The SFZC Audio Archive

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Title Speaker Date

Breathing Compassion into Suffering

Serial: SF-00083 The talk discusses the practice of Tonglen, a meditation technique originating from Tibetan Buddhism, which involves breathing in the pain of oneself and others and breathing out relief and openness. The central theme is the...
Realization, Practice Period, confusion, Instruction, Obstacles, Letting Go, Anger, Passions,...
Aug 03 1988

Mindful Generosity Through Everyday Joy

Serial: EB-00063 The talk explores the theme of cultivating a nourishing and mindful presence through Zen practice, emphasizing concentration and absorption. The discourse postulates that absorption is not object-dependent but can be cultivated...
Avalokitesvara, Ceremony, Concentration, Offering
Aug 03 1988

Mindfulness and Unity in Practice

Serial: EB-00062 The talk primarily focuses on mindfulness and concentration as crucial components of the seven limbs of enlightenment in Zen practice. Mindfulness is emphasized as a quality of presence that transforms mundane activities into...
Concentration, Hindrances, Desire, Oneness, Culture
Aug 02 1988

Navigating Desire Through Mindful Intention

Serial: EB-00061 The talk delves into the nature of desire and intention, exploring how individuals often erect psychological barriers to protect themselves from perceived threats or discomforts. It critically examines common strategies people...
Enemies, Intention, Intimacy, Vow, Gratitude
Jul 29 1988

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-00961 The lecture explores the etymology and symbolism of Easter, linking it to spiritual awakening and enlightenment, drawing parallels between Easter's themes and the myth of Buddha's enlightenment. It underscores the practice of...
Interview, Demons, Doubt, Manjushri, Soto Zen, Gratitude, Practice Period, Enemies, Evil...
Apr 03 1988
Green Gulch Farm

Whole-Minded Zen: Embracing Life's Challenges

Serial: EB-00060 The talk explores the concept of whole-mindedness through the lens of the "Tom Sawyer School of Zen," emphasizing engaging fully with experiences rather than resisting them. The discussion highlights the five hindrances in...
Hindrances, Desire, Death, Doubt, Passions
Jan 10 1988

Blue Cliff Record Class

Serial: SF-00070 Cases 14 and 15 The talk focuses on analyzing Cases 14 and 15 of the "Blue Cliff Record," highlighting the challenges posed by translation and interpretation, especially regarding the nuanced wordplay and ambiguity intrinsic to the source text....
Suzuki Roshi, First Principle, Oneness, Lotus Sutra, Karma, Transmission, Dragons, Emptiness,...
Nov 27 1987
5
Green Gulch Farm

Embracing Imperfection in Buddhist Refuge

Serial: SF-00129 The talk focuses on the concept of "taking refuge" in the Buddhist context, exploring the commitment to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The discussion touches upon how this commitment involves self-transformation, recognizing the...
Precepts, Ceremony
Nov 12 1987

Embrace Presence Amidst Flowing Time

Serial: SF-00960 The talk explores the themes of time, awareness, and attachment through the lens of Zen practice. It emphasizes the importance of deepening one's commitment to meditation during times of change, illustrated by the analogy of...
Commitment, Vow, Attachment, Faith, Continuous Practice
Nov 01 1987
Green Gulch Farm

Everyday Experiences as Enlightenment

Serial: EB-00059 The talk centers on the Zen teaching "everyday mind is the way," initially discussed between Jajo and his teacher Nanchuan, emphasizing that enlightenment is inherent in everyday experiences and actions. It challenges the notion...
Passions, Don't Know Mind, Thoroughness, Silence, Delusion
Aug 30 1987

Imperfect Paths to Spiritual Simplicity

Serial: SF-00005 The talk explores the challenges and paradoxes in Buddhist practice, emphasizing the contrast between Buddhism’s ideal simplicity and the inherent imperfections of life. It discusses the balance of seeking better spiritual...
Gratitude, Religion, Doubt, Balance, Suzuki Roshi, Nirvana, Enemies, Attachment, Evil, Vow...
Jul 11 1987

Zen Harmony: Meditation, Music, Mantra

Serial: SF-00031 The talk discusses the practice of seated meditation (shikantaza) and its relationship with music and chanting in Zen traditions. The emphasis is on "just sitting" with no specific goals, akin to experiencing music moment-to-...
Mantra, Buddha Nature, Lotus Sutra, Posture, Chanting, Zazen, Soto Zen, Bell, Bowing...
May 03 1987
Green Gulch Farm

Inherent Enlightenment: Embracing Wholeness

Serial: SF-01428A The talk focuses on the celebration of Buddha's birth and its symbolism, emphasizing the understanding of enlightenment as an inherent quality available to all individuals. It contrasts historical and personal interpretations of...
Buddha's Birthday, Enlightenment, Buddhism
Apr 05 1987

Finding Nourishment in Stillness

Serial: EB-00058 The talk explores the importance of sitting quietly in meditation to experience life's impermanence and vulnerability, advocating for a mindful awareness of self and surroundings to find nourishment in the simplicity of...
Impermanence, Death
Feb 15 1987

Introductory Lecture

Serial: SF-00119 The talk focuses on the concept of "realization" in Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of being present and fully conscious in daily activities such as breathing, eating, and interacting with others. By connecting deeply...
Realization, Freedom, Mindfulness, Peace, Daily Life, Happiness, Silence
1987

Heart Sutra Commentary

Serial: SF-00120 -
Emptiness, Birth-and-Death, Heart Sutra, Observe, Impermanence, Four Foundations of...
1987
1

The Bodhisattva Archetype

Serial: SF-00002 Sunday Lecture The lecture focuses on the Bodhisattva archetype, exploring the roles of wisdom and compassion, embodied by Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara, respectively. The discussion compares these two approaches to enlightenment and social...
Perfect Wisdom, Nirvana, Priest, Avalokitesvara, Vow, Manjushri, Daily Life, Passions, Non-...
Aug 03 1986
Green Gulch Farm

Zazen: The Essence of Non-Dualism

Serial: KR-00165 The talk emphasizes the practice and essence of Zazen as the manifestation of Buddha, integrating both Dharma and person in a non-dualistic manner. It highlights Dogen Zenji's views on Zazen and wisdom, asserting that true...
Dragons, Transmission, Dharma Transmission, Consciousness, Patience, Oneness, Culture,...
Dec 08 1985

Zen Paths to Unified Insight

Serial: KR-00166 The talk examines the concept of enlightenment in Zen practice, comparing it to the varying experiences of individuals and referencing philosophical ideas, particularly through the use of allegorical stories and Zen teachings....
Monastic Practice, Compassion, Meditation, Commitment, Dragons, Concentration, Realization...
Dec 08 1985

Awakening in Mountains and Rivers

Serial: KR-00163 The talk explores Dogen Zenji's understanding of "knowing" beyond perception, emphasizing a subtle, non-dual awareness that manifests in every form, like mountains and rivers. The discussion distinguishes between three conceptual...
Emotions, Intention, Posture, Consciousness, Ego, Passions, Oneness, Discrimination,...
Dec 07 1985

Beyond Fences: Embracing Zen Unity

Serial: KR-00164 The talk primarily concerns the nature of expectation and its reflection in the "sea world," emphasizing the need to recognize and pass through these reflections without becoming attached. The discussion explores how expectations...
Gratitude, Letting Go, Don't Know Mind, Oneness, Bowing, Dragons, Offering, Separation...
Dec 07 1985

Zen Wisdom Through Living Experience

Serial: KR-00167 The talk explores the complex interplay between Zen practice and understanding concepts such as compassion, resistance, and wisdom as articulated by Dogen. The discussion emphasizes the importance of the non-dualistic approach...
Evil, Pain, Attachment, Consciousness, Happiness, New Year, Don't Know Mind, Passions,...
Dec 06 1985

Beyond Knowing: Zen's Experiential Wisdom

Serial: KR-00169 The talk explores Zen's perspective on knowing and enlightenment, emphasizing that true knowing is beyond perception and recognition. This approach suggests a form of wisdom that is independent and not bound by universal...
Consciousness, Ego, Buddha Nature, Intimacy, Mindfulness, Subject-and-Object, Delusion,...
Dec 06 1985

Mindful Path to Infinite Truths

Serial: KR-00168 The talk examines the concept of the "infinite mind" as described in the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing the necessity of opening oneself to all experiences, both mundane and grand, to understand the truth beyond form. The discussion...
Concentration, Compassion, Lay, Soto Zen, Mindfulness, Don't Know Mind, Commitment,...
Jan 14 1985

Silent Awareness: Path to True Nature

Serial: EB-00057 The talk delves into the concept of silent awareness as an authentic state of being, contrasting Western critical attitudes with Eastern intuitive silence, influenced by encounters with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Ramana...
Ego, Silence, Intuition, Buddha Nature, Death
Sep 28 1983

Practice Life

Serial: SF-00102 Talk given at Berkeley per introduction. The talk focuses on the importance of engaging fully with life as it is, without wishful thinking, and emphasizes accepting both joy and suffering as natural parts of life. The discussion describes the practice of Zazen as a...
Buddha Nature, Suzuki Roshi, Posture, Priest, Anger, Daily Life, Teacher-and-Student, Dharma...
Aug 07 1983

The First Grave Precept

Serial: SF-00026 Not Killing The talk explores the First Grave Precept of Buddhism, "not killing," comparing it to the Ten Commandments and examining its implications beyond literal interpretations to include compassionate and essential elements. Emphasis is...
Precepts, Peace, Time
Aug 04 1983
2 of 3

The Second Grave Precept

Serial: SF-00027 Not taking what is not given. The talk explores the second grave precept of not stealing, emphasizing its multifaceted dimensions, including the theft of time and the impact of expectation on practice. Personal anecdotes demonstrate the moral challenges...
Buddha Nature, Realization, Precepts, Ego, Ceremony, Peace, Samadhi, Attachment, Silence...
Aug 04 1983
3 of 3

The Nature of the Precepts

Serial: SF-00025 The discourse focuses on the nature and purpose of the Bodhisattva precepts within Zen Buddhism, particularly the sixteen precepts in the Harada-Yasutani lineage of Soto Zen. The talk examines the philosophical underpinnings of...
Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, Mahayana, Realization, Lay, Sangha, Bodhidharma, Emptiness,...
Aug 03 1983
1

Silent Harmony in Everyday Life

Serial: RB-00648 The talk explores the concept of silence in Zen practice, emphasizing its integration within sound and daily activities rather than mere absence of speech. It discusses the transformative power of practicing stillness,...
Practice, Silence, Faith
Nov 24 1982

Unifying Paths: The Lotus Sutra Journey

Serial: KR-00162 The discussion focuses on the Lotus Sutra within the context of Mahayana Buddhism's development, emphasizing its significance as a foundational text offering a new understanding that unified various Buddhist teachings. It...
Lotus Sutra, Happiness, Subject-and-Object, Discrimination, Politics, Offering, Mahayana,...
May 28 1982

Joyful Embrace of Zen Wisdom

Serial: KR-00161 The talk focuses on the concept of "joyful acceptance" in the context of Zen Buddhism, specifically as explained in Chapter 18 of the Avasantika Sutra. This concept, represented by the Sanskrit term "anmodana," emphasizes the...
Liberation, Lotus Sutra, Consciousness, Soto Zen, Community, Compassion, Realization,...
May 24 1982

Eternal Wisdom in Impermanent Reality

Serial: KR-00160 The talk explores the teachings of Chapter 16 in which the eternal nature of the Buddha and the vastness of the world are emphasized. The speaker addresses how Buddha Shakyamuni conveyed wisdom across countless lifetimes and...
Impermanence, Nirvana, Birth-and-Death, difficulty, Buddha Mind, Emotions, Buddha Nature,...
May 07 1982

Eternal Depths of Bodhisattva Practice

Serial: KR-00159 The talk analyzes Chapter 15 of a Buddhist text, focusing on the imagery of Bodhisattvas emerging from the earth in response to Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings. Key themes include the eternal nature of time within Buddhist...
Silence, Lotus Sutra, Hindrances, Instruction, Posture, Lay, Ceremony, Evil
May 03 1982

Emergence of Timeless Buddhahood

Serial: KR-00158 The talk delves into the "Spring Up Out of the Earth" narrative from the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing the profound symbolism behind the emergence of Bodhisattva Mahasattvas from the earth and the assembly at the stupa, representing...
Lotus Sutra, Culture, Religion, Building
Apr 30 1982

Gem of Wisdom in Lotus Sutra

Serial: KR-00156 The talk focuses on the parable of the gem in the topknot, illustrating the profound teachings within the Lotus Sutra and its significance in spiritual practice. It discusses the Holy Wheel Rolling King, a metaphor for worldly...
Practice, Evil, Perfect Wisdom
Apr 26 1982

Transcendence Through Ignorance and Abandonment

Serial: KR-00157 The talk delves into the concepts of ignorance and abandonment within Buddhist philosophy. The discussion explores the nature of ignorance as ingrained from past lives and how it influences one's present state. Abandonment is...
Evil, Discrimination
Apr 26 1982

Embracing Bodhisattva Challenges with Compassion

Serial: KR-00155 This talk explores Chapter Fourteen of the Lotus Sutra, particularly focusing on the teachings for Bodhisattvas on enduring the challenges of teaching in the "evil age." Emphasis is placed on the peaceful practice of the body,...
Lotus Sutra, Intimacy, Compassion, difficulty, Evil, Discrimination, Offering, Causation,...
Apr 23 1982

Eternal Guardians of the Lotus Sutra

Serial: KR-00154 The talk delves into a detailed analysis of Chapter 13 of the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing the commitment of Medicine King Bodhisattva and Great Eloquence Bodhisattva to preserve and propagate the Sutra in future adverse times. It...
Lotus Sutra, Repentance, Evil, Offering, Vow, Transmission, Community, Building...
Apr 16 1982

Transformative Enlightenment and Equality

Serial: KR-00153 The talk centers on Chapter 12 of the Lotus Sutra, specifically discussing the future prediction of Devadatta and a woman (Dragon's Daughter) becoming Buddhas, concepts explored in the Chinese version but absent from the English...
Repentance, Dragons, Lotus Sutra, Offering, Compassion, Hindrances, Don't Know Mind,...
Apr 12 1982

Enlightenment Paths: Bridging Complexity and Unity

Serial: KR-00152 The talk evaluates the concepts of "six difficulties and nine easy practices" in the Rola Sutra and the inherent challenges in achieving true enlightenment, as juxtaposed with Dogen's perspective in "Gakudo Yojinshu." The...
Lotus Sutra, Evil, Mahayana, Buddha Nature, Sangha, Culture, Lay, difficulty...
Apr 09 1982

Cosmic Unity in the Lotus Sutra

Serial: KR-00151 The talk focuses on the unfolding of the Lotus Sutra's "Chapter 11: Beholding the Precious Stupa," emphasizing the dramatic depiction of the Buddha's teachings. It analyzes the symbolic significance of the two places (earth and...
Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Zazen
Apr 05 1982

Enlightenment Through The Lotus Sutra

Serial: KR-00150 This talk provides an in-depth exploration of the transformative potential and profound spiritual implications outlined in chapters 10 through 22 of the Lotus Sutra, particularly focusing on the dynamic and inclusive promise of...
Buddha, Bodhisattva, Lotus Sutra
Apr 02 1982

Enlightenment: Personal Realization, Communal Validation

Serial: KR-00149 The talk discusses the predictions of Ananda and Rafa's future Buddhahood, highlighting their close relationships with Buddha Shakyamuni. The focus is on the significance of Buddha's predictions, referred to as Dharma...
Transmission, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Mind, Patience, Culture...
Mar 19 1982

Eternal Light and Timeless Liberation

Serial: KR-00148 The talk primarily delves into the concept of "universal light" and how all beings inherently possess it, embodying the original nature of existence. The discussion expands on the distinction between enlightenment and nirvana,...
Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Perfect Wisdom, Nirvana, Liberation, Compassion, Impermanence,...
Mar 12 1982

Predictive Pathways to Enlightenment

Serial: KR-00147 The talk analyzes the concept of "prediction" in Buddhism, illustrating the role of Buddha in predicting the fate of disciples both before and after death. It delves into the differing perspectives on prediction within Indian...
Buddha Nature, Compassion, Suffering, Meditation, Evil, Funeral, Precepts, Silence,...
Mar 08 1982

Journey to the Magic City Within

Serial: KR-00146 The talk explores the parable of the magic city from a Zen Buddhist perspective, emphasizing the notion of the "one Buddha vehicle," which posits that all sentient beings inherently possess Buddhahood. It illustrates this...
Causation, Impermanence, Consciousness, Compassion, Evil, Politics, Separation, Observe,...
Mar 01 1982

Pure Effort In Everyday Busy Life

Serial: BZ-00020 Saturday Lecture The talk, titled "Pure Effort In Everyday Busy Life," explores the concept of perfect effort in Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of maintaining pure effort in daily activities despite life's distractions and challenges....
Posture, New Year Celebration, Don't Know Mind, Practice Period, Concentration, Tassajara...
Jan 02 1982
Berkeley Zen Center

Intentional Pathways: Karma and Precepts

Serial: SF-10108 Talk by The Spirit And Letter Of The Precepts Lew Richmond Yt on 1982-MM-DD The talk explores the theme of the spirit versus the letter of the Buddhist precepts, emphasizing their gradual emergence to address situational needs as the early community formed. It highlights the distinctiveness of Buddhist...
Karma, Buddha, Buddhism
1982

Shaping Destiny Through Intentional Action

Serial: SF-10116 Talk by Unclear on 1982-MM-DD The talk examines the nature of the precepts in Buddhism, focusing on the distinction between the spirit and the letter of these guidelines, and their relation to karma—the intentional actions of body, speech, and mind that shape...
Karma, Buddha, Buddhism
1982

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