The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-07850 Talk by Shosan Victoria Austin at City Center on 2022-07-21 The talk explores the theme of succession within a Zen community, emphasizing the transition to a new generation of leaders and the importance of collective intention. It contrasts individual and collective definitions of the "...

Serial: SF-08065 07/17/2022, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Jiryu reflects on a teaching in the Diamond Sutra that one moment of insight into emptiness is more meritorious than the greatest of material gifts. The talk explores the profound teachings of the Diamond Sutra, emphasizing how simple, humble acts of practicing or even sharing a few lines of wisdom can hold more merit than enormous material generosity. It challenges...

Serial: SF-07940 Talk by Kodo Conlin at City Center on 2022-07-13 The talk centers on Suzuki Roshi's teaching on "inmost request," emphasizing the theme of personal and community transitions. It explores the idea of finding one's deepest intention and desire through Zazen practice, particularly...

Serial: SF-08058 07/10/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbot David considers various questions, concerns, challenges, and visions related to the future of American Buddhism and Zen. The talk examines the ongoing evolution and future transformation of American Buddhism and Zen, focusing particularly on the impact of generational shifts and societal changes. Key themes include the adaptation of traditional...

Serial: SF-07805 07/06/2022, Gengyoku Tim Wicks, dharma talk at City Center. Although our Zen practice centers on sitting silently, we value conversation and interaction with each other through space and time, with our present day sangha members... This talk discusses the practice and symbolism of sewing and wearing the Buddhist robe as a metaphor for integrating wisdom and ignorance within Zen practice. The speaker explores the historical and cultural significance of the...

Serial: SF-07846 07/06/2022, Gengyoko Tim Weeks, dharma talk at City Center. Although our Zen practice centers on sitting silently, we value conversation and interaction with each other through space and time, with our present day sangha members... The talk delves into the intricate practice of sewing within Zen Buddhism, emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of robes. It explores the themes of dialogue and interbeing as central to Zen practice, engaging with...

Serial: SF-08050 07/02/2022, Greg Snyder & Laura O'Loughlin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk centers on the concept of being in "just relationship" and the significance of relationality, justice, and Dharma in contemporary times. It examines how Western ideas of justice intersect with Dharma's...

Serial: SF-07863 06/29/2022, Sozan Michael McCord, dharma talk at City Center. "Zen practice teaches us that the manner and context with which we hold our fears will have a dramatic impact on how they are assimilated in real time and eventually... The talk explores the integration of fear within Zen practice, emphasizing how fears often arise from illusory ego-based perceptions and how they can be navigated through practices that foster calmness and presence. It references...

Serial: SF-07775 06/26/2022, Yuki Kobiyama, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Recalling recent tragic events from Ukraine to Buffalo to Laguna Woods to Uvalde, and reflecting on the deep heart break, violence, hatred, and ignorance in our world,... The talk addresses the role of Buddhist teachings in understanding and alleviating human suffering, specifically in the context of current global conflicts and personal history. It explores store consciousness, as described by...

Serial: SF-07932 06/25/2022, Shoren Heather Iarusso, dharma talk at City Center. Just like a rainbow is "hidden" in the sunlight, the Buddha's teachings are a prism through which we can experience PRIDE and liberation amid the constrictions of... The talk explores the fluidity of gender identity and its parallels with Buddhist teachings on impermanence, suffering, and the not-self characteristic. It reflects on personal experiences of shame and societal gender norms,...

Serial: SF-07929 06/22/2022, Jisan Tova Green, dharma talk at City Center. This talk addresses the need for mending in our own lives, with friends or family, our communities, our country, and the world drawing from the work of contemporary... The discourse explores the concept of "mending" in personal relationships and communities, framed by the themes of conflict resolution, the healing potential of love, and the role of ceremony in reconciliation. Drawing on...

Serial: SF-07900 06/18/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. Abbot David speaks to various themes, concerns, challenges, and visions related to the future of American Buddhism stemming from his participation in a recent... The talk discusses the transformation and future trajectory of American Buddhism, emphasizing its adaptation to contemporary social issues and technological advancements while retaining its core teachings. The speaker reflects on...

Serial: SF-07905 06/15/2022, Jisan Anna Thorn, dharma talk at City Center. The new Tanto's Way Seeking Mind Talk - returning to City Center and a different world. The talk explores themes of belonging and practice within the Zen tradition, reflecting on personal transitions from being a householder to engaging in deeper practice roles within the San Francisco Zen Center. There is a strong...

Serial: SF-07785 06/12/2022, Furyu Nancy Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbess Fu Schroeder talks about addressing conflict through the wisdom of the ancient teachings of the Buddha and the modern day wisdom of the Harvard... The talk explores the profound insights of Zen Buddhism, focusing on personal and communal suffering, and the teachings designed to alleviate it. It highlights the pivotal role of Zen texts such as "The Transmission of Light" by...

Serial: SF-07878 06/08/2022, Henzan Roger Hillyard, dharma talk at City Center. Seeking our Master Far and Wide is remembering our Buddha Nature. The talk centers on the concept of remembering, particularly in relation to recognizing and reclaiming one's true or Buddha nature. It explores the tendency to seek external validation or solutions, as illustrated through...

Serial: SF-07831 06/05/2022, Sokaku Kathie Fischer, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Our practice is simple and immense, returning over and over to just this, inhaling the earth's atmosphere, exhaling falling into the earth, meeting each other... The talk explores the central Zen practice of respecting all beings and experiences, emphasizing interconnectivity with ancestors and the elements. It integrates personal narrative with Zen teachings, particularly the Bodhisattva...

Serial: SF-07874 06/04/2022, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at City Center. On the final day of the sesshin and Intensive, we consider the source of true happiness, and take up the interwoven themes of gratitude, generosity and giving. The talk focuses on the relation between preferences, suffering, and faith, emphasizing that while preferences are not inherently bad, they lead to difficulty and suffering which can open the door to faith. The discussion also...

Serial: SF-07787 Talk by Pamela Weiss at City Center on 2022-06-03 The talk explores the concept of "grandmotherly mind" or Ro Bai Shin, a principle of deep compassion and receptivity in Zen Buddhism, as exemplified by historical and personal narratives. It discusses the teachings and...

Serial: SF-07815 06/02/2022, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at City Center. On the first day of sesshin, exploring Daishin, Big or Great Mind, described in Dogen’s Tenzo Kyokun, and considering a different relationship to darkness and light. The talk examines Dogen's concept of "Three Minds" from the "Tenzo Kyokun," focusing on Daishin, or Great Mind, and its embodiment of qualities like stability and impartiality. This serves as a metaphor for a mind of great faith...

Serial: SF-08020 06/01/2022, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at City Center. This talk invites everyone—those sitting and those practicing at home—into wholehearted engagement and simplicity as we enter the Intensive 3-day sesshin, and shares lesser-... The talk focuses on the concepts of time and wholeheartedness in Zen practice, using the Xin Xin Ming as a foundational text. It explores the dual concepts of chronos and kairos time, emphasizing the importance of engaging fully...

Serial: SF-07901 05/28/2022, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at City Center. Is the world full of pain, brutality and violence, or brimming with beauty, courage and generosity? This talk explores the deepening of faith as love, and shares stories from... The talk examines the duality of the world as both beautiful and painful, urging practitioners to navigate this through love and compassion. It references teachings on cultivating faith in love, citing the Xin Xin Ming, and...

Serial: SF-07964 05/25/2022, Pamela Weiss, dharma talk at City Center. This talk shares stories from Layman Pang and his daughter Ling Zhou, and considers how to respond to the cries of the world. The talk addresses themes of suffering, connection, and socially engaged Zen practice in the context of recent societal violence. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging collective pain, engaging in compassionate action,...

Serial: SF-07996 05/22/2022, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this dharma talk, Senior Dharma Teacher Norman Fischer tells stories about his time living at Green Gulch in the mid-1980's, and reflects about the past and... This dharma talk explores reflections on the existence and perception of the past, especially in the context of personal experiences at Green Gulch Farm during the 1980s. The discussion raises questions about the nature of time...

Serial: SF-07871 Talk by Dojin Sarah Emerson at Tassajara on 2022-05-19 The talk explores the evolution and reinterpretation of Sangha within Buddhist practice, emphasizing the embodied wisdom in contemporary settings. It highlights Thich Nhat Hanh's concept that "the next Buddha will be the Sangha...