The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-08660 Talk by Zachary Smith at City Center on 2024-01-10 The talk explores the concept of duality and non-duality within Zen practice, using a kōan from the Blue Cliff Record as a focal point. The discussion emphasizes the coexistence of relative and absolute truths in Zen, challenging...

Serial: SF-09510 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Uji Gui Spina on 2024-01-07 The talk explores the Avatamsaka Sutra, its vibrant language and thematic resonance with Dogen's teachings, particularly the esoteric ideas found in his essay "Uji." Emphasis is placed on the idea of setting oneself "in array"...

Serial: SF-08501 In this talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, Liên speaks about how Skillful View, in services of restoration, is about opening up to acknowledging harm and harming, (re)learning ways to be more skillful, and then enacting them... The talk, originating from Beginner's Mind Temple, focuses on the concept of Skillful View as a means of recognizing and addressing harm through the Engaged Eightfold Path. It serves as an introduction to "Home is Here:...

Serial: SF-08497 Talk by Jisan Tova Green at City Center on 2024-01-04 This talk addresses the theme of transition within the Zen community, focusing on the significance of vows as a means of unifying and guiding practice. The discourse reflects on community adjustments due to physical relocations...

Serial: SF-08618 The talk explores the concept of the "shape of our practice" in Zen, focusing on personal practice and its continuity outside traditional forms. Reflections on Mitsu Suzuki's impact on maintaining continuity at the...

Serial: SF-08624 The talk centers on the Shosai Myo Kichijo Dharani, exploring its historical, spiritual, and linguistic dimensions to emphasize its role in Zen practice as a tool for evoking teachings through sound and ritual. Additionally, it...

Serial: SF-08634 The talk delves into the Chinese Zen poem "Sandokai" by Sekito Kisen, emphasizing its exploration of the harmony between difference and equality, or the relative and absolute truths. The discussion highlights the engagement with...

Serial: SF-08686 The talk centers on the concept of listening as a crucial method for discovering authentic personal pathways in Zen practice. It emphasizes the importance of practicing with awareness and intentionality to create a unique path...

Serial: SF-08688 The talk explores the intricate layers of self-awareness and intentionality within the context of Zen practice. It emphasizes the practice of avowing one's karma and desires, the exploration of underlying conditioning, and the...

Serial: SF-08695 The talk explores the integration of Zen practice into daily life, emphasizing Keizan's significant contributions to Soto Zen's development. Keizan, unlike Dogen, focused on broadening Zen's accessibility and emphasizing practice...

Serial: SF-09529 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Uji Jukai Gui Spina on 2023-12-31 The talk discusses a Jukai ceremony at Green Gulch, emphasizing its spiritual significance and the transmission of the Bodhisattva precepts. This ritual includes the conferring of Dharma names and the use of ceremonial implements...

Serial: SF-09523 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Uji Gui Spina on 2023-12-17 The talk discusses recent changes at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, particularly the move of senior residents to Enso Village, and reflects on Dogen's teachings from the fascicle "Uji," focusing on the concept of 'time being' as an...

Serial: SF-08771 In light of several major transitions unfolding for SFZC and the sangha at large, including the upcoming yearlong renovation of Beginner’s Mind Temple, Abbot David offers dharma pointers for how we might relate to and navigate... The talk focuses on navigating transitions and change, particularly in the context of the San Francisco Zen Center's upcoming building renovations, leadership transitions, and the relocation of senior monks to Enzo Village. The...

Serial: SF-08744 Talk by Paul Haller at City Center on 2023-12-09 The talk revolves around Shakyamuni Buddha's awakening narrative, focusing on asceticism and the realization of interconnectedness as described in two different story versions. The speaker then examines Dogen Zenji's teachings on...

Serial: SF-08836 01/25/2023, Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. Ceremony calls forth sacredness. In the opening ceremony we enliven the sacredness of each of the centers of activity in our lives. The talk explores the themes of apology, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness, using imagery from Dogen's poem about a waterfowl reflecting the moon, and draws connections with neuroscience studies on meditation's effect on...

Serial: SF-08747 Talk by Paul Haller at City Center on 2023-12-06 This talk explores the themes of renunciation and generosity in Zen practice, contrasting early Hinayana teachings with Mahayana perspectives. It highlights the integration of foundational renunciative practices with the...

Serial: SF-08861 Talk by Paul Haller at City Center on 2023-12-04 The main thesis of the talk explores the intricate interplay between curiosity, compassion, and Zen practice, underscoring the transformative journey from habitual self-constructs to heartfelt gratitude and awareness. Emphasis is...

Serial: SF-08831 12/03/2023, Chosetsu Lauren Bouyea, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Suzuki Roshi said that beginner's mind - meeting the world and ourselves just-as-it-is - is the secret of Zen practice, but there are many powerful cultural and... The talk explores the concept of "beginner's mind" within Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an open and unfixed mindset despite the tendency to settle into habitual, self-centered thought patterns. It...

Serial: SF-09546 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Uji Gui Spina on 2023-12-03 The talk centers on the profound changes at Green Gulch, where senior members are leaving, prompting reflections on impermanence and community through a deeply meaningful ceremony. The speaker also discusses a workshop...

Serial: SF-08763 Talk by Kyoshin Wendy Lewis at City Center on 2023-12-02 The talk explores the philosophical dimensions within Buddhist practice, focusing on the fourth foundation of mindfulness as described in the Satipatthana Sutta, which involves contemplation of dharmas, including the exploration...

Serial: SF-09533 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Uji Gui Spina on 2023-11-26 The talk examines Dogen's "Uji: The Time Being," emphasizing the inseparability of time and existence within the present moment. It discusses interpretations of the term "uji" as the fusion of time and being, contrasting with...

Serial: SF-08734 Talk by Tim Wicks at City Center on 2023-11-25 The talk centers on the concept of Virya, or energy, as one of the six paramitas in Mahayana Buddhism and explores its training and cultivation. It discusses the interplay between understanding inner energies such as desire and...

Serial: SF-08752 Talk by Paul Haller at City Center on 2023-11-22 The talk focuses on the theme of gratitude as a pathway to resilience, emphasizing its role in fostering connections and addressing suffering through collective effort. It discusses Brother David Standelrust's teachings on...

Serial: SF-08911 11/19/2023, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The one practice for every moment of our life is just to welcome and care for whatever is right here - why do we forget that so easily, and how can we train in... The talk focuses on the practice of Zen embracing each experience as an opportunity for compassion, as illustrated by the metaphor of perceiving everything that arises—thoughts, sensations, beings—as "baby newts" seeking care and...