The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-07998 04/13/2022, Marcia Lieberman, dharma talk at City Center. Using the examples of Dogen, Suzuki Roshi, Hakuin, and Nun Abutsu, Marcia describes how koans, sutras, letters, and the notion of “only a Buddha together with a Buddha”... The talk examines the role and significance of correspondence in Zen practice, focusing on the theme of "butsu yo butsu" or face-to-face encounters between Buddhas as portrayed in the Lotus Sutra. Emphasizing the importance of...

Serial: SF-08007 A talk focusing on how the Wheel of Nourishment supports the turning of the Wheel of Dharma. 04/06/2022, Sozan Miglioli, dharma talk at City Center. This talk explores the pivotal concept of the "wheel of nourishment" alongside the "wheel of Dharma," examining their interconnectedness in Zen practice. Key themes include the historical and practical significance of generosity...

Serial: SF-07791 Talk by Carolyn Cavanaugh at Green Gulch Farm on 2022-03-27 The talk explores the nature of constancy as a central concept in Zen practice, distinct from mere patience, emphasizing a continuous, unwavering commitment to face whatever arises. This principle is connected to key Buddhist...

Serial: SF-07834 03/27/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, sesshin dharma talk at Tassajara. This talk explores themes of choice, choiceless awareness, and free will within Zen practice, using a tripartite structure: a preface, a main discussion, and a postscript. The discussion centers around the nature of picking and...

Serial: SF-07877 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2022-03-26 The talk concludes the final day of a seven-day meditation sesheen at San Francisco Zen Center, focusing on the theme of taking refuge in the Sangha. It examines the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of bringing...

Serial: SF-07986 03/26/2022, Chosetsu Lauren Bouyea, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk explores the interplay between Zen practice and parenting, emphasizing transformation and impermanence. It discusses the overlapping dynamics of raising children and maintaining Zen practice, highlighting the concept of...

Serial: SF-07965 Senior Dharma Teacher Eijun Cutts shares and reflects on teachings from Shakyamuni Buddha, Bodhidharma, Dōgen Zenji, and Suzuki-roshi that the key to practice is "No Gaining Idea." 03/20/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at... This talk discusses the concept of "no gaining idea" within Zen practice, exploring its significance through various teachings and stories. A particular focus is placed on Dogen's fascicle on making offerings to Buddhas, as well...

Serial: SF-07793 Talk by Kogen Kim Hart at City Center on 2022-03-17 The talk focuses on the universal language of human experience and suffering, exploring how shared actions and reactions transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. It highlights how the core teachings of Buddhism, particularly...

Serial: SF-07912 Abbess Fu Schroeder reflects on the deep sorrow underlying our anger at the long history of violence in the human world, and on how we might arouse an appropriate response based on our vow to live for the welfare of all beings.... The talk discusses the Zen concept of surrender and the Bodhisattva precepts in the context of global events like the September 11 attacks and the invasion of Ukraine, relating these to teachings on compassion and the mindful...

Serial: SF-07961 By engaging and practicing the Paramitas we turn our exploration of refuge outward. Including all beings. 03/05/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the theme of taking and creating refuge in Zen practice, emphasizing interconnectedness, compassion, and mindfulness. It discusses the practice period's focus on self-care and inner refuge to develop the...

Serial: SF-07994 Exploring the possiblity of transformation and creating a Sangha of Belonging by giving ourselves over to each other. 03/02/2022, Horin Nancy Petrin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of taking refuge in the Sangha and creating a sense of inclusive belonging within Zen communities. It discusses the San Francisco Zen Center’s engagement with agreements for multicultural...

Serial: SF-07873 Practice reflections on the famous image and chapter from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. 02/27/2022, Ango Sara Tashker, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk addresses the concept of returning to oneness through the practice of Zen, using the metaphor of a waterfall to illustrate the journey from individual suffering to collective wholeness. It emphasizes the teachings of...

Serial: SF-07942 Impermanence happens, yes, but how do we actually make change happen? 02/26/2022, Mushim Patricia Ikeda, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of impermanence and change, emphasizing the transformative potential within Buddhist practice. A narrative of a Dharma gathering in Korea illustrates the intersection between traditional Zen...

Serial: SF-07797 A core teaching of the Lotus Sutra that can powerfully meet us. 02/20/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk primarily focuses on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing its challenging yet profound message of universal inclusivity on the singular path to enlightenment. A notable discussion includes the historical context...

Serial: SF-08727 Talk by Rinso Ed Sattizahn at Green Gulch Farm on 2022-02-19 This talk at Green Gulch Farm explores Zen teachings, focusing on a koan from the Blue Cliff Record, case 51, involving Shui Feng and Yen To, and the idea of the "last word" in Zen enlightenment. The talk discusses the roles of...

Serial: SF-07999 Appreciation as a practice of refuge. 02/16/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the theme of "taking refuge" in the Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of awareness, embodiment, and appreciation. It highlights the act of creating and taking refuge as practices intertwined with daily...

Serial: SF-07820 Examining Dogen's famous phrase, "To study the self is to forget the self." 02/12/2022, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of refuge within Zen practice, emphasizing Dogen's and Suzuki Roshi's teachings on studying and forgetting the self to embody the "true activity of big existence." It reflects on personal insights...

Serial: SF-07788 Buddha's teaching on refuge and entering freedom through the refuge of coming home. 02/09/2022, Gil Fronsdal, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of "refuge" in Buddhism, emphasizing it as both an action and a place of freedom. By examining the Japanese and Chinese interpretations of refuge as "returning home," and the Pali concept associating...

Serial: SF-07978 A talk about the Bodhisattva’s vow--to live for the benefit of others--as exemplified by the worlds greatest chef, Massimo Bottura. 02/06/2022, Furyu Nancy Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk emphasizes the power of inspiration and action, drawing parallels between the Buddhist concept of awakening and contemporary acts of altruism, such as those by chef Massimo Bottura. It discusses the transformative nature...

Serial: SF-07898 An exploration of how engaging every moment, every place, every activity can become refuge. 01/29/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. This talk discusses the practice of taking refuge in Buddhism, describing it as a sanctuary that transcends cultural boundaries. It explores the concepts of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, emphasizing the...

Serial: SF-08070 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller and Kiku Christina Lehnherr at City Center on 2022-01-26 The talk focuses on the concept of "taking refuge" in Zen Buddhism, exploring its profound spiritual implications and the practices that enable individuals to cultivate an inward homecoming to their true nature. The...

Serial: SF-07973 A dharma talk on the day of a jukai ceremony, exploring vow and the 16 Bodhisattva precepts.01/22/2022, Kyoshin Wendy Lewis, Jisan Tova Green, Anshi Zachary Smith, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the essence of vows and precepts in Zen practice, highlighted through a commemorative reflection on Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings and the significance of a bodhisattva initiation ceremony at the San...

Serial: SF-07774 01/19/2022, Shoren Heather Iarusso, dharma talk at City Center. The talk delves into the Buddhist concept of anatta (not-self), juxtaposed with the prevailing Hindu belief in Atman (permanent self) during the Axial Age. It emphasizes the radicality and transformative impact of the Buddha's...

Serial: SF-07858 A rhapsody by Tenshin Roshi on a theme provided by our great ancestor Eihei Dogen. 01/16/2022, Tenshin Reb Anderson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. This talk discusses the significance of facing challenges and suffering, particularly within the context of Zen practice and intensive meditation retreats. Emphasizing the practices of prostrations, chanting, and taking refuge,...