The SFZC Audio Archive The SFZC Audio Archive

You are currently logged-out. You can log-in or create an account to save favorites and more. more info

Showing 5864 talks
 

- Reset Search

Title Speaker Date

One-day Sitting Lecture

Serial: SF-01868 The talk explores the essence of Zen practice, reflecting on the teachings of the Buddha and the purpose of meditation as a path to enlightenment. It emphasizes meditation as a means to confront and awaken to life's realities,...
Birth-and-Death, Perfect Wisdom, Interview, Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, Gratitude, Passions,...
May 13 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03606 This talk introduces a summer series on the 16 Bodhisattva precepts and their connection to Zazen practice. The discussion covers the historical development of precepts, emphasizing the role of Ananda and the first Buddhist...
Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Ordination, Suzuki Roshi, Patience, Liberation, Zazen, Lay...
May 03 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Surangama Sutra Class

Serial: SF-03202 The discussion introduces a class on the Shurangama Sutra, highlighting its historical importance in Zen Buddhism despite its contested authenticity as a genuine sutra. It explores the sutra's thematic focus on the doctrine of...
Precepts, Don't Know Mind, Commitment, Ceremony, Birth-and-Death, Ordination, Darkness-...
May 02 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Awakening Through Present Wisdom

Serial: EB-00008 The talk explores the concept of "perfection of wisdom" in Zen, beginning with poetry from Rumi and transitioning into traditional Buddhist teachings. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being present and appreciating...
Precepts, Perfect Wisdom, Liberation, Patience
Apr 30 2000

Awakening Our Universal Buddha Nature

Serial: SF-04340 The talk explores the concept of Buddha nature, drawing parallels between Buddha nature and the divine within certain theological contexts, particularly comparing it to the Christian concept of God. It delves into the practice of...
Karmic Consciousness, Building, Cultivation
Apr 30 2000

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03142 The talk explores the intertwining of historical events and personal experiences, using Easter and Passover's confluence as a lens through which to view spiritual growth and the repetition of life's patterns. It emphasizes the...
Freedom, Priest, Zazen, Hate, Faith, Doubt, Evil, Emotions
Apr 23 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03613 The talk emphasizes the significance of maintaining the integrity of practice during a sesshin as it approaches its conclusion. It discusses the practice of gassho, or the mudra of palms pressed together, highlighting its...
Six Realms, Practice Period, Karma, Suzuki Roshi, Three Treasures, Buddha Mind, Addiction, Fox...
Apr 15 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03614 This talk discusses the integration of light and shadow within Zen practice, encouraging practitioners to acknowledge both aspects without judgment or idealization. The importance of living life fully, without succumbing to...
Confession-and-Repentance, Practice Period, Precepts, Discrimination, Instruction, Karma,...
Apr 14 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03615 The lecture delves into the essence of practicing Zen during Sesshin, emphasizing the eradication of fears through deep engagement in practice and the realization of gratitude and clarity. It highlights the significance of...
Practice Period, Suzuki Roshi, Chanting, Composure, Interview, Happiness, Skandhas...
Apr 13 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03616 The talk centers on reversing thought processes by shifting focus from external objects to the mind that perceives them, emphasizing the practice of "just awareness" as a means to cease conceptual elaboration and achieve intimacy...
Perfect Wisdom, Emptiness, Practice Period, Intimacy, Instruction, Birth-and-Death, Hate, Bell...
Apr 12 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03619 The talk explores the practice of Zen meditation by examining how individuals relate to their thoughts and sensations during Sesshin, a period of intensive meditation. Emphasizing Dogen's teachings and the notion of fully...
Skandhas, Heart Sutra, Letting Go, Emptiness, Interdependence, Buddha Ancestors, confusion,...
Apr 11 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sesshin Lecture

Serial: SF-03617 The talk explores the integration of Zen teachings into everyday life during a Sesshin, emphasizing the importance of maintaining balance between effort and rest. It reflects on the teachings of Suzuki Roshi regarding resting in...
Suzuki Roshi, Practice Period, Zazen, Monkey Mind, Chanting, Tassajara, Uchiyama, Lineage,...
Apr 10 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-01875 The talk explores the theme of individual spiritual experience and awakening through personal anecdotes and broader Zen teachings. A significant focus is placed on the concept of "I alone," exemplified by the story of a family...
Buddha Ancestors, Death-and-Dying, Silence, New Year, Priest, Suzuki Roshi, Bodhidharma,...
Apr 05 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03527 The talk centers on the celebration of Shakyamuni Buddha's birthday, highlighting its significance in conveying the Dharma, or truth, to the world. The narrative recounts the miraculous birth events from the "Buddhacarita" and...
Perfect Wisdom, Gratitude, Heart Sutra, Delusion, Chanting, Ceremony, Manjushri, Buddha's...
Apr 02 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03601 The central thesis of this talk explores the themes of suffering, the unpredictability of life, and the practice of turning inward in Zen. The speaker discusses their personal experience of illness during a ceremony, linking it...
Ceremony, Lotus Sutra, Chanting, Dharma Transmission, Heart Sutra, Observe, Demons, Dragons,...
Mar 29 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Embracing Openness Through Partnership

Serial: EB-00007 The discussion examines the concept of partnership, privacy, and the beginner's mind, emphasizing the practice of relinquishing views and responding appropriately to suffering. Key themes include the duality of beginner's and...
Beginners, Emptiness, Blue Cliff Record, Practice Period, Priest
Mar 28 2000

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03654 Monday Class The talk extensively explores Dogen Zenji's "Fukanzazengi" (Universal Recommendation for Zazen), emphasizing the concept of Zazen as a practice of "thinking non-thinking" or "non-thinking," highlighting its unique role in...
Zazen, Instruction, Soto Zen, Posture, Realization, Dragons, Lineage, Suzuki Roshi, Bell...
Mar 27 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Transformative Harmony in Zazen Practice

Serial: SF-06953 This talk focuses on the unique experience of participating in a practice period at Tassajara, emphasizing the interconnectedness of practice and the transformative power of Zazen. The discussion prominently features Dogen Zenji'...
Practice Period, Tassajara, Buddha Ancestors, Impermanence, Bell
Mar 24 2000

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03655 Monday Class The talk is centered on an analysis of the "Fukan Zazengi" by Zen master Dogen, focusing on its instructions for Zazen meditation. The discussion includes the implications of posture, the mental state during meditation, and the...
Concentration, Realization, Suzuki Roshi, Branching Streams, Instruction, Posture, Zazen, Vow...
Mar 20 2000
Green Gulch Farm

One-day Sitting Lecture

Serial: SF-03645 The lecture explores themes of balance and equilibrium, particularly through the lens of Zen Buddhist practices like Zazen and walking meditation. Emphasis is placed on the Fukan Zazengi and Dogen Zenji’s teachings to achieve a...
Balance, Posture, Instruction, Bodhidharma, Daily Life, Skandhas, Ceremony, Separation, Hate...
Mar 20 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03531 The talk focuses on the practice of the Four Brahmaviharas—loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upaksha)—as supportive practices in fostering wisdom and compassion, rather than...
Six Realms, Suzuki Roshi, Right Effort, Enemies, Equanimity, Right Speech, Happiness, Emotions...
Mar 15 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Works of Dogen Class

Serial: SF-03199 Tuesday Class The talk explores Dogen's writings, particularly focusing on the concept of "dream within a dream" as an expression of liberation and the emptiness required to achieve balance in life. It emphasizes the profoundness of teaching...
Buddha Ancestors, Lotus Sutra, Balance, Emptiness, Liberation, Transmission, Bodhidharma,...
Mar 14 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03656 Monday Class The talk centers on Dogen's "Fukanzazengi," emphasizing the inherently perfect nature of the Way and the importance of zazen practice as a means to realize this state. Discussion includes practical instructions on zazen posture,...
Realization, confusion, Monastic Practice, Posture, Balance, Zazen, Harmonizing, Lineage, Don...
Mar 13 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03526 The talk explores concepts of friendship and spiritual torpor, also known as asidya, within both monastic and everyday life. It discusses how spiritual friends, "Kalyāṇa Mitra," and maintaining friendships based on true...
Monastic Practice, Hate, Demons, Conversation, Greed, Peace, Equanimity, Samsara, Anger, Daily...
Mar 12 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Works of Dogen Class

Serial: SF-03198 Tuesday Class The talk centers on Dogen's text from Shobo Genzo, Muchu Setsumo, or "Expounding a Dream Within a Dream," which illustrates the idea that teaching Buddhism is like explaining a dream within the midst of a dream. The discussion...
Delusion, Balance, Letting Go, Doubt, Buddha Ancestors, Emptiness, Dream World, Fox,...
Mar 07 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03652 Monday Class The talk focuses on the seminal text "Fukanzazengi" and delves into the concept of non-defilement in Zen practice, emphasizing that practice and realization cannot be tainted. Analyzing the teachings of Zen masters across...
Instruction, Book of Serenity, Realization, Mahayana, Posture, Balance, Karma, Faith,...
Mar 06 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03144 The talk centers on the themes of connection and letting go within familial and larger life contexts, using a wedding ceremony as a metaphor for life’s transitions. It presents the idea that love involves a balance of closeness...
Letting Go, Ceremony, Freedom, Zazen, Bodhidharma, Interview, Mindfulness, Silence, Offering,...
Mar 05 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03533 The talk primarily reflects on the influence of Zen teachers, particularly Kadagiri Roshi and Maureen Stewart Roshi, and the practice of mindfulness in everyday life, especially regarding the expressions of care and the concept...
Monastic Practice, Impermanence, Vow, Anger, Bell, Right Speech, Demons
Mar 01 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Works of Dogen Class

Serial: SF-03196 Tuesday Class The talk explores the life, teachings, and writings of Dogen, emphasizing the profound nature of daily practice as a manifestation of enlightenment. It outlines a plan to study three fascicles of Dogen’s Shobo Genzo, specifically...
Birth-and-Death, Realization, Freedom, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, Bowing, Soto Zen, Priest,...
Feb 29 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03517 Monday Class This talk focuses on Dogen's text "Fukan Zazengi," discussing its significance in Zen practice as a meditation manual. Central to the discussion is Dogen's inquiry into why practice is necessary if enlightenment is inherent, as...
Buddha Nature, Realization, Suzuki Roshi, confusion, Platform Sutra, Zazen, Bodhidharma, Soto...
Feb 28 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Compassion's Embrace: Wisdom Beyond Control

Serial: EB-00006 The talk examines the Heart Sutra, focusing on the first line to articulate the intricate relationship between awareness, suffering, and compassion in Zen philosophy. It explores the concepts of wisdom (Prajnaparamita) and how it...
Heart Sutra, Sutra, Sengai, Chanting, Avalokitesvara
Feb 27 2000

One-day Sitting Lecture

Serial: SF-03646 The talk discusses the concept of "everyday mind" as the path to enlightenment, illustrating this through the koan involving Master Zhaozhou and Nanchuan. The speaker explores how the mundane aspects of daily life, symbolized by...
Realization, Buddha Ancestors, Demons, Practice Period, Heart Sutra, Bell, Suzuki Roshi,...
Feb 26 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03534 This talk explores the theme of peaceful abiding during a Zen practice period using the metaphor of a "nest." The discussion delves into concepts of mindfulness and the idea that the "very mind is Buddha," highlighting how...
Buddha Mind, Practice Period, Monastic Practice, Mindfulness, Ceremony, Ordinary Mind, Nirvana...
Feb 23 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Fukanzazengi Class

Serial: SF-03661 Monday Class The talk introduces a six-week class focusing on Dogen Zenji's "Fukan Zazen-gi," with an emphasis on memorization and understanding of this foundational Zazen text. The discussion includes an exploration of Dogen's life, the...
Realization, Practice Period, Instruction, Posture, Chanting, Ceremony, Priest, Soto Zen...
Feb 21 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03523 The talk reflects on the transformative power of rituals and ceremonies, discussing the recent transition in leadership at Zen Center. It emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort and non-attachment in one's practice,...
Practice Period, Delusion, Instruction, Ceremony, Zazen, Letting Go, Soto Zen, Family Practice...
Feb 20 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Mountain Seat Ceremony

Serial: SF-03500 Side A: to intermission; Side B: blank - to tape 2 The talk centers on the ceremonial aspects of the Mountain Seat Ceremony, emphasizing the integration of body and mind in Buddhist practice, devotion to the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, and reverence for historical figures...
Gratitude
Feb 13 2000
City Center

Stepping Down Ceremony

Serial: SF-03130 "Starts Here" The talk centers on the ceremonial and spiritual themes of transition and continuity within the Zen lineage, particularly through a "Stepping Down Ceremony." This event emphasizes the realization of enlightenment through the...
Blue Cliff Record, Ceremony, Realization, Gratitude, Lineage, Letting Go, Faith, Sangha,...
Feb 12 2000
City Center

January Practice Period Class

Serial: SF-00936 The talk explores the concept of non-duality in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing how the Diamond Sutra serves as an "anti-story" mechanism that helps cut through the narrative and conceptualizations people usually cling to. It explains...
Heart Sutra, Duality, Non-duality, Four Noble Truths, Six Realms, Liberation, Two Truths,...
Jan 19 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03143 The talk focuses on the role of emotions in Zen practice and the concept of emptiness, utilizing ceremonies and rituals within the Dharma to convey a sense of connectedness and perfection. It emphasizes how emotions like love...
Emptiness, Practice Period, Heart Sutra, Ceremony, Letting Go, Attachment, Enthusiasm,...
Jan 09 2000
Green Gulch Farm

January Practice Period

Serial: SF-01021 The talk introduces the January Practice Period at Green Gulch, focusing on available resources and leaders for participants. Discussion emphasizes collective chanting practice and introduces the Diamond Sutra's role in cutting...
Nirvana, Instruction, Chanting, Karma, Patience, New Year, Sangha, Faith, Dragons...
Jan 08 2000
Green Gulch Farm

Faith as a Journey in Zen

Serial: SF-00033 Sunday dharma talk. The talk explores the concept of faith within the context of Zen Buddhism, focusing on the idea that faith, rather than blind belief, involves a conviction born through introspection and practice. This conviction is tied to...
Precepts, Karma, Mahayana, Four Noble Truths, New Year, Three Treasures, Faith, Doubt, Dragons...
Jan 02 2000

Zen Harmony Through Ferdinand's Path

Serial: SF-00064 Sunday dharma talk. The talk explores themes of non-attachment in Zen practice, emphasizing the Middle Way as a path free from the dualities of existence and non-existence. By recounting the story of "Ferdinand the Bull," parallels are drawn to a...
Realization, Practice Period, Nirvana, Freedom, Peace, Letting Go, Attachment, Hindrances,...
Dec 05 1999

Living True: Zen Precepts Unveiled

Serial: EB-00153 The talk centers on the principles of Zen Buddhist precepts, specifically how living in accordance with one's true nature naturally aligns with these precepts. It outlines the issues with afflictive emotions such as greed, hate,...
Precepts, Practice, Buddha
Nov 28 1999

Embrace Precepts, Live Your Truth

Serial: EB-00154 The talk explores the significance and interpretation of precepts in Zen practice, the ceremonial act of jukai or taking precepts, and how the focus should be on expressing one's true nature rather than strict adherence to rules...
Precepts, Ceremony, Practice
Nov 26 1999

Embrace Presence, Release Control

Serial: EB-00155 The talk focuses on the importance of embracing the present moment in Zen practice, without striving for a specific goal or trying to control outcomes. The speaker emphasizes the value of collective practice in a retreat setting...
Practice, Yoga, Work
Nov 26 1999

Zen Generosity: Beyond Material Giving

Serial: EB-00005 The main focus of the talk is the concept of giving and generosity within the context of Zen Buddhism. It explores how giving can be understood beyond material offerings, highlighting simple actions like providing attention,...
Conversation, Buddha's Birthday, Dragons, Offering, Don't Know Mind...
Nov 07 1999

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-01881 The talk explores the theme of perception and projection in understanding reality, drawing parallels to Buddhist teachings. It emphasizes how personal narratives and projections shape our understanding of suffering and the self,...
Conversation, Practice Period, Nirvana, Freedom, Fasting, Hate
Oct 06 1999
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-01867 The talk explores the significance of the Sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts as a guiding framework for spiritual practice, likening them to a tether that helps practitioners navigate their inner struggles. It reflects on the interplay...
Precepts, Balance, Bodhisattva Precepts, Evil, Vow, Renunciation, Non-duality, Bowing,...
Sep 26 1999
Green Gulch Farm

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-01872 Duplicate The talk delves into the significance of the sixteen bodhisattva precepts, treating them as essential guidelines for navigating relationships between Buddhas and humans, likening them to the map used in a spiritual journey akin...
Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Balance, Vow, Evil, Renunciation, Non-duality, Continuous...
Sep 26 1999
Green Gulch Farm

Skillful Paths to Collective Awakening

Serial: SF-04333 This talk explores the concept of skillful means in Buddhism, emphasizing the importance of recognizing our individuality in the journey towards awakening, or Buddha nature. It uses the Lotus Sutra’s parable of the burning house...
Lotus Sutra, Nirvana, Ordinary Mind, Tassajara, First Principle
Sep 19 1999

Pages