Recording Category: Dharma Talks

Dogen prescribed exactly how to sit down, how to walk, how to wash your face and brush your teeth, offer incense, and eat a meal. What is the purpose of our prescribed forms? We will explore our many different reactions to these rituals of Zen.

Guest teacher Bob Rosenbaum of Meadowmind Sangha gave the dharma talk. He discusses how all our sensations, feelings, thoughts and even the “real world” we take for granted are delusions — and the gates of liberation. This talk introduces the Surangama Sutra‘s teaching of the Matrix of the Thus Come One, unlimited by “is” and “is not.”

Genko explores the Dharma of these and other frequent polite expressions. When are they necessary? To what extent are they sincere and to what extent are they superficial or uttered for other reasons? What are some cultural assumptions we make about these? And, just to keep it interesting, what about the politics of Thanksgiving Day… Read more »

Kakumyo fills in for Jiko on Founders Day and talks about our Lineage and why it’s important.

The body we have is no different from the original Dharma Body. Using excerpts from Bodhidharma’s Blood Stream Sermon, Zen Master Nie will explore the personal and practice insights that come from exploring this teaching.

Byakuren’s approach to trauma integrates deep spirituality with directly facing your pain. She explores the establishment of a healing container for a traumatized emotional body by deeply entering our narratives, recognizing these formative conditions and healing the root causes of our suffering.

Interdependence and layers of causation have come up a lot recently. Kakumyo will explores these themes and how they relate to the activity of witnessing our self and being witnessed.

Jyoshin looks at two verse summaries from the Lotus Sutra that talk about Dharma Rain. This recording only includes the last 20 minutes of the talk.

As we become more aware of the workings of mind, our sense of who we are, our responsibility, and what our practice is keeps changing. Kakumyo explores this by taking a look at two paramitas and Dogen’s Eight Realizations to see how they interweave.

As we settle into Ango and witness the public ceremonies of one person becoming an ordained priest and another entering postulancy toward that same path, Genko looks at some of the different ways we practice. Each of our lives is different, and each of us has our own unique path. And yet, when we come… Read more »

We discuss the Three Minds of practice and how many Buddhists it takes to screw in a light bulb.

There’s a deep-seated yearning we all tap into that guides how we live our life. It’s vulnerable to let its voice be prominent, and it takes skill to be able to listen to it consistently. One of the misses we make is we substitute rules and procedures for this subtle guidance. Kakumyo explores this edge in practice.  

Desire is one of the root causes of suffering in Buddhism. Using the teaching of the buddha, we will look at how desire entangles us and how to unravel its grip. Releasing our mind and body from the confusion desire creates, we open to wisdom and compassion.

Sometimes we find ourselves in stereotyped roles with another person, responding to another as though we are parent, child, hero, or villain. Why do enter into archetypal roles and how do we work with these in practice?

Recently over breakfast, several residents expressed interest in learning more about what goes on in our prison groups. The conditions there suggest new and different ways to approach familiar teachings. Genko shares some of the learning/teaching opportunities from Dharma Rain’s prison program.

Dharma Rain Newsletter Signup

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter that keeps you informed on what's going on at Dharma Rain Zen Center.


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact