Podcasts about everyday zen

A talk by Everyday Zen priest Jane Flint. This talk was given on April 16th, 2025.

A talk by Everyday Zen priest Anlor Davin. This talk was given on April 23rd, 2025.

June 2025 Sesshin, Day 6 Commentary on “Everyday Zen: Love & Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck, Part 2 Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Everyday Zen #2 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

June 2025 Sesshin, Day 5 Commentary on “Everyday Zen: Love & Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck, Part 1 Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Everyday Zen #1 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Norman gives the eleventh and final talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on 'The World'  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Living-by-Vow-Talk-11-2025-Seies-The-World.mp3

Shuso Laura Trippi gives the eighth talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on 'Forms in the Expanded Field"  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. These lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Living-by-Vow-Talk-8-2025-Series-Shuso-Laura-Trippi-Forms-in-the-Expanded-Field.mp3

Norman gives the seventh talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on 'The Verse for Opening the Sutra'  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." The Verse for Opening the Sutra is usually chanted before a zen teacher's Dharma talks. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Living-by-Vow-Talk-7-2025-Series-The-Verse-for-Opening-the-Sutra.mp3

Norman gives the sixth talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on The Three Refuges  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." This talk focuses on "The Robe Chant." https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Living-by-Vow-Talk-6-2025-Series-The-Robe-Chant.mp3 Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you!

Norman gives the fifth talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on The Three Refuges  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Living-by-Vow-Talk-5-2025-Series-The-Three-Refuges-Part-Two.mp3

Norman gives the fourth talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series on The Three Refuges  to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Living-by-Vow-Talk-4-2025-Series-Three-Refuges.mp3

Shuso Laura Trippi gives the third dharma talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. Her talk is on "Vowing Through Forms" referencing Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Living-by-Vow-Talk-3-2025-Series-Shuso-Laura-Trippi-Vowing-Through-Forms.mp3

Norman gives his second talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Living-by-Vow-Talk-2-2025-Series.mp3

Norman gives his first talk of the "Living by Vow" 2025 Series to the Dharma Seminar as the focus of the Everyday Zen 2025 Practice Period. His lectures reference Shohaku Okumura's book "Living by Vow; A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts." Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Living-by-Vow-Talk-1-2025-Series.mp3  

Dai-i Flo Rublee gives the seventh talk to the Dharma Seminar on Dogen's Continuous Practice from Kaz Tanahashi''s translation of the Shobogenzo Fasciles 31a and 31b. Flo is an Everyday Zen priest from Vancouver's Mountain Rain Zen Community sangha. She received shiho (dharma transmission) from Norman a year ago. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Dogens-Continuous-Practice-Talk-7-2024-Series-Forgiveness-and-Reconciliation-Flo-Rublee.mp3

November 2024 Sesshin, Day 6 Commentary on “Everyday Zen: Love and Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck. Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Everyday Zen #2 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

November 2024 Sesshin, Day 5 Commentary on “Everyday Zen: Love and Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck. Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Everyday Zen #1 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

A talk by Everyday Zen priest Anlor Davin.

April 2024 Sesshin, Day 6 Commentary on the teachings of Charlotte Joko Beck from Everyday Zen: Love and Work. Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post Everyday Zen appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

In 1991, James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, graduated from the Hoffman Process in Virginia. After completing the Process, both James and his wife, Stacy, began to sponsor the Process in Virginia. They found the retreat site, enrolled people, scheduled the teachers, and transported them to the retreat site. They did this for six Processes over a few years. As James says, they were, and still are, deeply committed to the Hoffman Process. Often, our hosts ask our guests if there was a pivotal moment in the Process that has stayed with them. For James, it was when he had an epiphany about the gifts he knew he had to offer to this world. When he heard his teacher tell him that he was a powerful person, he felt a weight drop from his shoulders. He realized he could give his gifts to the world in a "better way." James walks us through the kind of coaching training that New Ventures West offers. He articulates beautifully what happens to our hearts when we are young, how heartache can squash our innate goodness, scarring us so our goodness can not get out into the world. James offers how healing it is when we act for the sake of others. In doing so, we receive much in return. With loving generosity, James thanks Hoffman staff and faculty for all they do to support this powerfully transformative work offered through the Hoffman Institute. Thank you, James. We hope you enjoy this heart-opening conversation with James and Sharon. More about James Flaherty: James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, is the author of the seminal text, Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. He has developed a uniquely effective approach to adult education by integrating discoveries in linguistics, developmental psychology, sociology, philosophy, and biology into the practical and customized methodology known as Integral Coaching®. He coaches executives, managers, and leaders throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. James lives in San Francisco with his wife and has an adult daughter whom he adores. In addition to being a voracious reader, he practices yoga and qigong. James owns a large collection of CDs, mostly in the classical, rock, and jazz genres. He enjoys theatre and travel. He is a longtime Zen student, studying with Norman Fischer of Everyday Zen. You can find out more about James on his website and on LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: New Ventures West, founded in 1987 The Vagus Nerve Some research from Boston College about mentors and mentoring and people dedicated to assisting others had much more happen for them than those who were not. (10:39 marker) Fernando Flores, Chilean engineer, entrepreneur, and politician.            

Norman and Shuso Anlor Davin give the introductory talk to the Everyday Zen 2024 Practice Period at the All Day Sitting at Green Gulch Farm Green Dragon Temple. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://everydayzen.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Introduction-to-2024-Everyday-Zen-Practice-Period.mp3  

A talk by Everyday Zen teacher Jaune Evans.

When Toku McCree first learned his purpose, he wondered where it had come from and who had said it—even though he was alone with his thoughts when it came to him.He describes in this episode of The Coach's Journey Podcast how that particular thought, when it arrived, felt “untouchable” and instilled in him the purpose that now guides him through his life and work.Toku spent more than two-and-a-half years living in a monastery, and insights from his former life as a Zen monk permeate his writing, his creativity and his work as a renowned executive coach.In this episode we dive into Toku's forthcoming book (you can read three chapters for free here) and he reads aloud sections that offer valuable wisdom on how to allow your coaching style to evolve, how to avoid getting stuck in a rut, and how to invite clients to take the first step when they arrive at coaching with trepidation.If you are struggling with your work or with finding your purpose, this episode explores ways to make that struggle meaningful and guide you forwards towards satisfaction. In this episode, we also talk about:Finding your creative voice and how to think about the body of work you're creatingBringing reverence to your work and finding satisfaction beyond the hustleKnowing when to challenge and when to encourage our clientsThe six areas of mastery Toku focuses on in his writing and his coach trainingHow to view your coaching as art and how that can guide you to do your best workWe also zoom in on how to accept the times when our work is not our best, and even explore the value in being willing to do bad work!To learn more about me, visit https://www.robbieswale.com/, and to learn more about Toku, visit http://unexecutive.com/.Read three chapters of Toku's forthcoming book here: https://coachingmba.co/journey-zenandcoaching For information about my wider work, my writing or to buy my books, visit www.robbieswale.com.Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQgTo support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community. Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in):- Toku's first appearance on The Coach's Journey Podcast https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-15-toku-mccree-sales-with-honour-and-love-on-the-end-of-a-sword - Toku's blog https://unexecutive.com/theblog/ - The Prosperous Coach by Rich Litvin https://richlitvin.com/prosperous-coach-2-0/ - Robbie's 12 Minute Method https://www.robbieswale.com/the12minutemethod - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_Mind,_Beginner%27s_Mind- When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron https://pemachodronfoundation.org/product/when-things-fall-apart-book-grouped/ - Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/everyday-zen-love-and-work-charlotte-joko-beck?variant=32755860766798- Zen and the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery - Toku's coaching MBA https://coachingmba.co/about/ BIOGRAPHY FROM TOKUToku McCree is a distinguished executive coach, speaker, and writer, celebrated for his one-of-a-kind combination of ancient wisdom and modern psychology. His life journey weaves an extraordinary tapestry of diverse experiences, contributing to a profound understanding of human nature and personal growth. From a degree in philosophy from George Washington University, to eight years working in the entertainment business alongside record labels and award-winning artists, to over two years dedicated to training as a Zen monk, Toku's multifaceted expertise fuels his approach to coaching. Today, he leverages this unique blend of academic, spiritual, and professional experiences to empower others on their paths of self-discovery and personal growth, making him a leading figure in the field.

Continuing our exploration of the various dimensions of daily life in modern America, and how we might more intentionally, and mindfully, carry over the insights and influences of our Zen practice, “applying“ them in a beneficial manner, I suggested that this process would necessarily involve turning a perceived negative into a positive, converting a confrontational approach to one of collaboration and complementarity. That is, the perceived conflict between those special activities that we traditionally associate with what we call Zen “practice” — such as sitting in meditation — and those we categorize as “not practice” — such as, say, dealing with a bad boss — is just that: a perceived conflict, and not an actual one. As Matsuoka Roshi would often say, “There is no dichotomy in Zen.” The dichotomy is in the eye, or brain, of the beholder.I place the term “applying” in quotes to create a caveat — in regards to Zen training in general, and to its relation to daily life in particular — to caution against implying that this constitutes the true meaning and value of Zen, reducing it to a transactional activity, like any other self-improvement routine. It bears repeating that adopting this attitude would amount to missing the point entirely, or what is traditionally referred to as “gedo Zen.” In looking up this phrase, I came across a rather curious website called The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential (the link to the page is in the show notes). It offered a fairly complete, concise definition of gedo Zen that reads: This is meditative exercise practised for spiritual and religious purposes but outside the path of Zen, by exponents of other religions. It includes Christian contemplation and the various forms of yoga. It also includes the practice of meditation by followers of Zen who see meditation as a means of achieving supernatural powers and abilities rather than for the purpose of self realization or for the welfare of all. Although this implies a rather lowly achievement for members of other religions, less traditionalist approaches (esoteric rather than exoteric) admit that higher forms of meditation are possible even by non-Buddhists, since Zen is the basis of all reality and all religion. That last line caught my attention, as I did not expect anyone commenting in a public venue to give Zen that much centrality in the scheme of things, especially in the realm or religion. Many do not consider Zen to fit the category of religion as an institution. Zen does not allow a separation of the sacred and mundane, for example.However, all religions as well as philosophical systems must include attitudes and approaches to the mundane aspects of life, whether exclusionary or inclusionary, the extremes being “evil,” or “of the devil,” versus “good” or “holy,” and “of the divine,” for example. This language is not characteristic of the way we frame expressions of Zen. In fact, it seems preferable to speak of Zen in an idiom free of such fraught, emotion- and belief-ladened vernacular. Zen insight is often spoken of as “nothing special,” and a return to our “Original mind,” rather than as some sort of religious epiphany. So better not to venture too far down that rabbit-hole.Returning to what Charlotte Joko Beck referred to as “Everyday Zen,” in an influential book of that title published in 1989, we can set aside for the moment whether or not Zen is, or may become, your religion, in the sense of a fundamental worldview that embraces spirituality as a natural component of corporeality. Here, we are concerned more with the “how” of engaging Zen practice in an integrated way, rather than the “why” of it. Our design of this process may be more likened to a transfer of skill sets. Again, “doing my research,” as we like to say these days, the first result of about 640,000,000 brought me to a page at the Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning — again the link is in the show notes if you'd like to read for yourself:“Transfer” is a cognitive practice whereby a learner's mastery of knowledge or skills in one context enables them to apply that knowledge or skill in a different context. Because transfer signals that a learner's comprehension allows them to recognize how their knowledge can be relevant and to apply it effectively outside original learning conditions, transfer is often considered a hallmark of true learning (Barnett & Ceci, 2002). The link in the show notes will allow those with a special interest to pursue this item further. The phrase of interest here is the last, “transfer is often considered a hallmark of true learning.” Master Dogen somewhere says that Zen practice comprises the development of ”true intelligence,” or something to that effect. Another mentor of mine, R. Buckminster Fuller, defines human intelligence in a similar manner. He says it is the ability to “extract the general principle from the many particular case experiences,” paraphrasing. An example is the concept of “fast” versus “slow.” The child finally “gets it” after being shown many disparate examples. Piaget promotes a similar principle in terms of learning in general.In terms of the demands of daily life, which, when classified as “demands,” engender a knee-jerk resistance, I want to return to my prior comment that the process of Zen engagement may be characterized as turning a perceived negative into a positive. Other common tropes suggesting this same attitude adjustment include “turning a push into a pull,” from the professional process of marketing products and services. This means public awareness of the item being marketed, creating a demand, so that the target audience seeks it out, rather than your having to put a lot of time, treasure and effort into ongoing promotion. Anyone wishing to know more about this is well-advised to look up “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell.For those whose “right” livelihood — remember the Eightfold Path? — may entail marketing their own skill sets to potential employers or clients, this may simply mean developing a creative way of targeting your resume to the right prospects, or finding the right headhunter agency to keep your potential for future recruitment alive.Regarding and referring to an identified “problem,” as an “opportunity” instead, is another variation on this theme. Much of this can be considered, and somewhat lightly dismissed, as the long-lived meme of developing and sustaining a “positive mental attitude,” a concept credited to Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book “Think and Grow Rich.” This popular idea, coinciding with the birth of my older brother, became so ingrained in the zeitgeist that it is still known by its acronym: PMA. Note that the subtitle prescribes a method: thinking; and promotes an objective: growing rich; that would fall short of those in Zen. Which often claims to have no objective at all.Another common cultural trope suggests looking at what appear to be “either-or” — mutually cancelling choices — into “both-and” potentialities; another example of converting a confrontational approach to one of collaboration and complementarity. An example would be the notion that we can either sit in meditation — or take care of business — but not both. Whereas, as we mentioned before, we can adapt aspects of the zazen posture; the breathing; and the undivided attention of Zen; to virtually any situation. As we like to say, both things can be true at once, however seemingly contradictory.A further extension of this idea takes to a practical level Master Dogen's admonition in Fukanzazengi—Principles of Seated Meditation:Setting everything aside, think of neither good nor evil, right nor wrong. Thus, having stopped the various functions of your mind, give up even the idea of becoming a Buddha. However, when we sit, especially in the beginning as a novice, and even later, when more mature in Zen, during the beginning of each zazen session, we find we cannot really set aside all everyday concerns by sheer force of will. They keep inserting themselves into our awareness, as if they have a life of their own. Which they do. We call it the “monkey mind” — that survival-oriented, automatic and autonomic function of the mind to harangue and harry us with mostly self-critical memories and anticipatory anxiety about the future. Occasionally an “aha” or “eureka” moment occurs, in the less-inhibited frame of mind engendered in zazen, a possible solution to a given problem.So, as an eminently practical approach to setting aside everyday concerns, and avoiding the trap of worrying about forgetting our big idea, I recommend that meditators simply keep an open notebook — paper or electronic — at their side when sitting. Then, when something important occurs out of the blue, we jot it down for later, and return to zazen. In this way, we take care of business to a moderate degree, while allowing the meditative process to go deeper and deeper. Both things can be done at the same time.In the next segment we will delve further into this process, taking on the first of the three “dispositions” of zazen, as Matsuoka Roshi referred to them, the posture. And how it can have a halo effect upon other situations in life, in which we assume different postures, depending on the circumstances. Meanwhile, keep on sitting.

A talk by Everyday Zen teacher Jaune Evans.

Rev. Zenshin Florence Caplow is a Soto Zen priest in the Suzuki Roshi and Everyday Zen lineages. She has been practicing Vipassana and Zen for 30 years, and is a dharma teacher, field botanist, essayist, and editor. She is also an ordained Unitarian Universalist (UU) minister who has served congregations in Washington, Colorado, and Illinois.  Rev. Zenshin and Reigetsu Susan Moon are co-editors of The Hidden Lamp, a collection of one hundred koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day.In this episode, Zenshin and I discuss how she became a Buddhist, how The Hidden Lamp came to be, how come Ryonen had to scar her face, and how Zen + UU can change the world. 🙏🏼 From the publisher’s webpage: “The Hidden Lamp is a collection of one hundred koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day. This revolutionary book brings together many teaching stories that were hidden for centuries, unknown until this volume. These stories are extraordinary expressions of freedom and fearlessness, relevant for men and women of any time or place. In these pages we meet nuns, laywomen practicing with their families, famous teachers honored by emperors, and old women selling tea on the side of the road.Each story is accompanied by a reflection by a contemporary woman teacher—personal responses that help bring the old stories alive for readers today—and concluded by a final meditation for the reader, a question from the editors meant to spark further rumination and inquiry. These are the voices of the women ancestors of every contemporary Buddhist.” Get full access to SparkZen at sparkzen.substack.com/subscribe

Danica Shoan Ankele, Senior Monastic and Dharma Holder - Zen Mountain Monastery, New York, Sunday 07/17/2022 - Shoan reflects on what it is that we're doing and why it matters. How does "looking inward", rather than just outward, help us navigate our life? Shoan brings in three "boat parables" to illustrate. From Master Dogen's Genjokoan, Charlotte Joko Beck's "Everyday Zen", and a poem by 17th century Chinese nun Jingnou in "Daughters of Emptiness".

Ruth Ozeki is a filmmaker, novelist, and Zen Buddhist priest, whose novels have been described as “witty, intelligent and passionate” by The Independent, and as possessing “shrewd and playful humor, luscious sexiness and kinetic pizzazz” by the Chicago Tribune. Ozeki is the author of several award-winning novels: My Year of Meats (1998), All Over Creation (2003), and A Tale for the Time Being (2013), which was a New York Times bestseller and shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize. In this podcast, we discuss her most recent novel The Book of Form and Emptiness (2021) and how her writing and life have been influenced by Zen Buddhism. At the heart of the book is the poignant story of Benny Oh, an adolescent boy who begins to hear voices after the tragic death of his father, and his mother Annabelle, who struggles to stay afloat amid an ocean of grief. This novel is a brilliant, heartfelt story that addresses many challenges facing modern society, including consumerism, climate change, mental illness, hoarding, and homelessness. Ozeki was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, by an American father and a Japanese mother. She studied English and Asian Studies at Smith College and traveled extensively in Asia. She received a Japanese Ministry of Education Fellowship to do graduate work in classical Japanese literature at Nara University. She currently teaches creative writing at Smith College, where she is the Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities in the Department of English Language and Literature. She serves on the advisory editorial board of the Asian American Literary Review and on the Creative Advisory Council of Hedgebrook. She practices Zen Buddhism with Zoketsu Norman Fischer, and is the editor of the Everyday Zen website. She was ordained as a Soto Zen priest in June 2010.SparkZen is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to SparkZen at sparkzen.substack.com/subscribe

Charlotte Joko Beck has left us with many a memorable quote. Charlotte Joko Beck (March 27, 1917 – June 15, 2011[1]) was an American Zen teacher and the author of the books Everyday Zen: Love and Work and Nothing Special: Living Zen.[2] "Everyday Zen: Love & Work" by Charlotte Joko Beck offers a warm, engaging, uniquely American approach to using Zen to deal with the problems of daily living—love, relationships, work, fear, ambition, and suffering. Everyday Zen shows us how to live each moment to the fullest.    "Nothing Special - Living Zen" by Charlotte Joko Beck.  WHEN NOTHING IS SPECIAL, EVERYTHING CAN BE The best-selling author of 'Everyday Zen' shows how to awaken to daily life and discover the ideal in the everyday, finding riches in our feelings, relationships, and work. 'Nothing Special' offers the rare and delightful experience of learning in the authentic Buddhist tradition with a wonderfully contemporary Western master.  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/   SpeakUp-ReachOut https://www.speakupreachout.org/ 970-632-3858 Colorado Crisis Services 1-844-493-8255 https://coloradocrisisservices.org/ Hope Center Eagle River Valley 970-306-4673 https://www.yourhopecenter.org/  www.TheBuildersJourney.com Alex K. Mintling Plumb Kendall Solutions Alex@PlumbKendall.com www.RemodelVail.com Music Provided by our proud sponsor: Plumb Kendall Solutions www.RemodelVail.com Music Sourced from www.Pond5.com  

The Zen master Charlotte Joko Beck talks about the empty canoe in her book, "Everyday Zen." It's a simple metaphor that reveals a profound truth about the human experience of anger: it requires the imputation of agency in order to flourish. If you remove the imputation of agency -- picture an empty canoe drifting mysteriously through the fog -- then the experience of anger will vanish shortly thereafter. If the universe is empty, why populate it with the ingredients of our own frustration? 

Sangha member Rick Daitoku Vosper speaks to us on The Truth of This Life: Zen Teachings on Loving the World as It Is by Katherine Sobun Thanas. Rick Daitoku Vosper has been practicing Zen since 1995. He took vows with Jodo Cliff Clusin in 2013. Recently retired, he has worked as an advertising copywriter and in the bicycle business, as well as with his one-person marketing services company. Rick lives with his family in South Arkansas.

Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated transcript The post January 2022 Sesshin, Day 3: “Everyday Zen: Love and Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Additional Resoures:Rohr Daily Meditations, Friday, September 18, 2020“Everyday Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck, p 57Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 21, 24b-26 (NIV)Lectio Divina: Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)- What word/s is resonating with me?- Why is this standing out to me?- What is my response?- Simply be.

Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn on Everyday Zen: Love and Work by Charlotte Joko Beck. Automated transcript The post November 2021 Sesshin, Day 5: Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated transcript The post November 2021 Sesshin, Day 4: Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated transcript The post November 2021 Sesshin, Day 3: Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Zoketsu Norman Fischer, former abbot of San Francisco Zen Center and founding teacher of Everyday Zen reads and reflects on passages from the "What Is the Body?" chapter of his new book, "When You Greet Me, I Bow." 07/03/2021, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, dharma talk at City Center.

Jay Simoneaux remembered by DC while reading Peter van der Sterre's Everyday Zen talk on Jay. 

John Murray gives the third of four talks by Everyday Zen priests on "Delusion, Intimacy and Humility" Read More

Mary Ann Sacksteder gives the second of four talks by Everyday Zen priests on "Faxiang's Recognition: The Paramita of... Read More

Natalie Davidson gives the first of four talks by Everyday Zen priests on "Mushotoku Mind." Read More

~Co-presented with the Mesa Refuge~ Please join New School host and Zen Meditation teacher Jaune Evans in conversation with Buddhist meditation and organic gardening mentor Wendy Johnson. This dialogue will be grounded in the examination of four core principles of Zen Buddhism and gardening: cultivating the way, maintaining fertility in your practice, propagating new life, and tending the earth. There will be ample opportunity to interact with the presenters during this practical presentation. Wendy is a Buddhist meditation teacher and organic gardening mentor who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began practicing Zen Buddhist meditation in 1971 and has led meditation retreats nationwide since 1992 as an ordained lay dharma teacher in the traditions of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the San Francisco Zen Center. As one of the founders of the organic farming program at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, Wendy has been teaching organic agriculture and meditation for decades. Since its inception in 1995, she has been a mentor and advisor to the Edible Schoolyard Project affiliated with Chez Panisse restaurant. She served as a founding instructor of the College of Marin’s innovative Organic Farm and Gardening Project established in 2009, where she taught organic agriculture for the first seven seasons of the program. In 2000 Wendy and her husband, Peter Rudnick, received the annual Sustainable Agriculture Award from the National Ecological Farming Association. She is the author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, published by Bantam in 2008. Jaune Evans is the executive director of Tamalpais Trust, which supports global indigenous-led organizations. She is a Soto Zen teacher and priest in the Everyday Zen sangha guided by Norman Fischer. Jaune also leads the Heart of Compassion sangha in Point Reyes on Friday mornings at the Presbyterian Church. Her love for stories and West Marin have deep roots. She has served as a board member and advisory committee member of the Mesa Refuge, and has also received two of Mesa’s writing fellowships. Jaune is a new member of the Commonweal Board of Directors, former director of the Institute for Art and Healing at Commonweal, and is currently a facilitator in Commonweal’s Healing Circles program. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Julie Nelson speaks about going "under" difficult and turbulent situations. The texts are the Heart Sutra and excerpts from Charlotte Joko Beck's Everyday Zen. (November 10, 2020) (Does not include a Dharma Dialog.)

We all hit problems in our lives that don't have easy answers and so, in the absence of obvious ways to solve them, we obsess over them. Many great spiritual teachers talk about what this is like and they have both a surprising way through these problems and a surprising upshot that will lead us to a solution we couldn't have seen coming. Join Dave Schmelzer for a look at this powerful advice with wisdom from theologians and Zen teachers and C.S. Lewis and the Bible and a classic movie or two. Mentioned in this podcast  It's a Wonderful Life Isaiah 30:15-16, Proverbs 3:5-6; 28:26, 23:4, Psalm 125:1, John 12:24 The Unity of the Bible, by Daniel P. Fuller Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis Everyday Zen, by Charlotte Joko Beck  A weekly online group. Contact mail@blueoceanfaith.org. 

Zoketsu Norman Fischer Dharma Talk and book signing. Zoketsu Norman Fischer is the Abiding Teacher of Everyday Zen, and a Senior Dharma Teacher of San Francisco Zen Center.

This talk commences with some words on the act of terrorism that had just occurred in New Zealand on the previous Friday. I then share some of my reflections on the chapter True Suffering and False Suffering from Everyday Zen. It begins with a discussion of the absolute and the relative together as it relates to suffering. I then discuss the basic distinction between true and false suffering as a way of practicing with suffering. I introduce my own interpretation of primary and secondary suffering, with secondary suffering being a form of resistance to primary suffering. And as long as we are caught in a separate self, we will also experience a background feeling of unease or lack. The talk concludes by encouraging us to be this impermanent moment that we are. The way to the ending of suffering, paradoxically, by fully being our suffering.

Dharma Talk by Trueman Taylor The post March 2019 Sesshin, Day 2: Everyday Zen, by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Dharma Talk by Trueman Taylor The post March 2019 Sesshin, Day 1: Everyday Zen, by Charlotte Joko Beck appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

I share my reflections on the chapter “What Practice Is” from Joko’s first book Everyday Zen. It discusses the relationship between sitting practice and everyday life practice, focusing on “thought labelling” and “experiencing”. It finishes with a discussion of common thought traps that we all at times fall into.

(Reigetsu) Susan Moon is a writer, editor, and lay teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She is the author of a number of books about Buddhism, including the humor book The Life and Letters of Tofu Roshi and This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity. For many years she was the editor of Turning Wheel, the journal of socially engaged Buddhism. Her short stories and essays have been published widely. Sue has been a Zen student since 1976, practicing in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi at Berkeley Zen Center, Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, Green Gulch Farm, and now with Zoketsu Norman Fischer’s Everyday Zen sangha. She received “entrustment” as a lay teacher in 2005. She is a serious student of photography and the mother of two grown sons and the grandmother of three granddaughters. She lives in Berkeley, California. Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum:ATTENTION: Special Zazenkai SATURDAY 8/4 with Author/Zen Teacher SUSAN MOON »

Daily: my personal 2 Cents of Everyday ZEN: questions, ideas, all in a nutshell

"I think about that wonderful Adrienne Rich quote that the genius of a spider is that she weaves and spins at the same time. That for me is the guiding principle in writing: to weave and spin at the same time." Jaune Evans is a modern day Renaissance woman! At 66, she’s a writer, visual artist, activist and Zen priest. Through a life she describes as a "crazy quilt,” she worked her way through college as a cocktail waitress, was the first camerawoman at NBC, a baker and a foundation executive. (That’s just a partial list.) Today, she runs the Tamalpais Trust, a foundation supporting indigenous communities, while serving as a priest at Everyday Zen in the Bay Area and offering arresting dharma talks that exude wisdom, warmth and wit. (There’s a link below to listen to those talks.) She has --and is-- writing her own story with gratitude to the "women helpers," from therapists to a host of women creative heroes, that she’s turned to along the way. Jaune is also a member in good standing of the "Better, Deeper, More Club" (so are we!). When you listen to our conversation with her, you'll learn more about the Club and surely want to join! To catch a glimpse of her collages and photographs, see our website for a few samples and links to more. www.twooldbitches.com

Zen teacher Norman Fischer—a teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi—joins us again to speak about the religion, evolution, and Buddhism’s unique role in both. The conversation begins with an overview of American sociologist Robert Bellah’s schema on the evolution of religion throughout the ages. We then discuss the important role that Buddhism can play in the evolution of religion in the West. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 1, Buddhism May Need a Plan B. Episode Links: Robert Bellah ( http://www.robertbellah.com ) Everyday Zen ( http://www.everydayzen.org )

As Buddhism transitions to the West, we see that it is doing so in a couple different ways. Some forms look more like their original Asian roots, while others are secular and non-Religious in their presentation. Zen teacher Norman Fischer, an early 2nd generation teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, calls the more traditional forms part of “Plan A” and the more secular forms, “Plan B.” In this interview we discuss with Norman the importance of Plan B approaches, like Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction. We also discuss his personal experience teaching Plan B at places like Google. Finally, we explore how the livelihood of trained and competent meditation teachers may rely heavily on Plan B approaches. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Buddhism and the Evolution of Religion. Episode Links: Why We Need a Plan B ( http://bit.ly/1TOGMs0 ) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( http://www.mindfullivingprograms.com/whatMBSR.php ) Everyday Zen ( http://www.everydayzen.org )

Norman Fischer Everyday Zen: Changing and Being Changed by the World Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in conversation with Zen Buddhist Priest Norman Fischer. A former Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, Norman is the founder and teacher of the Everyday Zen Foundation, a network of spiritual communities and projects. He is also co-founder, with the late Rabbi Alan Lew, of Makor Or, a Jewish meditation center in San Francisco. His newest writings include Experience: Essays on Thinking, Writing, Language and Religion, and What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind. Photo (below): Christine Alicino Norman Fischer A graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Norman began publishing poetry in the late 1970s as part of a San Francisco Bay Area group of experimental writers. His books include Turn Left In Order To Go Right (O Books, 1989), Precisely The Point Being Made (O Books/Chax Press 1993), Jerusalem Moonlight (Clear Glass Publications, 1995), Success (Singing Horse Press, 2000), Slowly but Dearly (Chax Press, 2004), I Was Blown Back (Singing Horse Press 2005), Questions/Places/Voices/Seasons (Singing Horse 2009), Conflict (Chax 2012), The Strugglers (Singing Horse, 2013), and Escape This Crazy Life of Tears: Japan 2010 (Tinfish Press, 2014). His spiritual writings include Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong (2013), Taking Our Places: The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up (2004), Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms (2003), and Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer’s Odyssey to Navigate Life’s Perils and Pitfalls (2011). He lives in Muir Beach California with his wife Kathie, a biology teacher and expert scuba diver. They have two grown sons who live in Brooklyn. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Norman Fischer Everyday Zen: Changing and Being Changed by the World Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in conversation with Zen Buddhist Priest Norman Fischer. A former Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, Norman is the founder and teacher of the Everyday Zen Foundation, a network of spiritual communities and projects. He is also co-founder, with the late Rabbi Alan Lew, of Makor Or, a Jewish meditation center in San Francisco. His newest writings include Experience: Essays on Thinking, Writing, Language and Religion, and What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner’s Mind. Photo (below): Christine Alicino Norman Fischer A graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Norman began publishing poetry in the late 1970s as part of a San Francisco Bay Area group of experimental writers. His books include Turn Left In Order To Go Right (O Books, 1989), Precisely The Point Being Made (O Books/Chax Press 1993), Jerusalem Moonlight (Clear Glass Publications, 1995), Success (Singing Horse Press, 2000), Slowly but Dearly (Chax Press, 2004), I Was Blown Back (Singing Horse Press 2005), Questions/Places/Voices/Seasons (Singing Horse 2009), Conflict (Chax 2012), The Strugglers (Singing Horse, 2013), and Escape This Crazy Life of Tears: Japan 2010 (Tinfish Press, 2014). His spiritual writings include Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong (2013), Taking Our Places: The Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up (2004), Opening to You: Zen-Inspired Translations of the Psalms (2003), and Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer’s Odyssey to Navigate Life’s Perils and Pitfalls (2011). He lives in Muir Beach California with his wife Kathie, a biology teacher and expert scuba diver. They have two grown sons who live in Brooklyn. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Jaune Evans Creative Spirit: A Life of Art, Service, and Contemplative Practice Join host Michael Lerner in a conversation with Jaune Evans—poet, visual artist, and Zen priest—about life, philanthropy, and public service. Jaune Evans Jaune is a poet and visual artist. Ordained as a Buddhist priest in the Soto Zen tradition in 1983, she is now a sangha member of Everyday Zen under the guidance of Norman Fischer, Roshi. Jaune has worked in philanthropy and public service for twenty-five years. She is now managing director of Tamalpais Trust (San Rafael, California) which supports indigenous-led organizations outside of the United States in the areas of human rights, traditional knowledge and education, indigenous rights, cultural integrity, protection of sacred lands and waters, and gender equity. She previously served as managing director of Tides Foundation, executive director of Lannan Foundation, and executive director of the New Mexico Community Foundation. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Zoketsu Norman Fisher, senior dharma teacher, poet, and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen foundation, joins Rev. O'Brian for a look into the heart of the world through gratitude. Gratitude is our antidote for imagining we are on our own. Even a little practice of it changes our world.