Recordings

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

Categories: Wednesday Classes

This is our season for studying the Precepts. An important and early part of preparing for the Precepts is examining the meaning of repentance. Many of us struggle with feelings of guilt, shame and unworthiness. Buddhist repentance allows us to acknowledge the mistakes of the past without injuring the self of the present, and leads us to real liberation.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Many people encounter a self that compares and critiques our spiritual capacity and worthiness. Sometimes it’s easy to see the frailty of that self and the tenuousness of its influence. But it can also be very disruptive and painful. Kakumyo talks about how Buddhism practices with this kind of distortion and doubt.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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

Categories: Wednesday Classes

The Dharma Talk was replaced by Shuso Hossen, for Sonja Rinsho Aikens.

Categories: Dharma Talks

What do we need to do? What is wise action when we feel stuck, tormented, or otherwise lost in our dukkha in our various life situations? Gyoshi received the advice that’s the title of this talk near the beginning of his Zen practice many years ago. He’s still learning how it informs his practice and will share with you some of the nuances that have emerged for him. We’ll be dipping into many of the foundational teachings as well as a few very old stories as we explore this together.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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.”

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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 celebrations?

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

Twice a year, the sangha has an opportunity to hear from our governing bodies and to ask questions and give feedback. The Sangha Forum takes the place of a dharma talk. In the fall, the Board of Directors sponsors forum and gives detailed updates. The Dharma Council and DEI give updates as well.

Categories: Sangha Forum

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks

This annual class looks at Buddhism’s foundational teachings, covering things like the Buddha’s life, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Karma and Rebirth, and on into Dependent Origination, Emptiness, Thusness, and Suchness. A seminary requirement, and pre-requisite for many other seminary classes. Kakumyo is leading this class, along with Sokuchu.

Categories: Wednesday Classes

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 together, we create something that supports all of us in our practice.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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

Categories: Dharma Talks

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.  

Categories: Dharma Talks

Jyoshin describes the liminal space of this time of year.

Categories: Dharma Talks

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.

Categories: Dharma Talks