The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-11053 Talk by Kaira Jewel Lingo at City Center on 2021-10-20 The talk emphasizes the concept of intimacy as a core practice in Zen philosophy, urging an embracement of mindfulness to foster connections and dismantle divisions arising from societal structures and personal biases. Through a...

Serial: SF-10907 A Dharma talk exploring the themes of karma, love, power and control and the Dharma practices of non-attaching or letting go. 10/16/2021, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk addresses the concepts of love and power through the lens of letting go of control, exploring how these themes are embedded in Zen practice and understanding of karma and dharma. It discusses the difference between...

Serial: SF-10897 10/12/2021, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk explores the concept of radical honesty in Zen practice and the balance with compassion. It delves into how admitting personal truths and vulnerabilities, exemplified by an anecdote involving Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi,...

Serial: SF-11009 Talk by Korin Charlie Pokorny at Green Gulch Farm on 2021-10-11 This talk delves into the concept of "Zen responsiveness," emphasizing the nuanced distinction between reactive and responsive approaches within a Zen practice. It analyzes how reactivity is typically quick, defensive, and based...

Serial: SF-10964 10/10/2021, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk at Tassajara explores the metaphoric and practical aspects of Zen practice, using the construction and maintenance of a wooden floor as an allegory for spiritual discipline and discovery. It articulates the interplay...

Serial: SF-10999 An exploration of clinging, attachment, selfing, karma and liberation through the metaphor of eddies. 10/06/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. The talk examines the Buddhist concept of karma and its association with intentional action, highlighting how karmic consciousness develops through selfing and the metaphor of mindstreams. It explores the formation of personality...

Serial: SF-11010 The study of karma, and the importance of practicing zazen and non-doing for the study of self/the study of karma. 10/02/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. The main thesis of the talk is an exploration of karma through the lens of Zen practice, particularly emphasizing the practice of Zazen and the study of self. It delves into the fundamental aspects of karma as intentional action...

Serial: SF-11069 In the talk, Abbot Ed Sattizahn uses the "Every Day is a Good Day" koan, and Suzuki's Roshi's teaching, to explore how it may be genuinely beneficial, to ourselves and others, to appreciate our life beyond the "good" and "bad" of... The talk centers on the theme of appreciating life and Zen practice amidst difficulties. It explores the non-dual nature of experiences, emphasizing daily practice as a means to appreciate life fully. A major focus is placed on...

Serial: SF-10978 A talk about our Zen’s Chinese ancestors based in Suzuki Roshi’s teaching on Sekito Kisen’s Harmony of Difference and Equality. 09/19/2021, Furyu Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk explores the theme of "great doubt" in Zen practice, emphasizing its role as a catalyst for awakening and deepening understanding of the self and the world. Drawing on teachings from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Sekito Gisen...

Serial: SF-10940 The buddhas and Zen ancestors encourage us to become lucid dreamers - realizing that we are dreaming while remaining within the dream, where subject and object appear as separate but are really just manifestations of one mind. 09... The talk examines the dream metaphor in Buddhist and Zen teachings, focusing on Dogen's essay "Within a Dream, Expressing the Dream." It explores the concept that all experiences are akin to dreams, as discussed in the...

Serial: SF-10997 Talk by Jisan Anna Thorn at Tassajara on 2021-09-07 The talk focuses on the themes of impermanence, non-self, and recognizing the potential for transformation within these states, as understood in Zen Buddhism. The speaker reflects on personal experiences and observations,...

Serial: SF-10990 Yunmen’s Every Day is a Good Day. 09/04/2021, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at City Center. The talk addresses the significance of valuing one's life and practice amidst global suffering and personal challenges, emphasizing that appreciation and gratitude can transform experiences regardless of their nature. It draws...

Serial: SF-10985 Teachings and practices connecting our fundamental and profound practices of gratitude and generosity. 08/29/2021, Zenshin Greg Fain, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk focuses on the themes of generosity and gratitude as essential components of the Bodhisattva path in Mahayana Buddhism. The discussion emphasizes the practice of the six paramitas, with particular attention to "dana" or...

Serial: SF-11050 Talk by Arobin Orden at Tassajara on 2021-08-25 This talk focuses on honoring the often overlooked women ancestors in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing their significant contributions and stories. It draws on historical narratives from ancient India and China to more recent accounts...

Serial: SF-10900 Once when a student straightened a hanging picture in the temple, Suzuki Roshi went and made it crooked again - why did he do that, and what does this story show about our "fixing" mind versus Suzuki Roshi's path of "seeings... The talk primarily discusses the theme of "fixing" versus "letting things be", inspired by a story involving Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Richard Baker at Sokoji Temple. The narrative exemplifies a Zen principle focusing on...

Serial: SF-11014 Talk by Fu Scroeder at City Center on 2021-08-21 The talk explores the nature of mind in Zen Buddhism, focusing on mind-only teachings and the practice of meditation. It references Buddha's teachings on defilements and the radiant mind, advocating facing personal defilements...

Serial: SF-10974 Talk by Zenshin Greg Fain at Tassajara on 2021-08-18 The talk discusses the central teaching of suchness as the foundation of Soto Zen, particularly through the examination of Dongshan Liangjie’s enlightenment experience and his poem "The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi." It...

Serial: SF-10905 Continuing with our focus this month on the Mind Only teachings, this talk offers a walk-through of some of the school's major components…among them, compassion, generosity and wisdom. 0814/2021, Furyu Nancy Schroeder, dharma... The talk explores the themes of compassion and suffering within the Zen Buddhist perspective, highlighting the teachings of the Bodhisattvas and the nature of the Saha world. It emphasizes the importance of turning toward...

Serial: SF-10955 An exploration of Arising Bodhicitta, Not othering, and Taking action. 08/11/2021, Qayyum Johnson, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on three main themes: rousing bodhicitta, the practice of not othering, and taking action in response to the current climate and social challenges. It discusses the importance of bodhicitta—the thought of...

Serial: SF-11112 Talk by Teishin Layla Smith Bockhorst at Tassajara on 2021-08-11 The talk addresses two major themes: the challenges posed by existential issues such as impermanence, suffering, and emotional turmoil, and the practical application of improvisational theater principles in Zen practice, aimed at...

Serial: SF-11141 Talk by Horin Nancy Petrin at Tassajara on 2021-08-04 The talk focuses on the practice and significance of the 16 Bodhisattva vows, especially the aspiration "to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings." It discusses how engaging with these precepts can guide practitioners...

Serial: SF-10906 In this time of worldwide sickness, the teaching of Vimalakirti—the bodhisattva who manifests illness for the sake of teaching sentient beings— is brought up. Linda also offers a Jataka Tale about a baby quail to illustrate non-... The talk centers on the Vimalakirti Sutra and explores themes of illness, dualism, and compassion, using the Jataka tale of "The Baby Quail Who Could Not Fly Away" as an allegory for understanding truth, wholesomeness, and...

Serial: SF-11092 Talk by Zenshin Greg Fain at Tassajara on 2021-07-28 The talk explores the futility of resisting one's experience and the inseparability of practice and realization in Soto Zen. It emphasizes 'thusness' or 'suchness' as teachings intimately conveyed by Buddhist ancestors,...

Serial: SF-11051 This Sunday Dharma talk was a special offering by Green Gulch Abbess Fu Schroeder and Rev. angel Kyodo williams, in conversation about the suffering caused by racism, and how our Buddhist communities can begin the work of healing... The talk at Green Gulch Farm addresses the intersection of Zen practice and racial conditioning, emphasizing how racial dynamics are deeply embedded within social and spiritual communities. It explores the concept of Radical...