The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-08297 07/20/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. This talk was given at one of Beginner's Mind Temple’s pop-up events at Unity Church, by Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman. Dogen Zenji’s beautiful and inspiring... The talk analyzes Dogen Zenji's essay "Bodhisattva Shishobo" from the Shobo Genzo, focusing on the four essential practices for a bodhisattva: giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and identity action. The discourse outlines...

Serial: SF-08637 Talk by Bussho Salon Week Dan Gudgel Tim Wicks Kim Hart at City Center on 2024-07-17 The talk explores Dogen's critique of representations in Zen, specifically analyzing the depiction of Nagarjuna as a painted rice cake metaphor. It emphasizes Dogen's commentary on distinguishing authentic practice from...

Serial: SF-09534 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Zen Mind Beginners Mind Gui Spina on 2024-07-14 This talk explores the Zen concept of "just this is it" and the study of the self in the context of Dogen's teachings, particularly from "Genjo Koan" and Dongshan's "Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi." The discussion highlights...

Serial: SF-08282 Talk by Nancy Petrin at Tassajara on 2024-07-13 The talk focuses on the establishment and evolution of Enzo Village as a Zen-inspired senior living community, detailing its integration of Zen practices and the challenges of creating a communal identity. This includes...

Serial: SF-08261 Talk by Inryu Ponce Barger at Tassajara on 2024-07-12 The talk focuses on Zen teachings, with particular emphasis on the discourses of Ryokan and the application of Zen practice in modern life. The speaker discusses physical postures for meditation, the guidance of traditional...

Serial: SF-08640 Bussho Salon  The session discusses the exploration of Dogen's teachings, particularly focusing on the notions of time and Buddha nature as described in the Zen text Shobogenzo. The discussion emphasizes the interplay of time and being in...

Serial: SF-09485 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Zen Mind Beginners Mind Gui Spina on 2024-07-07 The discourse primarily examines the ideas presented in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki, focusing on the pitfalls of being goal-oriented in Zen practice, specifically via the chapter "Mistakes in Practice". It...

Serial: SF-08251 07/06/2024, Peter Coyote, dharma talk at City Center. This talk was given by Zen teacher, actor, poet and artist Peter Coyote. The talk, which Peter describes as “disguised as a dharma-way talk” recounts how the deepening grip of... The talk explores the integration of Zen practice with social activism and personal development, emphasizing the importance of combining spiritual insight with practical, political engagement. It discusses the speaker's personal...

Andrea Thach reflects on on stories from the life of her teacher Sojun Mel Weitsman, and talks about careful attention and devotion in our activities.  The talk delves into the themes of devotion, attention in Zen practice, and the influence of Sojun Mel Weitsman’s teachings, drawing connections between his life experiences and spiritual insights. It explores the idea of life as...

Serial: SF-08329 Talk by Bussho Salon Week Tim Wicks Kim Hart Dan Gudgel at City Center on 2024-07-03 The talk provides an exploration of Eihei Dogen's teachings, focusing on the historical and philosophical context of his work "Busho", also known as "Buddha Nature". It outlines Dogen's life during the period known as Mappo—the...

Serial: SF-08595 Bussho Salon Week This talk centers on Dogen's influence during the Mappo period, a time perceived as a decline in Buddhist practice. It describes Dogen's historical context, outlining his return from China, his establishment of Koshoji temple,...

Serial: SF-08605 Bussho Salon  The talk focuses on the relevance of Dogen's teachings, highlighting the approach of reading Dogen's works with a devotional practice similar to Lectio Divina, without fixating on understanding every word. It emphasizes...

Serial: SF-09530 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Zen Mind Beginners Mind Gui Spina on 2024-06-30 The talk explores Zen practice through various anecdotes and teachings, focusing on Suzuki Roshi's insights about the pitfalls of practice, such as idealistic goals and competition, and the concept of critique versus criticism in...

Serial: SF-08424 06/29/2024, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. This talk was given by Shosan Victoria Austin at one of Beginner’s Mind Temple’s pop-up events at Unity Church on Page St in San Francisco. Sōtō Zen teaches that... The talk discusses the metaphor of "grandparent mind" as a lens for understanding and practicing compassion, based on Buddhist principles. The focus is on translating compassion into action through three referenced models,...

Serial: SF-08270 06/16/2024, Ryuko Laura Burges, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Laura talks about how we can practice with grief, loss, and ordinary everyday suffering, She weaves in stories from her recent book from Shambhala, The Zen Way of... This talk highlights the exploration of impermanence and loss as catalysts for Buddhist practice, referencing both personal experiences and the teachings of Suzuki Roshi. The discussion emphasizes the necessity of remaining...

Serial: SF-09726 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2024-06-16 The talk discusses the significance of attention and mindfulness in Zen practice, emphasizing the teachings from the Dhammapada and Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Suzuki Roshi. It highlights the importance of understanding the role...

Serial: SF-08465 06/12/2024, Keido Keith Baker, dharma talk at City Center. This talk was given by Keido Keith Baker at Beginner’s Mind Temple, San Francisco. The Han's wooden knock calls countless practitioners to come to the Zendo for... The talk explores the Han's message on the impermanence of birth and death, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness and meditation to understand this central truth. The Han, a traditional wooden board used in Zen practice,...

Serial: SF-08658 Talk by Keido Keith Baker at City Center on 2024-06-12 The talk focuses on the Han's teachings regarding the impermanence of life, emphasizing its connection to the Zen practice of Zazen and the contemplation of birth and death. The Han serves as a reminder to be present and mindful...

Serial: SF-08311 06/09/2024, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk, Jiryu reflects on the practice of shikantaza, just sitting, as a Way that is fundamentally different than technique-based meditation. The talk discusses the essence of Zen practice, focusing on the alignment with one’s present experience rather than adherence to specific techniques or methods. Highlighting the comparison with Chan Buddhism, it delves into the...

Serial: SF-09759 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2024-06-09 The talk centers on exploring the dynamic interplay between "big mind" and "small mind," and the concept of "knowing and not knowing" as framed in Suzuki Roshi's teachings, particularly examining the metaphor of "sound and...

Serial: SF-08263 06/05/2024, Kim Kōgen Dai-Hō Hart, event at City Center. In the event, Mitsue discussed her artistic and photographic process, as well as her experience of quiet sitting in preparation for taking photographs. Kay then discussed... The talk focuses on the dual aspects of non-dual reality, discussing how Zen meditation fosters freedom by liberating practitioners from habitual perceptions and conditioning. It emphasizes the Buddhist teachings of the two...

Serial: SF-08454 06/01/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple’s monthly one-day sitting, (this time held at Haight Street Art Center) Abbot David shares highlights of his recent... The talk emphasizes the importance of internalizing Zen practice to transcend the need for specific physical locations or conditions, highlighting Keizan Jokin's influence on Soto Zen and his efforts to make it accessible and...

Serial: SF-08370 05/29/2024, Kazuaki Tanahashi, Mitsue Nagase, dharma talk at City Center.In this discussion, held in the conference center at Beginner's Mind Temple, Mitsue Nagase and Kaz Tanahashi discuss their new book “Gardens of... The talk explores Zen aesthetics through photography and personal experiences with Zen gardens, emphasizing qualities such as intimacy and mindfulness cultivated via extended time spent observing the environment. It transitions...

Serial: SF-08399 Talk by Sonja Gardenswartz at Green Gulch Farm on 2024-05-26 The talk centers on the theme of transition and the journey of spiritual practice, drawing on Zen teachings and stories to emphasize patience and presence in the moment. Reflecting on personal experiences and Zen koans, the...