Date Title & Details Speaker Listen Download
08/16/2020
Do Buddhists Pray?

Buddhism is not a theology, but it is a religion. Many Buddhists have a deep relationship to a spiritual mystery. How do feelings like devotion and prayerful urges work in Buddhism and Zen? What does it mean to surrender in our practice?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
08/09/2020
Tranquility and Discernment

The process of perception is a rich topic of investigation in Buddhism. So much of who we are and the world we inhabitat is mediated by our own filters. This talk will explore how the capacities for tranquility and discernment nourish each other.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
08/02/2020
Chimyo Atkinson

Chimyo Atkinson was ordained in 2007 and received Dharma transmission under Rev. Teijo Munnich in 2015. She completed her monastic training in Japan and the US. Until recently, she served as Head of Practice at Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple in Alexander, North Carolina

Categories: Dharma Talks

Chimyo Atkinson
07/26/2020
Race, Tribe, and Self

Did you know that the Buddha addressed racism explicitly in his teachings? He was dealing with the caste system, and expressed clear views on it. If we are all one people, why and how did we get to this mess of perceiving different races, and treating people differently based on it. Why is it so hard to change it? Genko attempts to untangle a few of these threads, and suggests some ways forward. (Hint: they all are based on Buddhist practice.)

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
07/19/2020
Responsibility and Abundance

This Sunday, Kakumyo will talk about the process of discerning whether some discordance in our life is ours to transform or not. If it is, what do we need to help this transformation along? If it’s not, how do we relate to it?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
07/12/2020
Dwelling on Past Mistakes

One of our Precepts says “Do Not Dwell on Past Mistakes.” We usually study this Precept as it applies to us personally, as we dwell either on our own or others’ mistakes. We’re in a place now nationally where many of our society’s past mistakes are coming home to roost, and we’re being asked to study and acknowledge past failures. Typical responses to this can be guilt, paralysis, defensiveness, anger, defiance, and confusion. What does it mean to “dwell” on past mistakes, and how do we move forward constructively from this place? Genko doesn’t have all the answers, but explores some of these questions in Sunday’s Dharma Talk.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
07/05/2020
Taking off the Training Wheels

So. You’ve been practicing for a few years; gotten comfortable with meditation. All of a sudden something unexpected happens and…WHAM!…there’s a sense of distress and discomfort. What happened? Where did those years of zen training go? Is it all useless? This Sunday, Jyoshin, talks about life, stress, practice, and liberation. And, no, it’s not useless.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jyoshin Clay
06/28/2020
Sweat the Small Stuff

Kakumyo will be talking about some of the common misunderstandings and pitfalls in bringing more light and freedom to unwholesome karmic patterns.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
06/21/2020
Try Something New but not Too New

Bukkai retired from the Dharma Rain teaching group three years ago but returns to talk about summer ango and how we can relax a little while keeping our intention.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jill Bukkai Washburn
06/14/2020
Solid Karma

“Solid Karma” – the Sanskrit word klesha refers to states of mind that cloud our way to enlightenment. It refers to deeply embedded, hardened kinds of karma. How do we recognize and work with these in ourselves, as well as our communities?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
06/07/2020
Appreciate the View Part Two

This week Kakumyo will continue some themes from his last Dharma talk: Aliveness and interdependence; separation and solidarity; humility and clarity.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
05/31/2020
Discipleship and Beyond

Many transitions are being marked this Sunday. It is the end of spring Ango, and so we will have a Term Closing ceremony. It is the end of the Dharma School year, and there will be a matriculation ceremony for those young adults just entering the adult sangha. And four new Lay Disciples will have just been ordained the night before with their teachers. Genko is inviting each new disciple to introduce themselves and to speak about what this means to them. Kyogen used to talk often about being ordained into your life. How does each of us do this? What does practice and transition look like for each of us?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
05/24/2020
Turning the Question Around

There are many kinds of currency in today’s world: money, information, affection, prestige. We chase after them thinking they will satisfy a lack, a need. Often, we find they are not nearly as fulfilling as we had hoped and crave more. How will we find contentment and satisfaction? This Sunday Jyoshin talks about discerning what is wholesome versus unwholesome about this process, and learning what is enough.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jyoshin Clay
05/17/2020
Inconveniences

Our lives of late have occasional moments of deep fear, and many hours of mild irritation. What does it mean to be annoyed? How do we practice with the minor inconveniences of life? In fact, these small obstacles are one of the most effective ways to deep wisdom.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
05/10/2020
Appreciate the View

There are many urgent, complex problems in the world, and at times we all get caught by them, and information and analysis doesn’t actually free us. But there is something to notice that does help. The benefit is apparent on both a personal and a much larger level.  

Tags: kakumyo

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
05/03/2020
Wesak

This Sunday we celebrate the Buddha’s birth; an event that has many stories associated with it. This Sunday Jyoshin will circle around stories and storytelling in our tradition. Bring your tea and a comfortable seat up to your device to zoom in to listen to the talk.

Tags: jyoshin, wesak

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jyoshin Clay
04/26/2020
The Self in Times of Change

When circumstances take a sudden shift from what we have come to think of as normal, it can shake our sense of who we are. Almost all of us have had to deal with massive changes recently that may seem catastrophic. In addition, we can be confused by the curious juxtaposition of the sense of staying physically separate from each other as much as possible, and a paradoxically strong sense of connection. Genko speaks to these conditions and others in this Sunday’s Dharma Talk.

Tags: jyoshin, wesak

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
04/19/2020
Your Buddhahood Has Been Predicted

2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha himself predicted that all of us would realize Buddhahood. Buddhist scripture is replete with this assurance. But if our Buddhahood is assured, why do we struggle so with self-doubt? How do we balance the Buddha’s unbridled optimism with the frustration that inevitably arises in our practice?

Tags: Student Talk, Thomas

Categories: Dharma Talks

Thomas Koshin Bruner
04/12/2020
Spring Sangha Forum

This Sunday will be a sangha forum. The Dharma Council will be speaking on ways the teachings are being presented. Of course we are in a special time right now, and it is important to hear from everyone as to how we are communicating, and if your needs are being met. Please take the time to listen and bring any suggestions you may have.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Sangha Forum

No Dharma Talk
04/05/2020
What is Real?

In exploring Buddhist teachings and trying to incorporate them into our life, questions like “What is real?” move from being vague or frivolous ideas to concrete practices that shape our day. In this talk Kakumyo will see how this question shapes how we relate to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
03/22/2020
Passing Through the Net

This Sunday Kakumyo will talk about getting caught and unstuck and what a meditation practice can bring to bear on our current situation.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
03/15/2020
Bodhisattva Vows

We don’t have a lot of exposure to the Bodhisattva Vows at Dharma Rain. In this talk we’ll investigate these challenging and powerful vows. We’ll explore some of the rather different formulations of them and the koan nature of these vows. We’ll also investigate the power of wise aspiration in our practice.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Mike Gyoshi Kaplan
03/08/2020
Developing Discernment

We live our lives having to make so many decisions. How do we see what is right for us to do? What is the role of the mind and how do we develop our own wisdom to guide us.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Anthony Fujaku Stevens
03/04/2020
Paramitas #2

There was no recording of this class.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, Mark Sosetsu Stauffer
03/01/2020
The Scope of Equanimity

It might be easy and comfortable to think about practice in terms of how it affects our mind state. This cause and effect is fairly simple and relatively observable. If the effect of practice spreads farther, what does that challenge? How would that impact our practice?

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
02/26/2020
Paramitas #1

Class 1 of 7

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde, Mark Sosetsu Stauffer
02/16/2020
Cultivating Joy

What is Joy? Is it the same as happiness? How does it relate to Suffering? Is it okay for a Buddhist to feel happy? In fact, Joy is one of the Four Immeasurables, as well as being one of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. Genko explores Buddhism’s relationship to Joy, and gives some tips for cultivating it in our own lives.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko Rainwater
02/12/2020
Precepts #6

Class 6 of 6

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Carrie Schulz, Jyoshin Clay
02/09/2020
The Dharma of Straight Nails

Trying to avoid judgmental or reactive patterns, we might forego our authentic recognition of what fits. If we aim for clarity we might end up feeling disconnected. There’s a sweet spot in navigating life that allows for both wise discernment and nonattachment.

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo Lowe-Charde
02/05/2020
Precepts #5

Class 5 of 6

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Carrie Schulz, Jyoshin Clay
02/02/2020
Buddha No Buddha

We celebrate the Festival of Nehan this week, and the historical Buddha’s passge out of this world. But perhaps there never was a Buddha. What if the Buddha never really existed? What happens to our practice then?

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Dharma Talks

Sallie Jiko Tisdale
01/29/2020
Precepts #4

Class 4 of 6

Tags: forum, spring sangha forum

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Carrie Schulz, Jyoshin Clay
Date Title & Details Speaker Listen Download

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