The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-10937 Cultivating a deep open mind, accepting things as they are is sudden, gradual, and specific. Bringing clear seeing to thoughts and ideas right here. Living in interdependence and wholeness on the land; a study of separation and... The talk explores the interplay between Zen principles and environmental stewardship, particularly focusing on cultivating a mindset that embraces interdependence with the natural world. By referencing historical changes at Green...

Serial: SF-11019 Rinso Ed Sattizahn shares a teaching on impermanence. Suffering the results of our karma. What do we do? To fight when necessary and give in when we have no choice. Stability in the midst of change comes from staying awake in the... The talk discusses the central Buddhist concept of impermanence, emphasizing its role as both a source of suffering and a pathway to liberation. Reference is made to teachings by Suzuki Roshi on change and the ephemeral nature of...

Serial: SF-10968 Tenshin Roshi teaches on finding peace and harmony in the midst of deeply conflicting views. 04/11/2021, Tenshin Reb Anderson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk focuses on the pursuit of peace and harmony among diverse beings with differing worldviews, emphasizing the ongoing study and application of the Lotus Sutra. It underscores the Zen teaching that true understanding of the...

Serial: SF-10965 On the occasion of Buddha's Birthday lay teacher, mother, and birth and postpartum doula Nancy Petrin reimagines the story of Buddha's birth, placing his mother Maya at the center of its telling. With a focus on practicing with... This talk, centered around the celebration of Buddha's birthday, explores themes of motherhood, birth, and erasure within the context of Buddhist teachings. It reflects on Queen Maya's experience of giving birth to the Buddha,...

Serial: SF-11109 Eijun Roshi offers springtime reflections on Buddha’s Birthday and an old Zen story, "Raising up a Speck of Dust". 04/04/2021, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk centers on the cyclical nature of narrative traditions in Buddhism, particularly focusing on the birth story of the Buddha and its implications for understanding interconnectedness and Buddha nature. This is contrasted...

Serial: SF-11116 With his experience of many years working in the world of Recovery, Rev. Tim Wicks brings us into the teaching of Fuji Uchiyama, to study delusion one must enter delusion. As practitioners, we are being asked to enter into the... The talk explores the concept of acknowledging and investigating systemic issues such as racism within the framework of Zen practice. It emphasizes the importance of being present and accountable to historical and current...

Serial: SF-11037 Early students of Suzuki Roshi, Jane and Peter Schneider, offer two short talks to the Green Gulch Sangha: Jane on the deep meaning of the robe chant and Peter on Suzuki Roshi's life before coming to the U.S.03/28/2021, Jane... The talk covers two main themes: the profound impact of Zen chants and the life and teachings of Suzuki Roshi. The first part discusses the transformative power and experiential effects of chanting, emphasizing the importance of...

Serial: SF-11072 Ryushin Paul Haller's talk invites us into deep inquiry of the Bodhisattva vows. What is it to tend to and be of service to these vows in one's life? What is it to cross over to "only us," innumerably diverse? When us becomes... The talk explores the intersection of Zen and contemporary practice, focusing on the Bodhisattva Vows and their relevance today. Discussion includes the adaptation of Zen rituals such as the full moon ceremony and their...

Serial: SF-10961 The well of the ego and breaking through karma. Intergenerational trauma and suffering. What are we passing down? 03/25/2021, Chikudo Catherine Spaeth, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of interbeing and personal transformation through Zen teachings and real-life examples, emphasizing experiences that inspire trust in the universe and acknowledging the 'gritty side' of Zen where...

Serial: SF-11035 This is the last talk in a 3-week series of the Zuimonki. Zoketsu Norman Fischer brings alive the teachings of the last book of the Zuimonki and explores the teachings of casting aside body and mind. What is it to cast off... The talk explores the practice of Zazen in Soto Zen, emphasizing its essence beyond meditation, as the embodiment of Buddha Dharma. The discussion delves into three stages of Dharma practice—listening, seeing, and experiencing—as...

Serial: SF-11125 In this sesshin talk by Sokaku Kathie Fischer, she continues a three-week exploration of Dogen's Shobogenzo Ziomonki highlighting the themes of practicing in Sangha and learning to trust ourselves in the work. She also encourages... The talk emphasizes the essence and practice of Zazen in Zen Buddhism, as discussed in Dogen's teachings. The practice of Zazen is highlighted as an essential, sincere, and non-attaining activity, distinguishing it from...

Serial: SF-11033 Talk by Sokaku Kathie Fischer at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-03-17 The talk examines Dogen's exploration of the nature of good and evil within the mind in Book 5 of "Zui Monki," emphasizing the absence of inherent moral qualities. It discusses the importance of situational influences on ethical...

Serial: SF-09733 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-03-11 The talk explores the story of Huike cutting off his arm to demonstrate sincerity to Bodhidharma, using it as a metaphorical exploration of suffering, sincerity, and the quest for liberation in Zen practice. It emphasizes the...

Serial: SF-10948 Talk by Sokaku Kathie Fischer at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-03-10 The talk centers on Dogen's instructions in Book Three of the Zui Monki, focusing on the practice of shifting attention from others' faults to their virtues, mirrored in teachings from the Platform Sutra of Hui Neng. The...

Serial: SF-11043 In Shobogenzo Zuimonki Book 1, Eihei Dogen Zenji repeatedly explores the theme of taking up "just one thing." In this talk, Kathie Fischer explores what it is in life and in practice to practice with "just one thing" and what is... The talk centers on the teachings of Dogen, particularly the theme expressed in "Zui Monki," emphasizing the importance of focusing on one thing for developing steadiness of mind. This is juxtaposed with contemporary challenges...

Serial: SF-10993 First talk of a 3-week Intensive on Dogen's work Zuimonki. 03/03/2021, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, dharma talk at City Center. The talk centers on Dogen's text, Zui Monki, introducing foundational ideas for a three-week intensive study. The primary focus is on the importance of aspiration in Zen practice, illustrating how a genuine desire to embody...

Serial: SF-11016 Weaving together the karmic consciousness of our lives and the land we inhabit. 02/28/2021, Jokai Carolyn Cavanagh, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk discusses the stewardship history of Green Gulch Farm, emphasizing the interconnectedness of land, community, and practice. It examines the continuous environmental efforts in the area from the management by Kos Miwok,...

Serial: SF-11030 A talk about Big Mind. What do we mean by Big Mind? What is it? How do we allow and encourage it? What good does it do us? 02/27/2021, Steve Weintraub, dharma talk at City Center. The talk discusses the concept of "Big Mind" in Zen practice, exploring how it is not something to be acquired as an object but can be cultivated through practice and mindfulness. The speaker highlights the role of diligence and...

Serial: SF-11041 When the Emperor of China asked Bodhidharma who he was, the great teacher replied “Don’t know.” How do we respond when asked this very question? 02/21/2021, Furyu Nancy Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk primarily addresses the exploration of identity and entanglement through Zen practice, using stories from classical texts to illustrate the concept of unraveling one's sense of self. The notion is framed by the teachings...

Serial: SF-11055 Buddhist practice and teachings on personal and communal resilience that can help us to heal into wholeness. 02/22/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. This talk discusses the concept of resilience from a Buddhist perspective, focusing on both personal and communal aspects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and socio-political challenges. The speaker emphasizes resilience as an aspect...

Serial: SF-11073 A reflection by the City Center Tenzo (head of the kitchen) on intimacy and gratitude. 02/17/2021, Onryu Mary Stares, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the intersection of Zen practice, food, and environmentalism, emphasizing the mindfulness in food preparation and gratitude for the privilege of food security. It highlights the importance of examining...

Serial: SF-10996 Last day of a 3-day sesshin focusing on the Brahmaviharas and warm-hearted zazen. The emphasis in this talk is on Equanimity.02/13/2021, Horin Nancy Petrin and Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the integration of love and Zen practice, focusing on the Brahma Viharas—four "divine abodes" of the heart: Metta (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic joy), and Upekka (...

Serial: SF-10923 Eijun Roshi offers a description of Buddha's mind: a tender heart toward all sentient beings as if they were babies 02/07/2021, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk primarily explores the concept of Buddha's mind, emphasizing compassion and tenderness, akin to caring for a child. This aligns with Dogen's interpretation of maintaining virtuous realization through compassion for all...

Serial: SF-10988 A talk on the Bendoho and how lessons learned from Japanese monastic life can teach us how to carefully care for each moment. 02/06/2021, Chimyo Atkinson, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the intricacies and challenges of monastic life, emphasizing the importance of communal living and accountability within the Zen practice. It draws on Dogen's teachings, namely the "Bendojo," to illustrate the...