Appamada is a contemporary center for Zen practice, inquiry, and community, located in Austin, Texas. If you appreciate these offerings, please consider making a contribution to support Appamada with the link below.
2025-08-04 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
Here is the poem by Hilda Raz, reflecting on a time when she was the poet laureate of Nebraska and did some teaching about poetry in public schools. I hope you will search out her book "Letter from a Place I Have Never Been." Diction ~ Hilda Raz "God is in the details," I tell the kids in the public school at Milligan, Nebraska. They wonder what I mean. I tell them to look out the window at the spring fields the mud coming up just to the knee of the small pig in the far pasture. They tell me it's not a knee but a hock and I hadn't ought to say things I know nothing about. I say the light on the mud is pure chalcedony. They say the mud killed two cows over the weekend. I tell them the pig is alive and the spring trees are standing in a green haze. The tell me school is out in a week and they have to plant. The grain elevator at the end of Main Street stretches out her blue arms. The kids say chutes.
2025-07-28 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
Genjokoan can be found on page 34 of the Appamada chant book here: https://appamada.org/s/Appamada-Chant-Book.pdf. Guided meditation adapted from Henry Shukman's book, "Original Love."
2025-07-21 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-07-14 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
Thanks By W. S. MERWIN Listen with the night falling we are saying thank you we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings we are running out of the glass rooms with our mouths full of food to look at the sky and say thank you we are standing by the water thanking it standing by the windows looking out in our directions back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging after funerals we are saying thank you after the news of the dead whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you over telephones we are saying thank you in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators remembering wars and the police at the door and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you in the banks we are saying thank you in the faces of the officials and the rich and of all who will never change we go on saying thank you thank you with the animals dying around us taking our feelings we are saying thank you with the forests falling faster than the minutes of our lives we are saying thank you with the words going out like cells of a brain with the cities growing over us we are saying thank you faster and faster with nobody listening we are saying thank you thank you we are saying and waving dark though it is "Just to be clear I don't want to get out without a broken heart. I intend to leave this life so shattered there's gonna have to be a thousand separate heavens for all of my flying parts." – Andrea Gibson Still The Waters run deep The stag patiently waits, perhaps a lifetime, this lifetime. steadfast he watches, Studies this floating world, steps forward The first of his kind Knowing he will Kick up a speck of dust Dips his head drinks the clear dark water his tines swirl Fugitive patterns Into the flowing river And the moon trembles Turning He disappears Trudy Johnston
2025-07-20 | Dharma Talk | Acceptance | Jess by Appamada
2025-07-15 I Inquiry I Aspirations for your daily journey I Suzanne Kilkus by Appamada
Poem in today's talk written by Czeslaw Milosz
Heartbreak ~ written in the ER The dull sickening pressure Is what got my attention. A racing heart, Stumbling over itself Is a more familiar alert. But this blunt sensation Was something new, Relentless and swelling, Like water and dry earth Mingling and churning As in a flash flood Finding its way slowly, Inexorably, Blindly searching out the low places By feel. Nothing stopping it's steady movement. And nothing did On that day. This intensity, not familiar pain, Invaded the muscles of my chest Stiffened with anticipation. Slipping silently between the ribs Of my caged heart and lungs. Pushing rudely up into my throat Without asking permission Flooding both jaws With a strong, strange sensation That signaled something wrong. The pushy entitlement of fear Taking over without concern Or consent. It was my heart that was Captured and confused By this wild rouge energy. Not by the eyes I couldn't Turn away from in the beginning, And still can't. Not the warm young body I sought and never left As both our bodies Transformed into something More settled and real. Not by the steadfast will And stubborn Insistence I encountered saying This was what mattered. No, I had been captured by That unexpected love Years before. Confused by its earthy and Ordinary magnificence. Irresistible and terrifying. And now it was breaking. Not the love. But my heart. A dull sickening pressure Pushing me To the edge of the bed, Over the precipice in the dark. Nothing cruel or personal, Just inevitable. This precious breaking The final vow The final bow To you.
2025-07-07 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
Prompts for contemplation / discussion during this talk: 1) Is your zazen practice supported by dedication, intension, and time? 2) What hinders your zazen practice? 3) How can we support each other in our practice of zazen? 4) Any other thoughts about zazen practice?
Link to Sunni (Sun) Brown on Substack https://nothingintheway.substack.com Deep Hope https://substack.com/home/post/p-165652333
2025-06-30 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-06-29 | Dharma Talk | The Brahmavihārās | Ellen Hippard by Appamada
The links Josh mentions RAM DASS ON HIS MANTRA “I AM LOVING AWARENESS” (WITH PRACTICE VIDEO) https://www.ramdass.org/loving-awareness/ The London Walker https://thelondonwalker.com In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London https://spitalfieldslife.com
2025-06-23 | Depth In Pracitce |Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-06-16 I Inquiry I Practice supports Becoming Yourself I Suzanne Kilkus by Appamada
2025-06-16 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025 07 15 | Dharma Talk | Way Seeking Mind | Sarah Webb by Appamada
2025-06-10 I Inquiry I Suzuki Roshi's “Swinging Door” I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-06-09 | Depth In Practice | Vamalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-07-08 | Dharma Talk | Living the Paramitas in Troubled Times | Ellen Hippard by Appamada
2025-06-03 I Inquiry I Why Practice? I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-06-02 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-06-01 | Head Student Exit Ceremony | Jess by Appamada
2025-05-27 I Inquiry I When fear meets cluelessness surrounded by beauty.. I Trudy Johnston by Appamada
2025 05 10 | Introduction to Zen | Jess Ambiee | Class 3 by Appamada
2025-05-25 | Dharma Talk | Maylie Scott Meets Loneliness | Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-05-20 I Inquiry I Presence Within Absence I Josh Gifford by Appamada
2025-05-19 | Depth In Practice | Vimalakirti Sutra by Appamada
2025-05-18 | Dharma Talk | Vow and Joy | Jess, Liya and Darcy by Appamada
2025-05-13 I Inquiry I Reflections on Cause and Effect Part 2 I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-05-10- Introduction to Zen -Jess Ambiee -Class 2 by Appamada
2025-05-11 | Way-Seeking Mind Talk | Lesley Bradstreet by Appamada
2025-05-10 | Introduction to Zen | Jess Ambiee | Class 1 by Appamada
2025-05-06 I Inquiry I Reflections on Cause and Effect I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-05-04 | Dharma Talk | The Wholehearted Way | Sandra Medina Bocangel by Appamada
2025-04-29 I Inquiry I A Responsibility to Awe I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-04-27 | Dharma Talk | oy and Practice | Jess by Appamada
2025-04-22 I I Inquiry I Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-04-21 Depth In Practice | Not Two: The Appamada Story | Peg Syverson by Appamada
2025-04-20 | Dharma Talk | Genjokoan | Joel Barna by Appamada
2025-04-15 I Inquiry I Going Gently I Flint Sparks by Appamada
2025-04-14 | Depth In Practice | Not Two: The Appamada Story | Peg Syverson by Appamada
2025-04-13 | Dharma Talk | Your Body is Not a Thing, and It's Not Yours, Either | Nate Smalley by Appamada
2025-04-08 I Inquiry I The Shape of Buddha's Mind I Flint Sparks by Appamada
2025-04-01 I Inquiry I wonder smitten with reality I Suzanne Kilkus by Appamada
2025-04-07 | Dharma Talk | Mistakes and Repair: Hard Lessons from A Momentary Distraction | Rosemarie Gates by Appamada
2025-03-31 | Depth In Practice | Not Two: The Appamada Story | Peg Syverson by Appamada
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
