The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-11373 Talk by Ejun Linda Ruth Cutts at Green Gulch Farm on 2020-08-02 The talk explores the themes of realizing and examining personal and collective delusions through the teachings of Dogen Zenji, particularly the Genjo Koan. It emphasizes the importance of continuous self-study, learning, and...

Serial: SF-11288 Talk by Zazen Instruction Jisan Tova Green at City Center on 2020-08-01 The talk provides a detailed introduction to Zazen meditation, emphasizing its history and practice within the Zen tradition. The speaker outlines the physical aspects of Zazen practice, detailing how to achieve correct posture...

Serial: SF-09740 Talk by Sangha Fu Schroeder at Green Gulch Farm on 2020-07-26 The talk explores the Heart Sutra and the two truths of Buddhism: relative and ultimate truth. It underscores the significance of realizing the five skandhas (form, feeling, perception, impulse, and consciousness) are empty,...

Serial: SF-11219 Talk by Zazen Instruction Anshi Zachary Smith at City Center on 2020-07-25 The talk outlines the practice of Zazen, illustrating how it diverges from typical meditation by emphasizing embodied awareness and posture as key to alleviating human suffering caused by emotional attachments and self-...

Serial: SF-11160 The dharma teaching of joy inspired by the life of John Lewis. 07/22/2020, Sozan Michael McCord, dharma talk at City Center. The talk reflects on the life and philosophy of Congressman John Lewis, emphasizing resilience, joy, and inner peace amid external challenges. The speaker connects Lewis’s legacy to Buddhist practices of cultivating “mudita” or...

Serial: SF-11175 07/21/2020, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk examines the integration of Zen Buddhist practice, particularly the six paramitas with an emphasis on prajna (insight), in addressing societal issues like racism. It suggests using contemplation and practicing openness...

Serial: SF-11400 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-07-21 The talk centers on the practice of Zen meditation and its application to understanding and addressing contemporary social issues. Through meditation, participants are encouraged to engage directly with their experiences, using...

Serial: SF-11293 Being fully present in our body as we study ourselves, radically question our conditioning and views, and meet the profound grief and the challenges in this time of global pandemic, climate crisis and racial and systemic... The talk focuses on interconnectedness, systemic inequity, and personal and collective responsibility in addressing social injustices, highlighting how the global pandemic and other crises serve as catalysts for awareness and...

Serial: SF-11362 A Dharma perspective on practicing in an inclusive community. 07/18/2020, Crystal A. Johnson, dharma talk at City Center. This talk examines the integration of inclusive community values into Zen practice, emphasizing the deconstruction of unconscious conditioning and social norms, such as racism, sexism, and ableism, rooted in a system of white...

Serial: SF-11178 Talk by Heather Shoren Iarusso on 2020-07-16 This talk explores the interplay of internalized oppression, racism, classism, and personal identity through the lens of Zen practice. It delves into personal narratives to highlight how societal conditioning and negative peace...

Serial: SF-11383 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-07-14 The talk centers on a blend of guided meditation practices, the use of poetry to enrich meditative experiences, and discussions on the nature of inquiry in Zen practice. It emphasizes the practice of Zazen as an endless inquiry,...

Serial: SF-11258 Reflections of the life of Eihei Dogen (part 2 of 3 of a series). 07/08/2020, Bryan Clark, dharma talk at City Center. The talk delves into Dogen's teachings, focusing on the "Tenzo Kyokun," which underscores that every action, no matter how mundane, embodies the essence of enlightened practice. The speaker highlights Dogen's emphasis on...

Serial: SF-11179 A talk on vulnerability, trust, and bonding as we practice our devotion to walking among people. 07/05/2020, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk centers on the interconnectedness of life and the practice of taking refuge in the teachings, particularly in light of social and personal challenges. It discusses the need for recognizing and addressing systemic issues...

Serial: SF-11378 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-07-02 The talk delves into the theme of resilience, emphasizing its importance in Buddhist practice and life amid current global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and societal unrest. The discussion highlights resilience as not...

Serial: SF-11187 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller on 2020-07-01 The talk explores the concept of personal bias and communication challenges, using the Harvard Implicit Association Test as a starting point for discussing perspectives shaped by personal history and cultural context. The...

Serial: SF-12321 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller Learning From Difference at Tassajara on 2020-07-01 The talk delves into the intricacies of implicit bias, cultural perspectives, and societal definitions, using personal stories and historical contexts, particularly from Northern Ireland, to illustrate how experiences shape...

Serial: SF-11174 Gay pride history and training the mind for change. 06/27/2020, Grace Damman, dharma talk at City Center. The talk revolves around the intersection of Zen practice and the history of LGBTQ+ activism, with a reflection on how personal identity and social movements influence spiritual practice. The speaker discusses transformative...

Serial: SF-11294 Talk by Emergency Fund Campaign Message Sfzc Spiritual Leadership on 2020-06-25 This talk addresses the successful fundraising efforts by the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC), which raised over $1,100,000 in donations to support the organization's temples, teachers, and students, as well as to expand online...

Serial: SF-11275 Avalokiteshvara's open heart becomes the 10,000 things, a compassionate response. 06/24/2020, Gendo Lucy Xiao, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the nature of compassionate action in response to contemporary suffering by examining the symbolism of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and the characteristics of bamboo as expressed in a poem by...

Serial: SF-11377 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-06-23 The talk primarily explores the practice and philosophy of Zazen, using the metaphor of a snow globe to illustrate the mind's processes. It suggests that Zazen helps calm mental agitation, allowing clarity and awareness to emerge...

Serial: SF-11267 Breathing in suffering and breathing out awakening, Tibetan tonglen practice and Dogen's jijuyu zanmai, as relates to the suffering of racial oppression and white privilege. 06/20/2020, Korin Charlie Pokorny, dharma talk at Green... The talk focuses on the practice of Tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist compassion technique, and its application in confronting racial injustice and systemic suffering. The emphasis is on embracing suffering through conscious breathing...

Serial: SF-11367 Talk by Sangha Jisan Tova Green at City Center on 2020-06-18 The talk explores the theme of deep listening, drawing from Zen teachings and personal anecdotes. It emphasizes the importance of being fully present and attentive in conversations, listening with one's entire being, and...

Serial: SF-11388 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-06-16 The talk explores the practice of mindfulness and meditation, focusing on the themes of presence and awareness in the face of challenging external conditions, such as systemic violence and personal distress. It emphasizes the...

Serial: SF-11298 Talk by Blm at City Center on 2020-06-13 The talk centers on a memorial service conducted for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, emphasizing the responsibility of individuals, especially those racialized as white, to confront and dismantle systemic racism...