The SFZC Audio Archive

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-08316 02/28/2024, Roger Hillyard, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Roger Hillyard discusses what we mean when we “take refuge” — particularly when we take refuge in dharma, as we do as part of... The talk explores the often-overlooked aspect of taking refuge in the Dharma within the framework of the 16 precepts, focusing on its active, all-encompassing presence in the practice of Zen. It emphasizes the interconnectedness...

Serial: SF-08272 The first of the four Great Bodhisattva Vows is to “save all beings,” but what exactly does this mean and how might I engage in such an impossible endeavor? In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, central abbot Tenzen... The talk explores a Zen Buddhist perspective on salvation, emphasizing self-responsibility and interdependence. Using a koan involving the Zen masters Zhaozhou and Nanquan, it illustrates the playful yet profound nature of Zen...

Serial: SF-08245 In this talk, given during the second one-day sitting of the winter 2024 practice period, Abiding Abbot Dōshin Mako Voelkel discusses the power and peace of not-knowing. In the Zen tradition, ‘not-knowing’ is not the same as the... The talk focuses on understanding and embodying the 16 bodhisattva precepts through zazen practice to navigate the challenges of modern life, drawing on early Buddhist teachings, particularly the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold...

Serial: SF-08418 02/10/2024, Shogen Jody Greene, dharma talk at City Center. This talk was given at Beginner's Mind Temple by Shogen Jody Greene. While Dōgen Zenji once described 'shikantaza' (just sitting) as “the dharma gate of repose and bliss... The talk explores themes of genuine practice in Zen Buddhism, drawing on the story of Seiko and the dragon to illustrate the pitfalls of superficial engagement with the Dharma. It suggests that true understanding and practice...

Serial: SF-08252 02/03/2024, Onryu Mary Stares, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Onryu Mary Stares explores the current City Center Practice Period theme of the Bodhisattva precepts, describing her... The talk centers on the 16 bodhisattva precepts and their role in shaping Zen practice and everyday life. It emphasizes the importance of approaching precepts not as absolute commands but as invitations to personal exploration...

Serial: SF-08309 01/21/2024, Tenshin Reb Anderson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In the great flower adornment scripture, chapter 67, the Buddha says, “All sentient beings without exception, fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the Buddha,... The talk focuses on the concept and practice of "thusness" in Buddhist teachings, particularly derived from the Avatamsaka Scripture and the teachings of Tozan Ryoka. It emphasizes the importance of constant mindfulness and...

Serial: SF-08280 01/17/2024, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, Shosan explores how we are practicing with the current physical changes to the temple space. This year, our urban... The talk explores transformation within the San Francisco Zen Center through the lens of Dogen Zenji's teachings, particularly focusing on the concept of taking refuge in the Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It...

Serial: SF-08262 01/07/2024, Tenshin Reb Anderson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. This talk is a contemplation of the Flower Adornment Scripture saying “Clearly observe the Dharma of the king of Dharma. The Dharma of the king of Dharma is thus... This talk focuses on the commencement of an intensive meditation period and the aspiration of attaining Buddhahood, particularly through the lens of the Avatamsaka Sutra. The discussion explores the story of the boy Sudhana and...

Serial: SF-08480 01/03/2024, Jisan Tova Green, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, Tova speaks of the importance of sangha as we vow to be of benefit to all beings. This first talk of 2024 is also the first... This talk centers on the theme of vows, particularly the bodhisattva vow and its implications for Zen practice. The discussion highlights the importance of vows as commitments to benefit all beings, drawing connections to...

Serial: SF-08836 01/25/2023, Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. Ceremony calls forth sacredness. In the opening ceremony we enliven the sacredness of each of the centers of activity in our lives. The talk explores the themes of apology, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness, using imagery from Dogen's poem about a waterfowl reflecting the moon, and draws connections with neuroscience studies on meditation's effect on...

Serial: SF-08831 12/03/2023, Chosetsu Lauren Bouyea, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Suzuki Roshi said that beginner's mind - meeting the world and ourselves just-as-it-is - is the secret of Zen practice, but there are many powerful cultural and... The talk explores the concept of "beginner's mind" within Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an open and unfixed mindset despite the tendency to settle into habitual, self-centered thought patterns. It...

Serial: SF-08884 This talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, was given by City Center tanto (head of practice) Tim Wicks. Virya Paramita is often translated as "joyful" or "enthusiastic" energy. Working with the shadow side of energy — depression and... The talk provides an in-depth exploration of the concept of "virya," or energy, particularly within the context of the Six Paramitas in Mahayana Buddhism. The focus is on understanding energy as an essential practice for...

Serial: SF-08911 11/19/2023, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The one practice for every moment of our life is just to welcome and care for whatever is right here - why do we forget that so easily, and how can we train in... The talk focuses on the practice of Zen embracing each experience as an opportunity for compassion, as illustrated by the metaphor of perceiving everything that arises—thoughts, sensations, beings—as "baby newts" seeking care and...

Serial: SF-08770 11/08/2023, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. This talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, was given by senior dharma teacher Ryushin Paul Haller. Practicing with the Paramitas brings initially asks us to see the... The talk discusses the challenges and growth involved in spiritual practice, comparing them to a child progressing through grades in school. The discussion centers on Dogen's teachings in the "Genjokoan" and the Six Paramitas,...

Serial: SF-08782 This talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, was given by senior dharma teacher Ryushin Paul Haller. As we witness the war in the Middle East and the suffering it creates, it's challenging not to get caught in choosing which side has... The talk explores the concept of "trusting the moment" amid life's turmoil, emphasizing Zen practice's role in addressing life's challenges through a combination of the "Genjo Koan" and the Six Paramitas, focusing particularly on...

Serial: SF-08961 10/28/2023, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, Shosan Victoria Austin discusses working skillfully with anger. Many ancient texts mention anger as an unwholesome emotion... The talk addresses the challenge of manifesting anger while maintaining loving-kindness in relationships, emphasizing the application of the paramitas, or perfections, to transform anger into a beneficial force for oneself and...

Serial: SF-08862 This talk, from Beginner's Mind Temple, was given by senior dharma teacher Ryushin Paul Haller. This talk was based on a Thanksgiving message from Brother David Steindl-Rast and examines how to sustain gratitude and be uplifted... The talk focuses on the interpretation and implications of passages from Dogen's "Genjo Koan," highlighting the practice of full-body and mind engagement with reality. Attention is drawn to the metaphor of illuminating one side...

Serial: SF-08976 03/08/2023, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. A description of the function and symbolism of the Mountain Seat ceremony. The talk focuses on the application of Dogen Zenji's teachings as outlined in "Genjo Koan," alongside the practice of the six paramitas, to cultivate awakening within life's challenges. Through personal anecdotes and reflections...

Serial: SF-08802 10/14/2023, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, on the occasion of SFZC’s Members and Volunteers Appreciation Day, central abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman speaks to the value... The talk emphasizes the critical role of Sangha, or community, in Zen practice, arguing that Sangha is not merely supportive but integral to the path of awakening. It discusses historical and contemporary understandings of Sangha...

Serial: SF-08897 10/07/2023, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, Ryushin Paul Haller discusses how taking refuge from the afflictions of desire, aversion and confusion, supports our... The talk emphasizes the relationship between personal experience and Zen practice, focusing on the intersection of Dogen's "Genjo Koan" and the six paramitas as a framework for understanding the human condition and achieving...

Serial: SF-08898 10/01/2023, Sonja Gardenswartz, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk, Sonja Gardenswartz, a 30-year resident of SFZC illuminates the three pillars of her practice: zazen, impermanence, and awe. The talk emphasizes the practice of Zazen as a means of being present and exploring one's true self, highlights the concept of impermanence, and celebrates the awe and miracle of life. The speaker encourages mindfulness in...

Serial: SF-08852 09/30/2023, Zesho Susan O'Connell, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, Susan O’Connell discusses how the joy of practice can support us when, as always seems to be the case, “there’s a lot going... The talk explores the theme of joy amidst life's transitions, reflecting on the transition from City Center to Enso Village, a new Zen-inspired senior living community. It addresses how pauses and mindfulness foster receptivity,...

Serial: SF-08786 09/23/2023, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, Kiku Christina Lehnherr explores both the equinox and ordination ceremonies as invitations for EVERYONE to live our daily... The talk examines the themes of non-identification, balance, and transformation through Zen practice, particularly in the context of the fall equinox representing balance and renunciation during priest ordination. It discusses...