The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-11103 A talk exploring the healing of dehumanization that comes with naming, remembering and reparation in Buddhist tradition. 11/13/2021, Duncan Ryuken Williams, dharma talk at City Center The talk discusses the construction of a Buddhist monument aimed at addressing the history of racialized exclusion and violence faced by Japanese-Americans during World War II, highlighting the internment experiences of key...

Serial: SF-10994 How it is that our fundamental human affliction ─ our everyday messy karmic consciousness ─ is none other than the unchanging, ever-present clear, and luminous knowledge of Buddhas? Abbot David explores this inquiry through an... The talk examines the nature of karmic consciousness and its relation to Buddha nature, utilizing the koan "Guishan's Karmic Consciousness" from the Book of Serenity. The speaker discusses how karmic consciousness, characterized...

Serial: SF-11123 The Avatamsaka Sutra tells us that “Ordinary beings live according to their karma, being their karmic habitual tendencies, while a bodhisattva lives according to vow.” How might we understand this teaching? How can we learn to... The talk explores the distinction between living by karma, defined as habitual tendencies and conditioning, and living by vow, a conscious choice and commitment to spiritual principles, which is essential to the path of a...

Serial: SF-11038 Scholar, author, priest and social activist Duncan Ryuken Williams teaches in the talk on the text Sandokai, situating it in its context among Buddhist teachings on shifting vantage points, and correlates the wisdom of this... The lecture explores the integration of Zen teachings, particularly the "Sandokai," with contemporary discussions on identity and racial justice. It examines the Buddhist approach to understanding self through various frameworks...

Serial: SF-11058 A history of Sejiki Cermony, feeding of the hungry ghost. An open-hearted wish to welcome all beings without discrimination. 10/30/2021, Doshin Mako Voelkel, dharma talk at City Center. The talk discusses the Sejiki Ceremony, a ritual traditionally performed to honor and provide nourishment to hungry ghosts and suffering beings, drawing on teachings from the Ulumbana Sutra. This ceremony, tied to themes of...

Serial: SF-11096 Talk by Roger Hillyard at City Center on 2021-10-28 The talk examines the concept of 'karma' as a tool akin to a garden that can be cultivated to foster ethical living and personal transformation. By viewing karma not as a dark, unyielding force, but as a grace and an opportunity...

Serial: SF-11065 Talk by Jiryu at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-10-24 The talk explores the metaphor of "riding the great sea turtle" to illustrate the harmony between absolute and relative truths in Zen practice. By examining the dynamics of embodiment, wisdom, and mental thought, it emphasizes...

Serial: SF-11013 Abbot David shares some approaches for how we might view karma in relation to the concepts of choice, free will, and determinism from a Buddhist orientation. 10/20/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concepts of karma, free will, and determinism from a Buddhist perspective, contrasting them with Western philosophical ideas. It emphasizes the Buddha's teachings on karma, which include volition, body,...

Serial: SF-11053 Talk by Kaira Jewel Lingo at City Center on 2021-10-20 The talk emphasizes the concept of intimacy as a core practice in Zen philosophy, urging an embracement of mindfulness to foster connections and dismantle divisions arising from societal structures and personal biases. Through a...

Serial: SF-10907 A Dharma talk exploring the themes of karma, love, power and control and the Dharma practices of non-attaching or letting go. 10/16/2021, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk addresses the concepts of love and power through the lens of letting go of control, exploring how these themes are embedded in Zen practice and understanding of karma and dharma. It discusses the difference between...

Serial: SF-10897 10/12/2021, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk explores the concept of radical honesty in Zen practice and the balance with compassion. It delves into how admitting personal truths and vulnerabilities, exemplified by an anecdote involving Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi,...

Serial: SF-11009 Talk by Korin Charlie Pokorny at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-10-11 This talk delves into the concept of "Zen responsiveness," emphasizing the nuanced distinction between reactive and responsive approaches within a Zen practice. It analyzes how reactivity is typically quick, defensive, and based...

Serial: SF-10964 10/10/2021, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk at Tassajara explores the metaphoric and practical aspects of Zen practice, using the construction and maintenance of a wooden floor as an allegory for spiritual discipline and discovery. It articulates the interplay...

Serial: SF-10999 An exploration of clinging, attachment, selfing, karma and liberation through the metaphor of eddies. 10/06/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. The talk examines the Buddhist concept of karma and its association with intentional action, highlighting how karmic consciousness develops through selfing and the metaphor of mindstreams. It explores the formation of personality...

Serial: SF-11010 The study of karma, and the importance of practicing zazen and non-doing for the study of self/the study of karma. 10/02/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. The main thesis of the talk is an exploration of karma through the lens of Zen practice, particularly emphasizing the practice of Zazen and the study of self. It delves into the fundamental aspects of karma as intentional action...

Serial: SF-11069 In the talk, Abbot Ed Sattizahn uses the "Every Day is a Good Day" koan, and Suzuki's Roshi's teaching, to explore how it may be genuinely beneficial, to ourselves and others, to appreciate our life beyond the "good" and "bad" of... The talk centers on the theme of appreciating life and Zen practice amidst difficulties. It explores the non-dual nature of experiences, emphasizing daily practice as a means to appreciate life fully. A major focus is placed on...

Serial: SF-10978 A talk about our Zen’s Chinese ancestors based in Suzuki Roshi’s teaching on Sekito Kisen’s Harmony of Difference and Equality. 09/19/2021, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk explores the theme of "great doubt" in Zen practice, emphasizing its role as a catalyst for awakening and deepening understanding of the self and the world. Drawing on teachings from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Sekito Gisen...

Serial: SF-10940 The buddhas and Zen ancestors encourage us to become lucid dreamers - realizing that we are dreaming while remaining within the dream, where subject and object appear as separate but are really just manifestations of one mind. 09... The talk examines the dream metaphor in Buddhist and Zen teachings, focusing on Dogen's essay "Within a Dream, Expressing the Dream." It explores the concept that all experiences are akin to dreams, as discussed in the...

Serial: SF-10997 Talk by Jisan Anna Thorn at Tassajara on 2021-09-07 The talk focuses on the themes of impermanence, non-self, and recognizing the potential for transformation within these states, as understood in Zen Buddhism. The speaker reflects on personal experiences and observations,...

Serial: SF-10990 Yunmen’s Every Day is a Good Day. 09/04/2021, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at City Center. The talk addresses the significance of valuing one's life and practice amidst global suffering and personal challenges, emphasizing that appreciation and gratitude can transform experiences regardless of their nature. It draws...

Serial: SF-10985 Teachings and practices connecting our fundamental and profound practices of gratitude and generosity. 08/29/2021, Zenshin Greg Fain, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk focuses on the themes of generosity and gratitude as essential components of the Bodhisattva path in Mahayana Buddhism. The discussion emphasizes the practice of the six paramitas, with particular attention to "dana" or...

Serial: SF-11050 Talk by Arobin Orden at Tassajara on 2021-08-25 This talk focuses on honoring the often overlooked women ancestors in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing their significant contributions and stories. It draws on historical narratives from ancient India and China to more recent accounts...

Serial: SF-10900 Once when a student straightened a hanging picture in the temple, Suzuki Roshi went and made it crooked again - why did he do that, and what does this story show about our "fixing" mind versus Suzuki Roshi's path of "seeings... The talk primarily discusses the theme of "fixing" versus "letting things be", inspired by a story involving Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Richard Baker at Sokoji Temple. The narrative exemplifies a Zen principle focusing on...

Serial: SF-11014 Talk by Fu Scroeder at City Center on 2021-08-21 The talk explores the nature of mind in Zen Buddhism, focusing on mind-only teachings and the practice of meditation. It references Buddha's teachings on defilements and the radiant mind, advocating facing personal defilements...