Tag: Dharma Talk
Bukkai’s talk carries a long thread of love of mountains in zen writing and mountains in themselves. She makes suggestions for study of the walking of human beings and the walking of mountains. This talk was given on Sunday, April 24.
Twice a year, the sangha has an opportunity to hear from our governing bodies, to ask questions and give feedback. The spring forum is primarily sponsored by the Dharma Council. Some topics we covered were the Succession Plan, the May Sit, the Heart of Work retreat this fall, Liturgical year changes, and Sangha-building activities. The… Read more »
How do we live with the universality of suffering? Genko follows Kyogen’s path in working with the Buddhacarita, a mythical retelling of the Buddha’s life story and enlightenment. We’ll talk about myth and read some of the story and explore how we work with the facts of sickness, old age, and death. This talk was… Read more »
For more than a thousand years, Zen temples have been administered in particular ways. How do the rules and guidelines put in place so long ago translate to today? What does it mean to step up to leadership at Dharma Rain? Jiko will talk about the temple governance as an essential practical matter, and an… Read more »
Gyokuko explores the sacred and the mundane, and pays homage to Spring in this Sunday’s talk. This talk was given on Sunday, March 27, 2016.
Starting Monday evening, the Zen Center enters into a week-long retreat in preparation for our Jukai ceremony next Sunday. Is there a way to be part of this retreat even if you are not able to participate at the Zen center in person? For this week’s Dharma talk, Shintai offers suggestions and encouragement for deepening… Read more »
The word courage comes from the Latin coeur, which means ‘heart’ – it originally meant to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart. Shin’ei speaks to fully inhabiting our lives, seeing things all the way through. Who is it you think you are and whose story is it anyway? This talk… Read more »
Sometimes the troubles of the world overwhelm us, and we sink into despair. We may feel depressed or angry as we see the suffering around us. Despair is actually a crucial experience in practice. How do we work with this state and the accompanying emotions? How do we move forward with compassion to ease suffering… Read more »
This Sunday we will celebrate Nehan, a festival that commemorates the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. It celebrates the transmission of the Dharma (teaching) throughout the ages – a transmission that is not dependent on the physical presence of the original teacher. After the Nehan ceremony, Bukkai’s talk will be based on the Buddha’s last words… Read more »
In Dogen’s chapter Kajo he says that the thoughts and words of the ancestors are “everyday tea and rice.” Having just returned from a sesshin in which this fascicle, which translates as “Everyday Activity,” was studied, Seido offers some reflections on Dogen’s meaning within the context of our lineage tradition. On Valentines Day, this talk… Read more »
A recurring theme in Kyogen’s Dharma Talks was finding or discovering what is ours to do. This Sunday David Choten Robinson will present a student talk on how his practice and work with this theme informed his ability to meet opportunities and challenges while living in Uganda in 2012. This talk was given January 31.
This Sunday the current shuso, Gay Kei’un Lewis, will take her “final exam,” presenting a verse and answering questions from teachers and sangha members. This is the culmination of a year of intensive practice and service to the Sangha. Come help “prod the loaf” to see whether she’s done. Join us this Sunday, January 24,… Read more »
This Sunday Kakumyo will speak about his upcoming kessei term as part of the preparation for becoming co-abbot. His taking up this challenge suggests a question for all of us: How do we blend the depth of insight and the routine of integrity with the complexities and inadequacies of our embodied lives? Drawing beauty from… Read more »
What are the markers of maturity in the practice? How do we define this subjective term? We teach that practice is enlightenment, there are no stages of enlightenment. Yet there are real markers of development in practice, qualities we develop and can recognize over time. One is generosity, giving the self freely. A sense of… Read more »
Genko takes up racial justice, and struggles to fit it within Dharma practice. What exactly IS political activism? How can it be effective? Is it important? Why or why not? How do we find what is uniquely ours to do about this and other social justice issues? How DOES it relate to our practice within… Read more »
In this week of Rohatsu, let us not deny the possibility of enlightenment. Join us this Sunday, December 6, for zazen, sanzen and Bukkai’s Dharma Talk. Bukkai and Shintai offer sanzen. 8:30am Zazen (with optional sanzen) 9:00 Kinhin (walking meditation) 9:10 Zazen 9:40 Full Morning Service 10:10 Break/Announcements 10:30 Walking the Path in Darkness and… Read more »