Date Title & Details Speaker Listen Download
04/08/2026
Kalita Sutra

This Wednesday evening class series looks at sutras. Senior Practitioners and Dharma Rain Teachers present some of their favorite teachings from the sutras, so there is a lot of variety. At that, it is only a taste of each sutra and a small sample of all of the sutras out there. Still, we hope to get into some depth and have some good discussion and an enhanced understanding of the richness of the teachings in Buddhism.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kakumyo Lowe
04/05/2026
Emerging from the Earth

Kakumyo discusses a parable from the Lotus Sutra on the koan of perceiving support. Something we all need to stretch into during challenging times.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe
04/01/2026
Surangama Sutra

This Wednesday evening class series looks at sutras. Senior Practitioners and Dharma Rain Teachers present some of their favorite teachings from the sutras, so there is a lot of variety. At that, it is only a taste of each sutra and a small sample of all of the sutras out there. Still, we hope to get into some depth and have some good discussion and an enhanced understanding of the richness of the teachings in Buddhism.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Ko’in Newsom
03/29/2026
Equanimity Lab

Equanimity is one of the qualities of a seasoned Buddhist practitsioner that is most frequently misunderstood. Kakumyo explore how equanimity functions, its cultivation, and what that says about the workings of mind.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe
03/25/2026
Wednesday Sutra Class: Avatamsaka Sutra

This Wednesday evening class series looks at sutras. Senior Practitioners and Dharma Rain Teachers present some of their favorite teachings from the sutras, so there is a lot of variety. At that, it only a taste of each sutra and a small sample of all of the sutras out there. Still, we hope to get into some depth and have some good discussion and an enhanced understanding of the richness of the teachings in Buddhism.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Genko Rainwater
03/22/2026
The Dharma of Chronic Pain

Reiju discusses her own experience with chronic pain, a workshop she took with others on practicing with chronic pain and illnesss, and some of the ways she finds practicing with pain connects her to dharma and sangha.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Reiju Nelsen
03/15/2026
Do I Do it Alone or With Help?

Sometimes the effort to awaken seems to be entirely up to us alone. Sometimes the effort seems to require much more than we ourselves can give. We will explore the idea of ‘self-power and other-power’ in our lives and practice.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
03/01/2026
One Path, One Dharma

Genko continues to look at the Precept “Do not dwell on past mistakes.” This time she focuses on the second paragraph of the commentary. What does it mean to say, “One path, one dharma, one realization, one practice”? How does that relate to fault-finding and haphazard talk?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
02/25/2026
Precepts Class 8

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
02/22/2026
Dharma Talk by Kakumyo

Kakumyo shares a Dharma Talk.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe
02/18/2026
Precepts Class 7

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
02/15/2026
The Merits of the Robe

Tsuho talks about forms of the kesa worn in our lineage and how they are inseparable from our practice.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Todd Tsuho Sattersten
02/11/2026
Precepts Class 6

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
02/08/2026
All Sangha Sunday Story and Dharma Talk

Families and children participate in Full Morning Service. After the break, Flying Fish offers a two-part dharma talk, beginning with a story-based talk especially tuned to young people. Part-two of the dharma talk continues after families who wish to join the sing-along go to the library for that.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Flying Fish Murphy
02/04/2026
Precepts Class 5

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
02/01/2026
Creating Wisdom from Ignorance

The sixth Grave Precept says, “Do not dwell on past mistakes. Create wisdom from ignorance.” What does it mean to create wisdom from ignorance? And how do we do it?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
01/28/2026
Precepts Class 4

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
01/25/2026
Interdependence and Fugen

Kakumyo talks about kaleidoscopes, mycellium, and other complexities.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe
01/21/2026
Precepts Class 3

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Reiju Nelsen
01/18/2026
The Mantra

Gyate, gyate — going, going. But where are we going? 

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
01/14/2026
Precepts Class 2

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kakumyo Lowe
01/11/2026
Flowering in Emptiness

How many ways are there to work with a wound, hurt, or hindrance, in a meditation practice? In “Flowering in Emptiness,” (Kuge) Zen Master Dogen puts forward an intriguing possibility.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Robert Reian Glass
01/07/2026
Precepts – Class 1

This class is about the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts, the ethical guidelines of Zen practice. The class prepares those who wish to take Jukai in March, as well as allowing everyone to explore how to work with these in everyday life. This year’s preceptor is Kakumyo.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kevin Minshu Dorney, Kakumyo Lowe
01/04/2026
Dharma Talk by Jyoshin

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jyoshin Clay
12/21/2025
Water is Friends with the Sea

Whether we call it cooperation or nondifference or making friends, the bodhisattva quality of taking the view of others is a challenge and a gift. What does it mean to really see from another’s point of view?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
12/07/2025
When the Gods are Changing

Genko examines the phenomenon of paradigm shift as it affects the broader society, various academic study areas, and moving into looking at our own personal lives. How do we recognize and navigate the inevitable change we face, both internal and external?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
12/03/2025
Foundational Teachings – Class 10

Wednesday night classes focus on Buddhist teaching, from its early stages in India through its expression in Soto Zen. This annual class explores topics such as the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, Dependent Origination, the Paramitas and other aspirational practices, as well as contributions from some of our important Zen ancestors, including Dogen. See the Syllabus. The Foundational Teachings classes are a seminary requirement and prerequisite for many other seminary classes.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Reiju Nelsen, Ko’in Newsom
11/30/2025
Dongshan’s No Cold or Heat

We would like to be in harmony with the conditions of our life, but so often, we wish things could be different than the way they are. Acceptance is our practice. How do we work with it?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Shin’yu Vitells
11/23/2025
The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel

Flying Fish takes a deeper dive into the three refuges. What does it mean to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha? Our spiritual ancestors point to this practice as essential to realizing the teachings. Hearing the words, and receiving the blessing or merit can be very different experiences. What do we mean when we take refuge in the triple treasure?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Flying Fish Murphy
11/19/2025
Foundational Teachings – Class 9

Wednesday night classes focus on Buddhist teaching, from its early stages in India through its expression in Soto Zen. This annual class explores topics such as the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, Dependent Origination, the Paramitas and other aspirational practices, as well as contributions from some of our important Zen ancestors, including Dogen. See the Syllabus. The Foundational Teachings classes are a seminary requirement and prerequisite for many other seminary classes.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Reiju Nelsen, Ko’in Newsom
11/16/2025
Wise Friends and Sutra Scrolls

Tsuho talks about a five-year project to study Dogen’s Shobogenzo and how sutra study can enrich practice.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Todd Tsuho Sattersten
11/12/2025
Foundational Teachings – Class 8

Wednesday night classes focus on Buddhist teaching, from its early stages in India through its expression in Soto Zen. This annual class explores topics such as the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, Dependent Origination, the Paramitas and other aspirational practices, as well as contributions from some of our important Zen ancestors, including Dogen. See the Syllabus. The Foundational Teachings classes are a seminary requirement and prerequisite for many other seminary classes.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Reiju Nelsen, Ko’in Newsom
Date Title & Details Speaker Listen Download

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