Dharma Talks – Ocean Gate Zen Center – Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos

Rev. Daijaku Kinst continues the lecture series on Zazen, discussing a passage from Dogen Zenji’s Bendowa. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jaku-April-15-More-on-Zazen-from-Bendowa-MP3-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/04/more-on-zazen-from-bendowa-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst gives a talk on April Fool’s Day about how Zen practice can help upend our usual ideas and show us where we get caught. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Zazen-Jaku-CAYA-April-1st-2023-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/04/spirit-of-foolishness/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts continues the discussion started last week by Daijaku Roshi about Zazen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Shinshu-March-25-More-on-Zazen-Zoom-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/03/more-on-zazen-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst suggests Zazen is life-giving, discussing how it can serve as refuge for us in our difficulties and challenges. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jaku-March-18-Zazen-Zoom-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/03/zazen-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dogen’s fascicle Shoji (Birth-Death) -which we chant weekly at Ocean Gate Zen Center – a primary Zen Buddhist teaching about being fully engaged in this moment. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Shinshu-Feb-18-Shoji-MP3-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/02/shoji-2/feed/ 0

Discussing how we practice in times of transition, Rev. Daijaku Kinst reflects on James Baldwin, then the “three minds” teaching of Dogen’s from the TenzoKyokun. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jaku-Feb-11-Three-Minds-of-Transition-MP3Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/02/three-minds-in-transition-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts shares her response to the eulogy delivered by Rev. Al Sharpton at the funeral of Tyre Nichols last week, discussing the Zen teaching of putting effort into our practice for the benefit of the greater good. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Shinshu-Feb-4-Climbing-the-Mountain-MP3-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/02/climbing-the-mountain/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst continues teaching about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Jaku-Jan-22-Dogen-Part-3-Audio-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/01/life-of-dogen-part-3-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts continues teaching about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Shinshu-Jan-14-Life-of-Dogen-Part-2-mp3-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2023/01/life-of-dogen-part-2-2/feed/ 0

Using a teaching of Dogen's from the Eiheikoroku, Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Solstice as a time for reflection, transformation and renewal. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Shinshu-Dec-24-Solstice-MP3-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/12/solstice-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst recounts one of her favorite Buddhist stories of the monk Nanda to help us consider how times of transition can call us to our inmost request. Jaku Dec 17 Transition https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/12/transition/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this fifth part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen's ShoboGenzo. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Shinshu-Dec-3-Inmo-Suchness-Part-5-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/12/inmo-suchness-part-5-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this fourth part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen's ShoboGenzo (there is almost 30 seconds of silence before talk begins). https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shinshu-Nov-5-Inmo-Suchness-Part-4-MP3Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/11/inmo-suchness-part-4-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst teaches about the annual ceremony for Sejiki (Segaki) – acknowledging, nourishing and honoring the hungry ghosts. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct-29-Segaki-Audio-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/10/sejiki-segaki/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this third part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen's ShoboGenzo. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Shinshu-Oct-22-Immo-Part-3-Audio-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/10/inmo-suchness-part-3/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst talks about the self and emptiness in relation to having a deep friendship with our practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct-15-Self-and-Friendship-with-Practice-Audio-MP3.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/10/the-self-friendship-with-practice-2/feed/ 0

https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Inmo-talk-2-audio.mp3 Shinshu is continuing her discussion of Inmo (Suchness). This talk discusses the paragraph beginning, “My body is not I: my life is carried along by the years and months, hard to stop even for a moment. Where have those rosy cheeks gone?” https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/10/dogens-shobogenzo-inmo-tal

In this lecture about Awareness, Rev. Daijaku Kinst encourages us to use this practice to cultivate open, curious and caring awareness, the mind of Bodhichitta. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct1-Awareness-COMPRESSED-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/10/awareness-and-bodhichitta-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts teaches on the Three Bodies of the Buddha, referencing the koan of Dongshan's Dharma Bodies from Dogen's 300 Koans; also found as Case 98 “Dongshan's ‘Always Close’” in the Book Of Serenity. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shinshu-Sept-2-Three-Bodies-of-Buddha-Audio-COMPRESSED.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/09/the-three-bodies-of-buddha-2/feed/ 0

In this talk, Rev. Daijaku Kinst talks about Japanese Ohigon and the time of the fall equinox as an opportunity to consider how we want to enter the season of darkness, suggesting the Paramitas as a path of practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Jaku-Sept-17-Ohigon-Audio-COMPRESSED.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/09/ohigon-equinox-and-the-paramitas-2/feed/

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen's fascicle “Immo” (Suchness) encouraging us to fully engage with each moment of our lives, including our suffering… reality as it is (Nyoze). https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shinshu-Sept-3-Immo-COMPRESSED-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/09/immo-suchness-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses the ordination path for a Soto Zen Priest. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jaku-July-30-Tokudo-Ordination-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/07/tokudo-novice-priest-ordination-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst speaks about the passage from Dogen's ShoboGenzo Zuimonki that the sangha studied this past week, emphasizing the teaching that our behavior tells us who we are. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jaku-July-23-Dogens-SG-Zuimonki-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/07/dogens-zuimonki-4/feed/ 0

In this talk about the Four Noble Truths, the foundational teaching of the Buddha, Rev. Shinshu Roberts encourages us to look closely at our minds, our suffering and how we practice with both. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Shinshu-July-16-4NTs-Compressed-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/07/the-four-noble-truths-2/feed/ 0

Listening with the sangha and discussing the lyrics of Stevie Nick's evocative 1974 song, “Landslide”, Rev Shinshu Roberts weaves in teachings from Dogen in this reflection about how we engage with transitions and transform our lives. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Landslide-July-9-2022-audio-MP3-2.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/07/landslide-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen’s Zuimonki 1-13. In this Soto Zen teaching, Dogen encourages us to go beyond our discriminative thinking and Shinshu expresses how this practice helps cultivate gratitude for that which we don’t understand. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Shinshu-May-21-Dogens-Zuimonki-Compressed-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/05/dogens-zuimonki-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst uses the analogy of “family recipes” to help us consider how our practice nourishes and sustains us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Jaku-May-14-Family-Recipes-Compressed-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/05/family-recipes-2/feed/ 0

In this lecture, Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen's fascicle, Gyōji (Sustained Practice), in which he teaches that unsurpassed sustained practice is the way, encouraging us to respond to the totality of what surrounds us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Shinshu-May-7-Gyoji-Compressed-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/05/gyoji/feed/ 0

In this lecture on faith, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses belief, trust and doubt –encouraging us that faith (shin) is where gladness and deep hunger meet. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/JAku-April-30-Faith-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/05/faith-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts gives a talk about what our “practice” is as students of Soto Zen Buddhism. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shinshu-April-23-What-is-Soto-Zen-Practice-Compressed-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/04/what-is-soto-zen-practice/feed/ 0

Suggesting three clarifying questions we might ask ourselves, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses discernment and how we can flourish in our lives of practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jaku-April-16-Discernment-and-Our-Path-of-Practice-Compressed-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/04/discernment-and-our-path-of-practice-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses this text that will be chanted for Buddha’s Birthday as the sangha prepares to celebrate together. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shinshu-April-9-Buddhas-Birthday-Compressed-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/04/seeing-the-buddha-right-now/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst tells an early Buddhist story about giving fully, discarding nothing and responding creatively, demonstrating what can unfold when we are not attached to a certain view. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jaku-April-2-Ananda-and-1000-Robes-Compressed-audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/04/ananda-and-the-1000-robes/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst uses the arrival of Spring to talk about Gathas (Sanskrit for “verses”) which when used to punctuate our day, recall us to an awareness of interconnectedness and enable us to cut through what deludes us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Jaku-March-26-Spring-and-Gathas-audio-Compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/03/spring-and-gathas-2/feed/ 0

Discussing the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Rev. Shinshu Roberts shares teachings from Dogen to help us reflect on how to live each moment as if there is no past or future, grounding ourselves in our current experience, even though it may be quite complicated. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Shinshu-March-12-Passage-audio-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/03/passage-2/feed/ 0

Referencing a teaching of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses the direct relationship between our calmness and our capacity to see virtue, and how this serves us in seeing reality with greater clarity. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jaku-Feb-26-Calm-Mind-See-Virtue-Compressed-Audio.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/02/calm-mind-see-virtue/feed/ 0

Reflecting on a 1968 lecture from Suzuki Roshi about New Years, Rev. Shinshu Roberts encourages us to meet every moment as new, to cultivate the mind of a new student, practicing with renewed feeling. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Shinshu-Jan-1-New-Years-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2022/01/new-years-day-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Winter Solstice as a time to find ourselves open to transition and change. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Shinshu-Winter-Solstice-Audio-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/12/winter-solstice-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses Buddha's enlightenment, which Soto Zen temples annually celebrate on December 8th. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Dec-11-Jaku-Buddhas-Enlightenment-Audio-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/12/buddhas-enlightenment-3/feed/ 0

Recently back from Zenshuji Temple in LA, Rev Daijaku Kinst talks about giving thanks and the spirit of Ōn, that generosity and gratitude are a state of embracing what is. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Nov-27-Jaku-Thanks-Giving-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/11/thanks-giving-and-the-spirit-of-on-2/feed/ 0

Reading from Shundo Aoyama Roshi’s “Zen Seeds”, Rev. Daijaku Kinst encourages us to consider how we practice and what we turn to when we find life demanding. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Jaku-Nov-13-The-Wind-in-the-Pines-audio-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/11/the-wind-in-the-pines-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses a familiar Buddhist teaching of the group of blind men and the elephant, reminding us that building a story based on subjective experiences is often the root of our suffering. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Shinshu-Seeking-the-Elephant-Nov-6-audio-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/11/seeking-the-elephant/feed/ 0

On the day of the annual Segaki Ceremony, Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses the Hungry Ghosts and how “every flicker and blaze” provides us an opportunity to awaken. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shinshu-Hungry-Ghosts-October-30-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/10/hungry-ghosts-2/feed/ 0

Following her recent participation in the Mountain Seat Ceremony at Buddha Eye Temple, Rev Daijaku Kinst discusses the willingness and intention of ritual. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Jaku-Oct-23-Ritual-Willingness-and-Intention-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/10/ritual-willingness-and-intention-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses the path of the postulant as a sangha member today has a ceremony marking his entry into a period of priesthood discernment. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shinshu-The-Path-of-the-Postulant-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/10/the-path-of-the-postulant-2/feed/ 0

Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses five steps to undertaking the practice of personal reflection; though not a traditional Soto Zen practice, and not at odds with the tradition either, it may help us to see where our delusions are most vivid and what enhances enacting that which is our deepest intention. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Jaku-The-Practice-of-Personal-Reflection-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/10/the-practice-of-personal-reflection/feed/ 0

Reverend Jaku Kinst, in this outdoor Half-Day sitting, talks about how we accord ourselves with this place and as not separate from the earth (and the crows!) https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Jaku-Practicing-with-the-Earth-Sept-25th-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/09/practicing-with-the-earth-2/feed/ 0

Continuing a series of lectures on the meaning of the Bodhisattva Precepts as presented in the Bodhisattva Ceremony, I vow not to disparage the Three Treasure. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Bodi-Precepts-3-Treasures-Sept-18-2021-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/09/the-ten-precepts-of-the-bodhisattva-ceremony-number-10-2/feed/ 0

On the twentieth anniversary of 9-11 is it appropriate to discuss the 9th Bodhisattva precept, “I vow not to harbor ill-will.” https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Vow-not-to-harbor-ill-will-sept-11th-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/09/the-ten-precepts-of-the-bodhisattva-ceremony-number-9-2/feed/ 0

https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mind-of-Awakening-Aug-28-2021-compressed.mp3 https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/09/the-mind-of-awakening/feed/ 0

Dealing with the Human World in Crisis Shinshu lectures on how creating Sangha can bring us peace and help ourselves and others to deal with with covid, global warming and other problems besetting the human world. This talk was not recorded for YouTube. https://www.oceangatezen.org/2021/08/sanity-in-the-midst-of-crisis/feed/ 0