The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-11353 A teacher's reflection on 50 years of practice. 07/04/2020, Sojun Mel Weitsman, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores themes of interdependence versus independence, emphasizing the concept of "Interdependence Day" as a reflection on mutual reliance contradicting the notion of isolated freedom. It discusses democracy, revolution...

Serial: SF-11378 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-07-02 The talk delves into the theme of resilience, emphasizing its importance in Buddhist practice and life amid current global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and societal unrest. The discussion highlights resilience as not...

Serial: SF-11334 07/01/2020, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk explores the concept of communication as structured by personal experience, particularly in understanding terms like "poverty," and highlights how personal histories impact comprehension and dialogue. The narrative...

Serial: SF-11345 Talk by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel at City Center on 2020-06-28 The talk focuses on the concept of "continuous practice" or Gyoji Dokkan, integrating the personal and collective experience of suffering and awakening through a mandala of practice and interconnectedness. Drawing from Zen...

Serial: SF-11216 Zazen Instruction Shundo David Haye at City Center on 2020-06-27 The talk focuses on zazen, the seated meditation practice central to Soto Zen, emphasizing posture, breath awareness, and non-judgmental mindfulness. Detailed instructions are given on different meditation postures, including...

Serial: SF-11358 Talk by Sangha Marc Lesser at City Center on 2020-06-25 The talk emphasizes the integration of Zen practices, focusing on mindfulness, simplicity, and letting go of the self through attentive observation of the body and breath. It discusses the relevance of historical Zen stories and...

Serial: SF-11377 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-06-23 The talk primarily explores the practice and philosophy of Zazen, using the metaphor of a snow globe to illustrate the mind's processes. It suggests that Zazen helps calm mental agitation, allowing clarity and awareness to emerge...

Serial: SF-11267 Breathing in suffering and breathing out awakening, Tibetan tonglen practice and Dogen's jijuyu zanmai, as relates to the suffering of racial oppression and white privilege. 06/20/2020, Korin Charlie Pokorny, dharma talk at Green... The talk focuses on the practice of Tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist compassion technique, and its application in confronting racial injustice and systemic suffering. The emphasis is on embracing suffering through conscious breathing...

Serial: SF-11367 Talk by Sangha Jisan Tova Green at City Center on 2020-06-18 The talk explores the theme of deep listening, drawing from Zen teachings and personal anecdotes. It emphasizes the importance of being fully present and attentive in conversations, listening with one's entire being, and...

Serial: SF-11388 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-06-16 The talk explores the practice of mindfulness and meditation, focusing on the themes of presence and awareness in the face of challenging external conditions, such as systemic violence and personal distress. It emphasizes the...

Serial: SF-11298 Talk by Blm at City Center on 2020-06-13 The talk centers on a memorial service conducted for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, emphasizing the responsibility of individuals, especially those racialized as white, to confront and dismantle systemic racism...

Serial: SF-11165 06/10/2020, Nancy Petrin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on integrating Zen Buddhist practices with social activism, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and responding to societal inequalities, particularly in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and...

Serial: SF-11331 06/07/2020, Furyu Schroeder, Dharma Talk at Green Gulch. The talk focuses on exploring themes of racial injustice through a Zen Buddhist perspective, juxtaposing contemporary and historical reflections on systemic racism with traditional Buddhist teachings on suffering and...

Serial: SF-11271 06/06/2020, Onryu Mary Stares, Dharma Talk at City Center The talk outlines the significance of the Lojong teachings and the practice of Tonglen as paths towards realizing innate compassion and kindness, particularly during difficult times. The discussion highlights working with the 59...

Serial: SF-08554 Talk by Tenshin Reb Anderson at Green Gulch Farm on 2020-05-31 This talk explores the concept of transmission in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing nonviolence and the ongoing dynamic relationship between teacher and student. The discussion highlights the imagery of the Buddha amidst suffering,...

Serial: SF-11211 A description of Relative and Absolute Bodhichitta 05/30/2020 Korin Charlie Pokorny, Dharma Talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the Lojong mind training, specifically absolute and relative Bodhicitta. It explores how absolute Bodhicitta represents an all-embracing compassion and is linked to true nature, while relative Bodhicitta...

Serial: SF-11384 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-05-28 The talk focuses on how Zen practice can help manage and understand fear, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests that fear is fundamental to suffering and explores three levels of practice with fear:...

Serial: SF-11226 05/25/2020, Ryushin Paul Haller, dharma talk at Tassajara. The talk examines the nature of practice and its adaptation to unforeseen circumstances, focusing on the contrast between structured schedules and the current state of unpredictability. It emphasizes releasing preoccupations,...

Serial: SF-12329 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller Foundations Of at Tassajara on 2020-05-25 This talk explores the concept of embracing uncertainty within Zen practice, contrasting structured practice periods with the unpredictability of current circumstances. It emphasizes the necessity of renunciation and openness to...

Serial: SF-11321 Talk by Zoketsu Norman Fischer at City Center on 2020-05-23 The talk explores the notion of dual realities by examining Haruki Murakami's novel "1Q84," which presents two parallel worlds, drawing parallels with the Zen concept of two moons in one sky. It connects these ideas to the...

Serial: SF-11205 Point #4: Atisha's Seven Points of Mind Training- Lojong Teachings. 05/20/2020, Onryu Mary Stares, dharma talk at City Center. The talk at City Center during a spring practice period focuses on the Lojong slogans with an emphasis on slogan number 17, "Practice the five strengths that condense heart instructions," and slogan number 18, concerning the use...

Serial: SF-11381 Talk by Sangha Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on 2020-05-19 The talk centers on the theme of addressing world brokenness through intentional love. The discussion explores concepts from Buddhist teachings, emphasizing the importance of directing love intentionally to mend the fragmentation...

Serial: SF-11230 Shelter in place: Like a fish in a puddle, what pleasure is there here? 05/17/2020, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk explores the theme of "shelter in place" as both a practical instruction during challenging times and a spiritual metaphor. It reflects on embracing life's limitations, drawing from Zen teachings and ancestral wisdom....

Serial: SF-11323 Talk by Zazen Instruction Anshi Zachary Smith at City Center on 2020-05-16 The talk explores the nature and practice of Zazen, distinguishing it from conventional seated meditation and emphasizing Zazen as a set of procedures and methodologies integral to Buddhist practice. The speaker touches on...