Recording Category: Dharma Talks

A question we often get asked is “what is enlightenment,” followed closely by “how do I get it?” Kakumyo explores this realm in his Sunday talk. Come see whether he actually answers these perennial questions.

What happens when Indra, King of the Gods, sees a line of ants marching across the floor? A little storytelling about Indra leads us to contemplation of how we all fit together in the big scheme of things.

While many sangha members headed out to the Pride Parade, Jyoshin presented a talk on manifesting fearlessness in life and in practice. In Buddhism, the gift of fearlessness is one of the highest gifts. She unpacks this idea to see where it shows up in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

Our list of grave Precepts begins, like those of most religions, with Do Not Kill. The commentary says “holding no thought of killing is the Precept of Not Killing.” What are these thoughts, and what does it mean to hold them? Genko explores some of the ways this Precept applies to us all.

Kakumyo will talk about the closing of term, the power of intention, and the fraility of intention and how they might relate to each other.

At the center of this Sunday’s Dharma Talk will be a twentieth century Korean koan from The Hidden Lamp collection entitled “Manseong’s No Cultivation.” Bukkai will respond to the material and offer her thoughts on related teachings. One day a nun asked Manseong Sunim, “How do I cultivate the Way of the Buddha?” “No cultivation,”… Read more »

When we begin to practice, we feel a sense of hope and promise. In time, this fades and we feel disappointment again. What does it mean to let go of our expectations and hopes, and really fall into this disappointment? How do we practice when our supports are taken away, one by one?

Pilgrimage has been a part of Buddhism since the very beginning. In this student talk, Tsuho discussed his travels to Japan and India and how we can use place as a method for practice.

Kaishin’s student talk focuses on the mandala model that informs our organizational structure. The mandala comes to us from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, which is distinct in key ways from Zen. Within the Tibetan tradition the mandala provides a conceptual model for the energetic and inter-dependent underpinning of the human psyche. Kaishin considers a few… Read more »

Gyokuko works with the image of an eclipse, particularly at the stage of totality. As we find what is ours to do, searching for wholeness, we need to align both spatially and temporally in order to actualize it.

Sometimes it can be hard to receive a significant gift graciously. We squirm, we deflect, we point out pitfalls, we imagine inadequacies, both in the gift, and in our worthiness. The teachings of the third turning of the wheel that describe our buddha nature, are one of these significant gifts. Kakumyo explores this symptom and… Read more »

Our practice includes the big “yes” of acceptance and the big “no” of impermanence. Our daily lives also include yes and no, as we choose how to meet conditions. We are in a time of uncertainty, intense emotion and cultural confusion. Many people are wondering how best to respond to the political situation. How does… Read more »

Inspired by Dogen’s Dharma Hall Discourse #68, “Jumping and Stumbling in a Fragrant World,” Bukkai will examine the life of practice of an ordinary bodhisattva in this 21st century world.

Before we turn completely toward spring, it seems useful to pay attention to the winter just past to see what it has taught us. Genko looks back at the challenging weather, illness, and darkness with curiosity, and is also interested in hearing from others what they have learned.

Ango has begun again and so the bell rings for zazen. We are all called to intensify our practice and go deeper. How do we answer the call? Dip a toe? Dive in headfirst? Pretend deafness?

Bukkai says: from the Buddha’s time to our present day, finding examples is simple but following examples is not easy. On this day we also celebrated Nehan Festival, which commemorates the Buddha’s most profound teaching, offered on his deathbed.

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