Greater Boston Zen Center Podcast

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Welcome to our Boundless Way Zen podcast coming to you from the Greater Boston Zen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You can listen to dharma talks and discussions given by our guiding teacher and Abbot, Josh Jiun Bartok, Roshi as well as talks by our Co-Heads of Practice, Dharma Holder Steve Tet…

Greater Boston Zen Center


    • Oct 10, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 22m AVG DURATION
    • 261 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Greater Boston Zen Center Podcast

    Zen Stories and Koans

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 20:31


    GBZC member Julie Nelson (sensei) speaks about Zen stories and koans, both classical and contemporary. 

    The History of Zen

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 86:24


    GBZC member James Lopata (Masters of Theological Studies) speaks about the history of Zen.

    (Short) Clear Anger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 9:10


    Julie Nelson speaks about bringing all off ourselves to our practice, even our anger. (June 9, 2023)

    (Short) The True Person of No Rank

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 6:54


    Julie Nelson comments on a case from the Book of Equanimity. (May 26, 2023)

    (Short) Distraction

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2023 7:10


    Julie Nelson speaks about why we get distracted from doing things that are important to us. (May 19, 2023)

    (Short) Grumpy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2023 5:23


    Julie Nelson speaks about what our Zen practice can say about a grumpy mood. (May 10, 2023)

    Dogen's Feminist Views

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2023 27:11


    Julie Nelson speaks about Raihai Tokuzui, written in the medieval times by the founder of Soto Zen. (May 7, 2023)

    (Short) Time

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2023 7:33


    Julie Nelson reflects on the difference between using time and being time. (May 5, 2023)

    (Short) Bypassing Through Oneness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 9:17


    Julie Nelson talks about the danger of holding to a romantic ideal of merger, whether in regard to a life partner or a spiritual teacher. (April 28, 2023)

    The Empty Teacup

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 16:53


    Julie Nelson speaks about the story of Nanin pouring tea, at the April GBZC sesshin. (April 21, 2023) (No discussion)

    (Short) No Complaints

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2023 9:29


    Julie Nelson discusses whether it is possible to be grateful in any circumstances, in a way that is not just spiritual bypassing. (April 14, 2023)

    (Discussion) What is our Practice?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2023 48:57


    Rebecca Moonspike leads a discussion about what things help us be present, and what things that feel like interruptions are actually our practice. (April 15, 2023)

    (Short) Our Gold

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 9:59


    Julie Nelson talks about not using our practice to hide our "gold," our beauty and uniqueness. (April 6, 2023)

    (Short) Anger

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 7:46


    Julie Nelson talks about not using our practice to try to bypass our anger. (March 31, 2023)

    Bearing Witness Is Not Fleeing

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2023 51:19


    Susan Myoyu Andersen of the Great Plains Zen Center gives a guest talk at GBZC. (April 1, 2023)

    A Woman Comes Out of Samadhi

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 34:07


    Julie Nelson speaks about bliss states, why we need to come out of them, and why perfect wisdom can't do the job. (March 28, 2023)

    (Short) Trauma and Grief

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2023 6:59


    Julie Nelson talks about not using our practice to try to bypass our trauma and grief. (March 24, 2023)

    (Short) Fear and Failure

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 7:08


    Julie Nelson speaks about becoming intimate with our failures. (March 17, 2023)

    (Short) A Fresh Perspective

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2023 7:01


    This is a short talk (with no discussion) in which Julie Nelson comments on how traveling in Alaska woke her up to things taken for granted.(March 8, 2023)

    A Fresh Perspective

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 27:08


    Julie Nelson comments on how traveling in Alaska woke her up to things taken for granted. (February 28, 2023)

    (Discussion) What Inspires Your Practice?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2023 38:04


    Karen McCormack leads a discussion of the question "What inspires your practice?" (with an introduction to this format by Jill Gaulding). (February 18, 2023)

    The Five Skandas

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2023 39:38


    Julie Nelson speaks about the five skandhas: form, sensation, perception, mental reaction, and consiousness. (February 4, 2023)

    (Short) Engaged Effort

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2023 7:41


    Julie Nelson speaks about the Virya Paramita. The quotes are from Diane Rizzetto's book Deep Hope. (February 3, 2023)

    (Short) Love the Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 4:14


    Julie Nelson speaks about practicing with a heavy heart and with worry. The quote is from the work of Rainer Maria Rilke. (January 27, 2023)

    (Short) Skandas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2023 7:51


    Julie Nelson speaks briefly about the five skandas (or aggregates) in Buddhist psychology. (January 20, 2023)

    (Short) Where is Our Practice?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2023 5:52


    Julie Nelson speaks about the story of "Chiyono's No Water, No Moon." (January 13, 2023)

    (Short) "Are You Afraid of this Happiness?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2023 8:52


    Julie Nelson speaks about taking the phrase "Are you afraid of this happiness?" as a koan through the day. (January 6, 2023)

    (Short) Observing Even the Hard Parts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 7:07


    Fran Ludwig reflects on the instruction to "observe...even if it costs you everything." (January 4, 2023)

    (Short) The Winnie the Pooh Sutra

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 7:11


    Fran Ludwig asks, "Are we the looker looking for the looker?" (December 21, 2022)

    Rōhatsu Sesshin

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 27:32


    Jeff Seul speaks about opening to suffering, bearing witness, and the Middle Way. (December 17, 2022)

    Rohatsu Without a Hero

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 19:04


    Julie Nelson speaks about how framing the Buddha's Enlightenment as a story of a "hero going forth" hides other elements. (December 16, 2020; Rohatsu Sesshin; Dharma Discussion not recorded.)

    (Short) Be Patient Either Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2022 6:23


    Fran Ludwig encourages us to be patient with whatever is arising, good or bad, for it will surely change. (December 14, 2022)

    (Short) The Story of Rohatsu

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2022 8:41


    Julie Nelson talks about how our affection for certain kinds of stories may distort our understanding of the Buddha's (and our own) enlightenment. (December 9, 2022)

    (Short) Making Compassion an Intention

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 9:19


    Fran Ludwig asks, "How do we live in a way that benefits others?" (December 9, 2022)

    Rohatsu

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2022 52:38


    Fran Ludwig talks about the Buddhist holiday of Rohatsu. A lively discussion of teaching transmission follows. (December 3, 2022)

    (Short) Walking Freely in the Universe

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2022 4:42


    Julie Nelson reflects on Wumen's verse about "walking freely in the universe." (December 2, 2022)

    (Short) Don't Rejoice in Others' Pain

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 7:55


    Fran Ludwig asks, "How do we find ourselves taking pleasure in other people's pain?" (November 30, 2022)

    (Short) Do We Need a "Great Hero"?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2022 7:27


    Julie Nelson reads and comments on the story "Ziyong's Earth," from The Hidden Lamp. (November 25, 2022)

    (Short) Don't Make Gods into Demons

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2022 7:28


    Fran Ludwig gives an encouragement talk. How can we avoid creating extra suffering our lives? (November 23, 2022)

    (Short) Daoism and Zen

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 3:14


    Julie Nelson reads two passsages from the Tao Te Ching. (November 25, 2022)

    (Short) Motivation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2022 6:40


    Fran Ludwig gives an encouragement talk. How do we notice what motivates our compassion and altruism? (November 16, 2022)

    Verse of the Kesa

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2022 31:44


    Jeff Seul speaks about the Verse of the Kesa. (November 10, 2022)

    (Short) Don't Be in Such a Hurry

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2022 7:20


    Fran Ludwig gives an encouragement talk about how cultivating compassionate behavior takes time. (November 9, 2022)

    Some Fruits of our Practice

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 31:12


    Julie Nelson speaks about some the fruits of our practice. The text (abridged) is from Richard Rohr's book The Naked Now. (November 8, 2022)

    (Short) Which Came First...?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2022 9:46


    Julie Nelson gives an encouragement talk based on Robert Sharf's essay, "The Looping Structure of Buddhist Thought." (November 5, 2022)

    (Short) Take Responsibility

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2022 7:43


    Fran Ludwig gives an encouragement talk, speaking about how holding others responsible for relief of our suffering robs us of the power to fully meet it ourselves. (November 2, 2022)

    Dedications

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 22:14


    Ed Oberholtzer speaks about dedications of merit. (October 29, 2022)

    (Short) Equanimity

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022 6:55


    Julie Nelson gives an encouragement talk about being able to ride out our upswings and downswings. (October 28, 2022)

    Kinhin

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 39:12


    James Peregrino speaks about the history and practice of kinhin, or walking meditation. (October 25, 2022)

    Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2022 31:23


    Ed Oberholtzer speaks about our true home. (October 22, 2022)

    (Short) Difficult People

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 8:51


    Fran Ludwig gives an encouragement talk about responding to others who are difficult with kindness. (October 19, 2022)

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