The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-08073 10/22/2022, Jisan Tova Green, dharma talk at City Center. As leaves fall and nights are longer, we turn from autumn towards winter. This is a tender, transitional time for many of us. We may be more in touch with loss, grief, and... The talk centers on themes of death, dying, and the transitional periods associated with these experiences. Emphasis is placed on the immediacy of death in life, the memorial services during this time of year, and personal...

Serial: SF-08042 10/15/2022, Gendo Lucy Xiao 玄道, dharma talk at City Center. What is your original face? -- Exploring case 23 of Wumenguan (The Gateless Barrier) The talk primarily explores the notion of the "original face" within Zen Buddhism, using koans and teachings related to the concept of non-abiding, which emphasizes the importance of seeing beyond dualistic thinking to connect...

Serial: SF-07790 10/08/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. Abbot David unpacks Case 19 of the Blue Cliff Record, including the circumstances leading up to Gutei's teaching of "one-finger Zen", the practice of cutting off... The talk focuses on examining Case 19, "Gute's One Finger Zen," from "The Blue Cliff Record," emphasizing the significance of embracing the practice of immediacy and non-duality through Zazen meditation. It intricately explores...

Serial: SF-07869 10/05/2022, Rinso Ed Sattizahn and Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. In the first dharma talk of the Fall practice period, Abbots Ed and David provide an introduction to 'encounter dialogues' and the venerable... The talk explores the practice period titled "An Appropriate Response: Encountering Suzuki Roshi's Teachings on the Blue Cliff Record." The discussion revolves around using selected koans from the Blue Cliff Record, enriched by...

Serial: SF-08056 09/25/2022, Kokyo Henkel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Kokyo Henkel brings up the relative and ultimate aspects of the ground of reality, that which obscures it, the path of practice to see through the obscurations, and the... The talk explores the Zen practice of understanding reality through the concept of two truths: ultimate reality and conventional or relative truth. It emphasizes the inseparability of these truths, likened to a ruler or mirror...

Serial: SF-07848 09/21/2022, Kodo Conlin, dharma talk at City Center. Taking a page from Dogen's own collection of koans, we consider Guishan's conversation with Yangshan about a gift of silk -- What role does giving play in our practice of... The talk focuses on the practice of dana, or giving, exploring its foundational role in Buddhist practice as one of the Paramitas. The central theme engages with a koan involving Guishan’s gift, using it to unpack the Dharma...

Serial: SF-07951 09/18/2022, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Zazen can be a portal to opening the mind that perceives all things, even the trouble we are experiencing in the world today. The poet Rumi wrote, "I have lived... The talk explores the practice of Zazen and how it relates to coping with chaos in the modern world. It emphasizes Zazen as a form of sitting meditation integral to Zen, serving as both a gateway and a portal to understanding and...

Serial: SF-07888 09/17/2022, Anshi Zachary Smith, dharma talk at City Center. We discuss Case 5 of the Book of Serenity - “Qīngyuán and the Price of Rice” - and how, as in all good Koans, Qīngyuán answer to the monk’s question about the... The talk discusses the significance of a koan involving Ching Yuan and a monk, examining its multi-layered messages and its connection to core Buddhist teachings and practices. The koan highlights the importance of seeing...

Serial: SF-07854 09/14/2022, Shundo David Haye, dharma talk at City Center. Drawing on the teachings of Suzuki Roshi and Dogen, Shundo reflects on the history of City Center and how to move forward with our practice in uncertain times. The talk reflects on the interplay between Zen practice and the principles of calmness, confidence, and composure, contrasting this with the popular notion of enlightenment. It emphasizes continuous practice irrespective of...

Serial: SF-07953 09/07/2022, Roger Hillyard, dharma talk at City Center. Using the hindrance of Remorse and the paramita of Generosity. The talk investigates the concept of true nature or Buddha nature, using the fable of the scorpion and frog to illustrate how human nature differs from instinct-driven actions. It explores how remorse can block self-realization,...

Serial: SF-07799 09/03/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at City Center. Reflections on the importance of the central practice of confession and repentance with stories of our ancestors. The talk addresses the themes of confession and repentance within Zen practice, emphasizing their role as foundational elements for true understanding of the Buddha Dharma. It reflects on how these practices are interwoven with...

Serial: SF-07777 08/31/2022, Kogen Kim Hart, dharma talk at City Center. Kim present a lively discourse on the nature of time and what has been revealed to her on the subject over her 30 years practising in the Soto Zen tradition. The speaker explores the concepts of time and presence in the context of Zen practice, focusing on how perceived time can vary and the non-dual nature of existence and time. The discussion emphasizes the teachings of Dogen,...

Serial: SF-07916 08/27/2022, Zesho Susan O’Connell, dharma talk at City Center. Practice is more than following the breath and happens inside and outside the zendo. This talk investigates qualities of practice that are possible and that help us... This talk examines the nature and role of practice in Zen Buddhism, especially in coping with loss and grief. It explores the Four Noble Truths, particularly focusing on dukkha, its causes, and the path to overcoming suffering...

Serial: SF-07833 08/21/2022, Jisan Anna Thorn, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. A reflection on how we can embrace the complexities and contradictions of life in practicing embodiment in ritual. The talk delves into the intricacies of practicing Zen within the context of ever-changing realities, emphasizing the necessity of providing an "appropriate response" to life's complexities. It stresses the significance of ritual...

Serial: SF-08045 08/17/2022, Florence Caplow, dharma talk at City Center. In our tradition, sickness and pain are honored as messengers. But what does it mean for us when these messengers come to our own lives? How do we meet them? How do we... This talk explores the intertwined experiences of sickness, suffering, and healing within the context of Zen practice, focusing on the metaphorical teachings derived from the Vimalakirti Sutra. It highlights three archetypal...

Serial: SF-07802 08/14/2022, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. A talk on Suzuki Roshi's statement that, while the essential truth of Buddhism is most directly reached by zazen practice, there are two teachings that... This talk, given at Green Gulch Farm, delves into the intricacies of meeting spiritual practice with everyday life as presented by Suzuki Roshi's teachings. It emphasizes the importance of Zazen as a practice that transcends...

Serial: SF-08035 08/10/2022, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, dharma talk at City Center. Stillness and silence is to return home in the midst of chaos in the world. In this way we are learning to trust our practice or explore ways in which it can address... The talk discusses the intention of love and its complexities, as explored through a personal poem initially titled "No Hate." Reflecting on Zen practice, it emphasizes the transformative power of Zen teachings, personal...

Serial: SF-07915 08/07/2022, Fu Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abiding Abbess Fu Schroeder talks about the process by which the imaginary self imagines itself split off from the rest of the universe. The talk revolves around the teachings of Dogen and the Diamond Cutter Sutra, focusing on the profound understanding of selflessness and the realization of non-duality. It emphasizes the essence of patience, a key element of the...

Serial: SF-08018 08/03/2022, Chikudo Catherine Spaeth, dharma talk at City Center. What is the role of inquiry in our practice? Inquiry has many different functions and is an expression of how we relate to the world. It is essential to our Zen... The talk focuses on the concept of the "yoga of inquiry" in Zen practice, exploring the relationship between directed and receptive attention, and how inquiry can be a transformative experience. The discussion examines the...

Serial: SF-07830 07/24/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Senior Dharma Teacher Eijun Cutts takes up Case 5 of the Book of Serenity to uncover the call for confession and repentance—formal, formless, and of true reality. The talk explores the Zen koan "What is the price of rice in Lu Ling?" from the "Book of Serenity," demonstrating how it elucidates the interconnectedness of life and the essence of Buddha Dharma. The discussion emphasizes...

Serial: SF-07954 07/13/2022, Kodo Conlin, dharma talk at City Center. Reflections from the City Center Buddha Hall on Suzuki Roshi's teaching of "Inmost Request," a pointing to both one's basic intention and the realization of awakening. With... The talk explores Suzuki Roshi's concept of "inmost requests" and its implications for Zen practice, emphasizing introspection and the establishment of a fundamental intention within one's practice and community life. The...

Serial: SF-08051 07/09/2022, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the intersection of Gregor Mendel's teaching and Zen practice, emphasizing the integration of awareness and compassion in Zazen. The speaker reflects on the harmony between self and practice, urging...

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-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...