Recordings

Every year toward the end of September we celebrate the contribution of Eihei Dogen and Keizan Jokin to the establishment of Soto Zen. Dogen is considered the founder of Soto Zen in Japan, having brought it from China in the 1200s. Keizan, four generations later, popularized it and was instrumental in its spread.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko continues to examine the six Perfections (Paramitas) and this month looks at Kshanti, translated variously as patience, tolerance, and forebearance. Patience has gotten a lot of press in Buddhist teachings, being considered a central virtue. According to Dale Wright, who wrote The Six Perfections, “Bodhisattvas who have trained in this virtue are imperturbable and well-composed, calm and focused in the midst of adversity.”

Categories: Dharma Talks

Zen master Bankei said, “Rather than trying to become a buddha, nothing could be simpler than taking the shortcut of remaining a buddha!” We are that which we long for. In the original spirit of Zen, we focus on direct experience. We recognize that we are, already, the Buddha.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Fall term is in effect and practice is flowing. This Sunday Kakumyo will talk about one way we may notice the effects of contemplative practice, and how to make good use of this phenomenon.

Categories: Dharma Talks

With the shift towards cooler weather and the return of rain, the mind naturally turns towards fall practice. The beginning of Ango, with a Term Opening Ceremony and the Daoren Entering Ceremony, mark a starting point for particular sets of vows or intentions. (During the Term Opening Ceremony, each of us will have the opportunity to express a vow of practice for the term.) However, Buddhism has an intriguing way of looking at beginnings and endings. This Sunday, Jyoshin, will explore this theme and how zen holds these ideas.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo speaks about Dharma Rain’s path as a sangha and institution. What does our trajectory look like, and what are the values and context that are shaping it?

Categories: Dharma Talks

There are many stories of awakened life as that of the “everyday,” when our ordinary experiences and the objects we meet take on a luminous quality. But what happens when we look around and find that our ordinary lives are just…ordinary?

Categories: Dharma Talks

Genko continues to look at the Six Perfections, with the second of the Perfections: sila, usually translated “morality” or “ethics.” The problem with focusing on morality is that we sometimes get into judgments of good and bad, which is not so helpful. How can we live an ethical life and still find contentment and a sense of self-worth? Genko talks about how we work with the Precepts to create a state of mind that lends itself to taking moral action naturally.

Categories: Dharma Talks

The teachings of Zen tell us that all living beings have Buddha Nature. We do our practices to uncover that which always there. Gyokuko explores some of what we experience in the practice of uncovering and discovering our true nature.

Categories: Dharma Talks

We recognize that instances of giving and receiving attention are not all equivalent. Sometimes it can feel profound,other times trivial. We’ll explore this range, what it means, and our ability to affect where our behavior lands.

Categories: Dharma Talks

While we do not engage in formal koan study at Dharma Rain, many koans are held in our collective mind as valuable teaching stories. Jyoshin explores Dongshan’s “Cold and Heat”, a particularly apt study for our current summer weather patterns.

Categories: Dharma Talks

A new book – The Six Perfections by Dale Wright – inspires this talk. He writes about how to cultivate character using the Buddhist teachings on the paramitas. Genko reports on this and then goes on to explore the first paramita – dana, generosity.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Shinshu Roberts recently blessed us with readings from her book, Being-Time, and shared some important points about understanding Dogen’s chapter on Being-Time. In this talk Gyokuko shares some of her personal musings on the practice of being one with time.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Kakumyo talked about some of the lessons of the last two weeks, pulling threads from the “Juki” chapter of the Shobogenzo, which we studied at Genzoe sesshin last week, and weaving those with themes from the three day pastoral care workshop that happened this week.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Gyokuko has been working in her yard, like a lot of other people. In this Dharma talk, she talks about finding the right tool for the right job.

Categories: Dharma Talks

We are entering into Portland Pride season. “Pride” turns up on both Christian and Buddhist lists as one of the seven deadly sins or one of the five poisons, respectively. In what ways is it negative? How can it be seen as positive? How does it relate to Shame (which is generally listed as a positive in Buddhist thought)? Genko explores some of these confusing ideas.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This Sunday we’ll explore qualities like concentration, focus and receptivity with a Buddhist lens. How do these qualities affect our life, and what contributes to reliably accessing them, both within and beyond formal meditation.

Categories: 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 keep his son out of the way of old age, disease, death and even the path of the wise.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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) help guide the process, teaching both explicitly and implicitly. This Sunday, Jyoshin will explore the role of creative expression in dharma practice and the many ways we can share with others what we learn through our time on the cushion.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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 habits when we are alone.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

Spring Sangha Forum will be this Sunday, in place of the dharma talk. The forum includes about 30 minutes of presentations by the Dharma Council, Board, Mandala Council, and Dharma Garden council. These will be followed by a 30-minute discussion period so the councils can hear what curiosities, concerns, questions, and suggestions you have.

Categories: Sangha Forum

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 the voice of one of our founders in our hall. Gyokuko answered questions after the talk.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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?

Categories: Dharma Talks

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

Categories: Dharma Talks

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?

Categories: Dharma Talks

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 against our edges of practice? How does a sense of danger interfere with our practice? How can we discern between real and imagined danger? Can fear even assist our spiritual journey? How do the three refuges help? How can we practice with this? We will explore these and other questions together. Please bring your aspiration and fear.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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?

Categories: Dharma Talks

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 Zen students in a culture where death is often hidden away out of sight?

Categories: Dharma Talks

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

Categories: Dharma Talks

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?

Categories: Dharma Talks