others in whom we are invested can meet those expectations often creates anxiety when the idea comes up against reality. Come share your thoughts as Gyokuko shares some of hers.

Genko looks at how the Three Refuges (also called the Three Jewels or Three Treasures) can provide a place of safety and support for us in our practice. What is refuge? What is safety? How do we work with these in our lives?

Kakumyo looks at how we work with well-established karma and confusion. He consults the Samanaphala Sutra for help.

What is the role of study in Zen? We have inherited a tradition “without dependence on words and letters,” and yet books and stories are key parts of our life of practice. How do we balance intellectual work and learning with a focus on meditation and daily activity?

Western psychology tells us that our personal needs for safety must be met before we can do much with our instinct towards spiritual transformation. This seems to be true, but that ‘seems’ encompasses a lot of territory that’s worth exploring: What is the source of the sense of danger that often arises as we push… Read more »

As the stream of life flows through awareness, some moments stand out as being more meaningful, impactful, or important. We may assume that it’s because of the content of what we’re aware of, but usually, it’s not. How do we cultivate experiences of awe, insight and immediacy in our daily life?

On Sunday, February 4, we celebrated our annual Nehan ceremony, commemorating the Buddha’s passing into parinirvana. Jyoshin’s talk reflected on the teachings of the death of the Buddha and explored its significance for those of us practicing the Buddha’s path 2600 years later. How do we relate to these teachings? What is applicable for modern… Read more »

Beyond the karmic mirror, we find that enlightenment is communal. Kakumyo speaks of preference and renunciation in a spiritual community

As he swallowed the cup of poison hemlock, Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. Our practice encourages us to know the self, but also to drop the self. When is self-examination self-indulgence? When is dropping the self avoiding the facts?

What is Justice, and how does it relate to Mercy? Both are kind of old-fashioned words, old-fashioned virtues, and both are interpreted in a variety of ways. Genko talks about Dharma Rain’s prison program, social justice, and how all of this relates to the Dharma.

How we engage in the tasks before us is both a spur for and a measure of our path. As we install a new shuso and enter a new term of practice, we consider what it means to work with the mind of practice.

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