The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-08279 04/14/2024, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk, Jiryu suggests that by reflecting on the potential of Artificial Intelligence in Buddhism, in the form, for example, of the Suzuki Roshi chatbot,... The talk examines the limitations of prioritizing intellectual engagement in Zen practice, instead highlighting the importance of an embodied, present-moment awareness that transcends words. It's noted that while AI can mimic the...

Serial: SF-09765 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2024-04-14 In this talk, the discussion centers around the practice of bowing as elucidated in Shunryu Suzuki Roshi's teachings, emphasizing the significance of integrating body and mind in spiritual practice. The exploration of how...

Serial: SF-08235 04/10/2024, Jisan Tova Green, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Jisan Tova Green speaks of her recent visit to Montana de Silencio, a Suzuki Roshi lineage Zen Center in Medellin, Colombia... The talk focuses on elevating women's voices in Zen practice, sharing experiences at the Montaña de Silencio Zen center in Medellin and highlighting the significance of having women teachers. The discussion includes insights from...

Serial: SF-09786 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2024-04-08 This talk explores concepts of Zen practice with emphasis on non-duality and the practice of zazen. The discussion uses the analogy of form and emptiness, as described in the Heart Sutra, affirming the non-separation of existence...

Serial: SF-08322 04/06/2024, Ryuko Laura Burges, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Ryuko Laura Burges opens the City Center temple’s celebration of Buddha’s Birthday by recounting the story of the Buddha’s... This talk provides a detailed narrative of Siddhartha Gautama's early life, characterizing him as a unique child who demonstrated peace, compassion, and a profound inclination towards meditative practices. The discussion...

Serial: SF-08565 Talk by Shoho Kuebast at Green Gulch Farm on 2024-04-01 The talk emphasizes the necessity of taking refuge in Buddhism, centering on the concept that true refuge is found within one's own pure, awakened mind—also referred to as Buddha nature. The discussion includes the power and...

Serial: SF-08614 Talk by Doshin Mako Voelkel at City Center on 2024-03-27 The talk explores the intricate relationship between the practice of Zazen and the study of the 16 bodhisattva precepts, emphasizing the importance of integrating ethical behavior, compassion, and wisdom into one's life to align...

Serial: SF-08377 Talk by Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts at Green Gulch Farm on 2024-03-24 The talk is a reflection on impermanence, loss, and the nature of compassion in the midst of suffering, referencing the recent death of Caroline Meister. The discussion explores the interconnectedness embodied in Buddhist...

Serial: SF-08326 03/23/2024, Marc Lesser, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk Marc Lesser examines some instructions from Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, for living a full life; a life of practice, joy, grief, ordinary, and sacred. The talk focuses on themes of grief and what it means to live a full life, with insights drawn from Zen teachings and poetry. It reflects on the lives of individuals who embodied a deep practice of creating "islands of sanity,"...

Serial: SF-08632 Talk by Gendo Lucy Xiao at City Center on 2024-03-20 The talk focuses on the exploration of Zen practice through the lens of a specific koan from the Blue Cliff Record, "Sun-Faced Buddha, Moon-Faced Buddha", which is a metaphor for the duality of existence—permanent and impermanent...

Serial: SF-09494 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Zen Mind Beginners Mind Gui Spina on 2024-03-17 The talk begins with details about an upcoming Jukai ceremony and transitions into an exploration of the teachings in "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki, focusing on 'Right Practice'. It discusses the contributions of...

Serial: SF-08446 03/16/2024, Sojun Mel Weitsman - Norman Fischer - Andrea Thach - Susan Moon, book release at City Center. In this discussion, three long-time Zen practitioners discuss their experiences with Sojun Mel Weitsman, and highlight key... This talk revolves around the introduction of the book "Seeing One Thing Through," which compiles the teachings and memoirs of Sojin Mel Weitsman. The discussion includes reflections on Weitsman's life, his dedication to Zen...

Serial: SF-08671 Talk by Book Release Sojun Mel Weitsman Norman Fiscker Andrea Thach Susan Moon at City Center on 2024-03-16 The main focus of the talk is the release of a book chronicling the teachings and life of Sojin Mel Weitsman, a notable Zen teacher at the Berkeley Zen Center. The discussion highlights the genesis of the book, titled "...

Serial: SF-08599 Talk by Stephen Tierney at City Center on 2024-03-13 The talk centers on understanding and working through loss, emphasizing its universal nature and proposing that every experience of loss—whether small or substantial—serves as an opportunity for practice in impermanence and non-...

Serial: SF-08562 Talk by Kokyo Henkel at Green Gulch Farm on 2024-03-10 The talk centers on the Zen teaching of non-preference, emphasizing the importance of not holding onto preferences to align with the essence of Zen practice as outlined in the "Song of the Trusting Mind" by the third Chinese Zen...

Serial: SF-08391 03/06/2024, Gengyoko Tim Wicks, dharma talk at City Center. "In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Gengyoko Time Wicks, the current tanto (head of practice) at SFZC City Center, uses the koan “Shishuang's 100 Foot Pole”... The talk centers on personal transformation through the lens of Buddhist practice, using the metaphor of replacing an old car engine to symbolize refreshing one's life through Zen training. The speaker examines the enduring...

Serial: SF-08244 03/03/2024, Thiemo Blank, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk Thiemo Blank uses a scene from "Harry Potter" to playfully teach about penetrating the "Walls" in our lives as a journey of liberation. The talk discusses the theme of trust and navigating the unknown, using the metaphor of walking into walls as a parallel to the Zen practice of Zazen and penetrating obstacles in life. The speaker draws parallels between a scene...

Serial: SF-09780 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2024-03-03 The talk begins with an announcement about an upcoming precepts ceremony at Green Gulch and transitions into a detailed exploration of Zen teachings, particularly focusing on the lecture "Mind Waves" from "Zen Mind, Beginner's...

Serial: SF-08476 In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, visiting monk Yogetsu Akasaka discusses the contrasts he’s seen between Soto Zen in Japan and in the United States. Yogetsu explains the path he’s taken from touring as a beatbox... The talk discusses the integration of traditional Zen practices with modern expressions and contexts, particularly emphasizing the differences in Zen practice between Japan and the United States. The focus is on transforming the...

Serial: SF-08629 Talk by Roger Hillyard at City Center on 2024-02-28 The talk explores the significance of the Three Refuges in Zen practice, particularly focusing on "I take refuge in the Dharma." The discussion emphasizes the practical application of this refuge in daily life, highlighting the...

Serial: SF-09525 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Koan Study Gui Spina on 2024-02-25 This discussion centers on the study of koans from Shunryu Suzuki's "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind," emphasizing the theme of "beginner's mind" as essential to Zen practice. The role of koans in understanding Zen principles like non-...

Serial: SF-08576 Talk by Tenzen David Zimmerman at Green Gulch Farm on 2024-02-25 The talk explores the theme of interconnectedness and emptiness in the pursuit of liberation within the Zen Buddhist tradition. It discusses the koan involving Zen masters Nanchuan and Jiaojou, which illustrates the playful and...

Serial: SF-08604 Talk by Shundo David Haye at City Center on 2024-02-21 The talk focuses on embracing everyday presence and highlights the importance of community and attentive practice in Zen. It references the evolution of Zen Center, historical figures like Suzuki Roshi and Sekito Kisen, and texts...

Serial: SF-09502 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha Sessions Koan Study Gui Spina on 2024-02-18 The talk primarily explores the teachings of Suzuki Roshi, specifically focusing on his work "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." The discussion delves into the use of koans, particularly citing Zen Master Linji and Soto Zen's founding...