The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-08769 03/25/2023, Kyoshin Wendy Lewis, dharma talk at City Center. The theme of this practice period is Dogen's "To study the Buddha Way is to study the self." This is followed in Genjokoan by "When actualized by myriad things, your... The talk explores the implications of gender norms in Zen practice, inspired by National Women's History Month, and considers how these norms relate to the Zen teaching, “To study the Buddha way is to study the self,” from Dogen'...

Serial: SF-08934 03/18/2023, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. Shosan Victoria Austin explores the life and liveliness of Zen forms. How do the traditional forms of Soto Zen help us understand the teachings of the Buddha? How... The talk focuses on the significance of Zen forms and formality within Soto Zen practice, contrasting the priestly and lay approaches exemplified by Suzuki Roshi and Mitsuzuki Sensei. The discussion highlights vertical and...

Serial: SF-08916 03/05/2023, Kokyo Henkel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Case 12 in the Gateless Barrier: Every day Ruiyan called out to himself "Master!" and answered himself "Yes!" Then he would say to himself "Be aware!" and reply "Yes!" "... The talk elaborates on Zen koan "Ruyen Calls Master" from the Gateless Barrier collection, emphasizing the existential inquiry into the "fundamental constant principle." It reflects on the practice through the allegory of the...

Serial: SF-08726 02/26/2023, Shoho Kuebast, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Contemplating the teachings of buddha-nature as taught in Maitreya's Uttaratantra Shastra. The talk examines the concept of "emptiness" in Mahayana Buddhism, specifically through the lens of dependent origination and Buddha nature. It explores how these teachings—along with the experiential quality of the Dharma being...

Serial: SF-08539 02/19/2023, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Dogen Zenji said, “Breathing in or breathing out, after all, what is it?” No one can tell what it is. The talk explores the interplay between Zen teachings and koans, referencing specific stories from the Blue Cliff Record, particularly focusing on Case 51 involving Zen masters Shui Feng and Yen To. It examines the dynamic...

Serial: SF-08942 02/15/2023, Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. Zen practice emphasizes meeting each situation “face to face” ie. meeting it fully with radical honesty. How do remember to do so what it’s unpleasant? The talk explores the tension between acknowledging global tragedies and maintaining personal peace, emphasizing the practice of understanding and opening up to unsettling experiences. The central thesis is the importance of...

Serial: SF-08794 02/11/2023, Onryu Mary Stares, dharma talk at City Center. In a culture where we are going faster and faster, this talk gives one permission and encouragement to slow down and reflect. The talk focuses on the integration of mindfulness and Zen practice into daily life, emphasizing the importance of slowing down, fostering curiosity, and maintaining self-compassion amidst life's challenges. It discusses the...

Serial: SF-08910 02/04/2023, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. In commemorating Zen’s first Chinese Ancestor, Abbot David provides an overview of Bodhidharma’s seminal work, the “Outline of Practice”, which posits that there are... The talk explores Bodhidharma's teaching, "The Outline of Practice," which divides the path of Zen into two primary entrances: principle and practice. These are further depicted through two truths: absolute and relative. The...

Serial: SF-08718 01/21/2023, Horin Nancy Petrin, dharma talk at City Center. A talk, given in the day of a Lay Ordination ceremony, exploring the Mahayana Bodhisattva Vow. The talk explores the significance of the bodhisattva vow within Zen practice, emphasizing the duality of living in accordance with both individual karma and collective vows. It discusses the role of precepts in guiding...

Serial: SF-08919 01/14/2023, Rhonda Magee, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, Hoshi Rhonda Myozen Magee reflects on the concept of Beloved Community through the lens of those who have breathed life and meaning into the concept over the... The talk discusses the concept of the beloved community, centering on the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and other influential figures like Josiah Royce, Howard Thurman, and Thich Nhat Hanh. It emphasizes the transformative...

Serial: SF-07930 12/31/2022, Henzan Roger Hillyard, dharma talk at City Center. Don’t work harder, resist less. The talk explores the themes of suffering, joy, and the practice of Zen, emphasizing that suffering is an integral part of life as taught in the First Noble Truth. The speaker discusses personal experiences of attempting to...

Serial: SF-07936 12/17/2022, Kyoshin Wendy Lewis, dharma talk at City Center. Many of our teachings and talks address both freedom or liberation and the agony of existence or suffering. The talk discusses the complex interplay between freedom, forgiveness, and suffering, highlighting the notion that liberation is found in accommodating the agony of existence. The speaker suggests that the pursuit of freedom...

Serial: SF-07872 12/13/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. December sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period on cause and effect. The talk explores the theme of non-duality and the application of Zen precepts, emphasizing the teaching of "not making two" as central to Zen practice. It discusses the relationship between asceticism, embodied by Mahakashapa,...

Serial: SF-08031 12/11/2022, Sonja Gardenswartz, dharma talk at City Center. Our zazen sitting builds a foundation upon which we make contact with what is important to us, you become the gift. Not searching outside ourselves for what matters but... The talk elaborates on using morning rituals as a gateway to deeper Dharma practice, focusing on the practice of Zazen as a means to cultivate mindfulness and presence. A poem by Turkish poet Zarad, "A Woman Cleaning Lentils," is...

Serial: SF-07816 12/10/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. December sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period on cause and effect. The talk focuses on the intersection of Zen practice with themes of karma, causality, and the nature of the self. Central to the discussion is a koan involving Hyakujo and a fox, which serves to illustrate intrinsic connections...

Serial: SF-07970 12/01/2022, Shinchi Linda Galijan, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk addresses the theme of practicing in the realm of the two truths, with a focus on harmonizing the absolute and relative realities of existence. Emphasis is placed on Zen practice as a way to clear fabricated habits and...

Serial: SF-07918 11/18/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. Does a dog have Buddha nature? November sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period. The talk examines the fundamental Zen inquiry of awakening by exploring the interplay between Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions. The speaker discusses Soto Zen's focus on Shikantaza (just sitting) and Dogen Zenji’s teachings, like...

Serial: SF-07876 11/16/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. Does a dog have Buddha nature? November sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period. The talk delves into the teachings of Nagarjuna on the Middle Way, focusing on the concepts of emptiness and dependent co-arising from chapter 24 of the "Mulamadhyamakakarika". The discussion addresses dualistic propositions and...

Serial: SF-08003 11/13/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Reflections on the importance of rest and relaxation to wholeheartedly express our practice life. The talk explores the roles of rest and relaxation within Zen practice, discussing their significance in achieving joyous effort and compassion. Stories from the Buddha and Suzuki Roshi highlight the integration of rest into...

Serial: SF-07892 11/09/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. As part of the exploration of koans from the Blue Cliff Record, Abbot David unpacks Case 75, “Wu Chiu's Unjust Beating.” He considers what is it to receive the... The talk explores the nuances of Zen practice through the examination of a specific koan, Wu Chu's Unjust Beating, from the Blue Cliff Record, highlighting how Zen teachings often use physical metaphors to transcend conceptual...

Serial: SF-07857 11/05/2022, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. Each step of the Eightfold Path and the practices it recommends, harmonizes disciplined conduct and opening to virtuous being. The third step, Right Speech, is... The talk explores the profound impact of Zen practice and teachings on personal development, focusing on a formative experience shared between a student, Ed, and the esteemed Zen teacher, Suzuki Roshi. This experience illustrates...

Serial: SF-07845 10/30/2022, Kokyo Henkel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Different types compassion as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, Vasubandhu, Maitreya, Chandrakirti, and Zen Ancestors Yunyan and Daowu. The discussion delves into the evolution of great compassion (Maha Karuna) within Buddhist teachings, drawing insights from foundational texts and masters such as Vasubandhu and Chandrakirti. The talk differentiates between...

Serial: SF-08029 10/29/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. October sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period on the relative and absolute. The talk focuses on the Bodhisattva vow central to Zen identity and its method of transmission, emphasizing the practice of Zazen. Key stories from Zen history, particularly concerning Bodhidharma, illustrate the lineage of...

Serial: SF-07992 10/27/2022, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Tassajara. October sesshin series at the Tassajara fall practice period on the relative and absolute. The talk explores fundamental Buddhist teachings, focusing on the non-dual realization and the cessation of suffering, using the story of Bahiya of the Bark Cloth to illustrate the immediate and transformative power of Buddhist...