Podcasts about silent illumination

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Best podcasts about silent illumination

Latest podcast episodes about silent illumination

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
“Silent Illumination” #5

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 40:31


January 2025 Sesshin, Day 5 The fifth and final commentary in a series on Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Zen Master Guo Gu Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post “Silent Illumination” #5 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

sesshin silent illumination rochester zen center
Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
“Silent Illumination” #4

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 45:05


January 2025 Sesshin, Day 4 Continuing the commentary from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 on Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Zen Master Guo Gu Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post “Silent Illumination” #4 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

sesshin silent illumination rochester zen center
Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
“Silent Illumination” #3

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 44:14


January 2025 Sesshin, Day 3 Continuing the commentary from Day 1 and Day 2 on Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Zen Master Guo Gu Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post “Silent Illumination” #3 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

sesshin silent illumination rochester zen center
Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
“Silent Illumination” #2

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 42:47


January 2025 Sesshin, Day 2 Continuing the commentary from Day 1 on Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Zen Master Guo Gu Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post “Silent Illumination” #2 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

sesshin silent illumination rochester zen center
Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
“Silent Illumination” #1

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 37:34


January 2025 Sesshin, Day 1 Commentary on Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Zen Master Guo Gu Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.  Automated Transcript The post “Silent Illumination” #1 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks
Hongzhi's "Guidepost of Silent Illumination" - Hogen Roshi

Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 20:23


This dharma talk was given by Hogen Roshi at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on September 29th, 2024 during Sunday Night Program. In this talk Hogen discusses and interprets the chant Hongzhi's "Guidepost of Silent Illumination". ★ Support this podcast ★

Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Dharma Talks
Guidepost for Silent Illumination

Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 71:42


ADZG 1184 ADZG Sunday Morning Dharma Talk by Taigen Dan Leighton The post Guidepost for Silent Illumination first appeared on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

guideposts silent illumination ancient dragon zen gate
Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Dharma Talks
Guidepost to Silent Illumination

Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 45:26


ADZG 1179 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by Douglas Floyd The post Guidepost to Silent Illumination first appeared on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

guideposts silent illumination ancient dragon zen gate
Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better
Episode 105 - Illumination with Rebecca Li

Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2024 83:05


In this episode, I welcome back Rebecca Li to talk about her new book, Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No Method. Rebecca and I had a conversation in May of 2021, about her previous book, Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times. Rebecca is a meditation and Dharma teacher in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen and founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community, a Chan Buddhist practice and study community made up of individuals committed to cultivating wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings. Rebecca has two decades of Dharma and meditation teaching experience, leading retreats or teaching at Buddhist centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. She has been featured in several Buddhist publications, including Tricycle, Lion's Roar, and Buddhadharma.  She is also one of the founding board members of The GenX Buddhist Teachers Sangha where she continues to serve as a board member. Rebecca is a sociology professor and lives with her husband in New Jersey. In Allow Joy into Our Hearts, Rebecca wrote about Chan Practice and she continues to teach the path of Chan Buddhism in the book we will discuss today, Illumination. In Illumination, she dives deeper into the Chan meditation of Silent Illumination and deeper still into what causes our suffering and how Silent Illumination can help us identify and help decrease the causes of our suffering. In her book, Rebecca takes us on a fascinating, deep-dive into the method of no method in silent illumination and guides us in the mechanics of this type of practice. In our conversation we talked about, among other things: How, in our meditation, we turn thoughts into enemies, rather than allowing thoughts and feelings to be fully experienced and felt … About how tend to try to "achieve" as meditators, as if a sport … And about the modes of operation: craving, aversion, trance, problem-solving, intellectualizing, quietism, and forgetting-emptiness …   Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Illumination: A Guide to the Method of No-Method   Learn more about Rebecca Li and her Dharma talks, guided meditation offerings, and retreats: https://rebeccali.org/       *Special Everyday Buddhism Substack / Words From My Teachers podcast subscription promo code: Redeem by 3/31/2024 for 20% subscription for 1 year!   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha:https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha   Join the Membership Community: https://donorbox.org/membershipcommunity   Register for the Introduction to Buddhism Course (by February 22, 2024): Register for the Introduction to Buddhism course   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism

San Francisco Zen Center Dharma Talks

02/11/2024, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk, Abbot Jiryu reflects on Suzuki Roshi's core teaching that Zen practice is fundamentally about "becoming yourself," and explores the strong resonance there with the Silent Illumination teaching that awakening is right there when we sit still, exactly as we are.

Berkeley Zen Center Dharma Talks
Silent Illumination

Berkeley Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 52:24


A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Thursday, December 7th 2023 by Mary Duryee.

Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers
Guided Meditation with Rebecca Li

Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 24:27


GUEST:Dr. Rebecca Li, a Dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. Her books include Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times and the upcoming book Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method. She lives in New Jersey with her husband.Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method, clarifies the practice of  "Silent Illumination," (shikantaza in the Japanese tradition) and outlines the potential "traps and snares" that are encountered on the path to Awakening, as well as the potential remedies. Each chapter illuminates mind habits that cause difficulty to earnest meditation students, including: craving mode (striving for enlightenment), aversion mode (trying to eliminate thoughts completely), trance mode (cultivating a peaceful but foggy mind state), Intellectualization mode (substituting concepts for direct experience), quietism mode (dwelling in a cave of no thoughts), and forgetting emptiness (belief in someplace to arrive at and dwell in).CONNECT with her writings, talks, guided meditation, teaching, buy her book, & see the book tour schedule at www.rebeccali.org

Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers
Illumination of Chan with Rebecca Li

Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 60:19


An open, spacious conversation with Dr. Rebecca Li on her practice & teachings on Chan Buddhism and her newly released book, Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method GUEST: Dr. Rebecca Li, a Dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. Her books include Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times and the upcoming book Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method. She lives in New Jersey with her husband. Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method, clarifies the practice of  "Silent Illumination," (shikantaza in the Japanese tradition) and outlines the potential "traps and snares" that are encountered on the path to Awakening, as well as the potential remedies. Each chapter illuminates mind habits that cause difficulty to earnest meditation students, including: craving mode (striving for enlightenment), aversion mode (trying to eliminate thoughts completely), trance mode (cultivating a peaceful but foggy mind state), Intellectualization mode (substituting concepts for direct experience), quietism mode (dwelling in a cave of no thoughts), and forgetting emptiness (belief in someplace to arrive at and dwell in). CONNECT with her writings, talks, guided meditation, teaching, buy her book, & see the book tour schedule at www.rebeccali.orgHOSTRev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society's reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2022 with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön, Sister Peace and Dalila Bothwell. You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.orgHer new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path was released on Tuesday, Aug. 22! To see when it's in your part of the U.S. or is virtual, go to BOOK TOUR INFO.  See all her offerings at EVENTS

San Francisco Zen Center Dharma Talks

07/30/2023, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. In this talk, Jiryu encourages the practice of “Silent Illumination” from the Song Dynasty Chinese Chan teachings that the SFZC Soto Zen style of practice emerges from.

Prairie Mountain Zen Center Dharma Talks
Isabelle Andre: Hongzhi's Guidepost of Silent Illumination

Prairie Mountain Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2023 31:13


Meho Isabelle André will be giving a dharma talk on Hongzhi's Guidepost of Silent Illumination.

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Field of Vast Brightness – Talk 9 – The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Jaune Evans

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 43:01


Jaune Evans gives the ninth and last talk on "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" series on "The Field of Vast Brightness" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. 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/2022/12/22115247/The-Field-of-Vast-Brightness-Talk-9-The.-Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Jaune-Evans.mp3

Everyday Zen Podcast
Entryways to Hongzhi – Talk 8 – James Flaherty

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 61:04


James Flaherty gives the eighth talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/08213615/Entryways-to-Hongzhi-Talk-8-James-Flaherty.mp3

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Talk 7

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2022 46:37


Norman  gives the seventh talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/19083404/The-Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-7.mp3

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Talk 6 – Kathie Fischer

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 34:54


Kathie Fischer gives the sixth talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. View or download the transcript → https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/10114522/The-Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-6-Kathy-Fischer.mp3  

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Talk 5

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2022 43:35


https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/03133847/The-Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-5.mp3 Norman gives the fifth talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours.

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Talk 4 – All Day Sitting October 2022

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 42:09


Norman Fischer gives the fourth talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" to the October 2022 All Day Sitting referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/01122014/The-Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-4-merged_1.mp3

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi – Talk 2

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2022 47:49


Norman gives the second talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/24103233/Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-2.mp3

Everyday Zen Podcast
The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

Everyday Zen Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 64:46


Norman gives the first talk of "The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" referencing the book "Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi" by Taigen Dan Leighton and Yi Wu. Hongzhi is credited with first articulating the practice of "just sitting" which is Dogen's practice, and ours. https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/14075920/Silent-Illumination-of-Zen-Master-Hongzhi-Talk-1.mp3

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Matthew Kozan Palevsky: Returning to Who We Are: The Practice of Silent Illumination – Fall Practice Period 2022 (2 of 11)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2022 48:33


“The practice of true reality is simply to sit.” Matthew Kozan Palevsky continues Upaya's exploration of silent illumination, or just sitting, discussing Taigen Dan Leighton's collection of Zen Master Hongzhi's writings, “Cultivating the Empty Field.” He invites us to consider what it could mean for us to cultivate the empty field, especially given that Hongzhi […]

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
March 2022 Sesshin, Day 4: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 41:54


Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript The post March 2022 Sesshin, Day 4: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
March 2022 Sesshin, Day 3: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2022 44:45


Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript The post March 2022 Sesshin, Day 3: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
March 2022 Sesshin, Day 2: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 44:32


Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript The post March 2022 Sesshin, Day 2: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
March 2022 Sesshin, Day 1: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 43:01


Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript The post March 2022 Sesshin, Day 1: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Houston Zen Center Dharma Talks
Guo Gu: Silent Illumination

Houston Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2022


Dharma Talk by Guo Gu, founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center in Florida. Join the Cloud Zendo Dharma Talk here.Our natural awakening—or buddha-nature—is inherent within all of us and waiting to be realized. Buddha-nature has the qualities of both silence and illumination, and by working with silent illumination meditation you can find your own awakening. Guo Gu introduces you to the significance and methods of this practice through in-depth explanations and guided instructions. To help establish a foundation for realizing silent illumination, he has translated twenty-five teachings from the influential master Hongzhi Zhengjue into English, accompanied by his personal commentary. Silent Illumination will be an indispensable resource for meditators interested in beginning or deepening their silent illumination practice.Guo Gu is a Chan teacher, author, and Buddhist scholar. He is the founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center in Florida and founder of the socially engaged intra-denominational Buddhist organization, Dharma Relief (DharmaRelief.org). As one of the few teachers carrying on the living wisdom of Chan Buddhism in the West and as the trainer of all Western Dharma teachers in the Dharma Drum Lineage of Master Sheng Yen (1931-2009), Guo Gu has a unique ability to bring profound Buddhist doctrines to life through concrete methods of practice. His teachings have touched the hearts of many students across the globe where he leads multi-day, intensive Chan retreats in different countries. His personal website is www.guogulaoshi.com.Shop for a copy of Silent Illumination from Shambhala Publications, here.

Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World

In this talk we explore illumination as an aspect of our awakened nature, sometimes experienced as clarity, brightness, lucidity, alertness. We also look at what happens when illumination is overly emphasized in our spiritual practice and our culture. We are following the teachings of Zen Master Hongzhi from his poem on Silent Illumination, in this stanza he reminds us:If illumination neglects serenity, then aggressiveness appears.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe

Appamada
2022-01-13 | Silent Illumination | Day 1 | Flint Sparks and Peg Syverson

Appamada

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 41:29


2022-01-13 | Silent Illumination | Day 1 | Flint Sparks and Peg Syverson Book Recommendation - Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Appamada
2022-01-14 | Silent Illumination | Day 2 | Flint Sparks

Appamada

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 58:44


2022-01-14 | Silent Illumination | Day 2 | Flint Sparks Book Recommendation - Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Appamada
2022-01-15 | Silent Illumination | Day 3 | Peg Syverson

Appamada

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 43:19


2022-01-15 | Day 3 | Silent Illumination | Peg Syverson Book Recommendation - Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Appamada
2022-01-16 | Day 4 | Silent Illumination | Peg Syverson and Flint Sparks - A Conversation

Appamada

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 60:39


2022-01-16 | Day 4 | Silent Illumination | Peg Syverson and Flint Sparks - A Conversation Book Recommendation - Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening by Guo Gu

Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World

We all have had experiences of being in the flow of life. What is this flow? How do we find it? What do learn from the times that we feel obstructed, and what do we learn from being in the flow?Inspired by Zen Master Hongzhi's poem Silent Illumination, this talk explores the flow of the natural world as well as the research on flow & the flow-state by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amykisei.substack.com/subscribe

DHARMA SPRING
The Bright, Boundless Field

DHARMA SPRING

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 34:27


The field of boundless emptiness is what exists from the very beginning. You must purify, cure, grind down, or brush away all the tendencies you have fabricated into apparent habits. Then you can reside in the clear circle of brightness. Utter emptiness has no image, upright independence does not rely on anything. Just expand and illuminate the original truth unconcerned by external conditions. Accordingly we are told to realize that not a single thing exists. In this field birth and death do not appear. The deep source, transparent down to the bottom, can radiantly shine and can respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. The subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds. The whole affair functions without leaving traces, and mirrors without obscurations. Very naturally mind and dharmas emerge and harmonize. An Ancient said that non-mind enacts and fulfills the way of non-mind. Enacting and fulfilling the way of non-mind, finally you can rest. Proceeding you are able to guide the assembly. With thoughts clear, sitting silently, wander into the center of the circle of wonder. This is how you must penetrate and study.-Hongzhi Zhengjue, Cultivating the Empty FieldSupport the show (https://www.paypal.me/apalmr)

Boundless Way Temple Dharmacast
David Rynick - Silent Illumination

Boundless Way Temple Dharmacast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2021 23:55


Dharma talk by David Dae An Rynick, Roshi on December21, 2021

Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks
Silent Illumination: Gradual or Sudden Enlightenment? - Chozen Bays, Roshi

Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 40:35


Chozen Bays, Roshi - Rohatsu Sesshin - Great Vow Zen Monastery - 12/10/21

Chan Meditation
53 - Silent Illumination and Mahamudra by Guo Gu and Lorne Ladner

Chan Meditation

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2021 68:35


This teaching is by Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu). He is the founder and teacher at the Tallahassee Chan Center. He first learned meditation as a child in 1972 with Master Guangqin (1892-1986), one of the most respected Chinese meditation masters and ascetics who lived in Taiwan. In 1980, Guo Gu moved to the United States and began studying with Master Sheng Yen (1931-2009). In 1991, Guo Gu was ordained as a monk and became Master Sheng Yen's first personal attendant and assistant. In 1995, he was given permission by the master to teach Chan independently; his experiences were later recognized by other teachers as well. Wanting to bring Buddhism beyond monastic walls, Guo Gu left monkhood and re-entered the world in 2000. In 2008 he received his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Princeton University and is currently a professor of Buddhist studies at Florida State University. You can find more from him at https://tallahasseechan.org/ This podcast is run by the London Chan Meditation. You can find out more about us at https://londonchanmeditation.org

The Lion’s Roar Podcast
The Subtle Joy of Shikantaza with Pat Enkyo O'Hara and The Buddha Was Here by Andrea Miller

The Lion’s Roar Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2021 30:28


On a pilgrimage to India Lion's Roar's Andrea Miller explores the life and teachings of the historical Buddha and the new insights she gained by being there. Then, Zen teacher Enkyo O'Hara shares a quick tip about the subtle joy of Shikantaza, also known as Silent Illumination or “just sitting.”

Houston Zen Center Dharma Talks
Guo Gu: Silent Illumination

Houston Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2021


Dharma Talk by Guo Gu, founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center in Florida. Our natural awakening—or buddha-nature—is inherent within all of us and waiting to be realized. Buddha-nature has the qualities of both silence and illumination, and by working with silent illumination meditation you can find your own awakening. Guo Gu introduces you to the significance and methods of this practice through in-depth explanations and guided instructions. To help establish a foundation for realizing silent illumination, he has translated twenty-five teachings from the influential master Hongzhi Zhengjue into English, accompanied by his personal commentary. Silent Illumination will be an indispensable resource for meditators interested in beginning or deepening their silent illumination practice.Guo Gu is a Chan teacher, author, and Buddhist scholar. He is the founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center in Florida and founder of the socially engaged intra-denominational Buddhist organization, Dharma Relief (DharmaRelief.org). As one of the few teachers carrying on the living wisdom of Chan Buddhism in the West and as the trainer of all Western Dharma teachers in the Dharma Drum Lineage of Master Sheng Yen (1931-2009), Guo Gu has a unique ability to bring profound Buddhist doctrines to life through concrete methods of practice. His teachings have touched the hearts of many students across the globe where he leads multi-day, intensive Chan retreats in different countries. His personal website is www.guogulaoshi.com.Shop for a copy of Silent Illumination from Shambhala Publications, here.

The Lion’s Roar Podcast
Silent Illumination with Guo Gu

The Lion’s Roar Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2021 21:39


Buddhadharma’s Koun Franz interviews Chan teacher and scholar Guo Gu about the essence of his latest book, Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening, in which he explains embodied practice and Chan methods of realizing your Buddha nature. 

Boundless Way Temple Dharmacast
David Rynick - Silent Illumination

Boundless Way Temple Dharmacast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2021 24:49


Dharma talk by David Dae An Rynick, Roshi on January 5, 2021

Chan Meditation
04 - Silent Illumination by Guo Gu

Chan Meditation

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2020 11:37


This teaching is by Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu). He is the founder and teacher at the Tallahassee Chan Center. He first learned meditation as a child in 1972 with Master Guangqin (1892-1986), one of the most respected Chinese meditation masters and ascetics who lived in Taiwan. In 1980, Guo Gu moved to the United States and began studying with Master Sheng Yen (1931-2009). In 1991, Guo Gu was ordained as a monk and became Master Sheng Yen's first personal attendant and assistant. In 1995, he was given permission by the master to teach Chan independently; his experiences were later recognized by other teachers as well. Wanting to bring Buddhism beyond monastic walls, Guo Gu left the monkhood and re-entered the world in 2000. In 2008 he received his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Princeton University and is currently a professor of Buddhist studies at Florida State University. You can find more from him at https://tallahasseechan.org/ This podcast is run by the London Chan Meditation. You can find out more about us at https://londonchanmeditation.org

Scharpening The Mind
Introduction to Silent Illumination

Scharpening The Mind

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2020 20:14


An introduction to an open awareness meditation practice. if you want to support this workby making a donation you can do so by clicking here: paypal.me/danielscharpenburg

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-28 Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field 1

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020 56:22


The life of Master Hongzhi Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-31 Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field 4

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020 56:46


"With total trust, roam and play in samadhi". Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-30 Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field 3

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020 57:22


"You must be broadminded, whole, without relying on others." Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-29 Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field 2

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2020 53:26


The bright, boundless field -- what is it? "Degrading situations" and how to avoid pursuing them. Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-30 Day Three 4-day Online Sesshin

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2020 57:22


Comments on Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field, 3: The Practice of True Reality Main Source(s): Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu.

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-28 Day One 4-day Online Sesshin

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 56:22


Comments on Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field, 1: Biography of Master Hongzhi Main Source(s): Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu.

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-29 Day Two 4-day Online Sesshin

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 53:26


Comments on Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field, 2: The Bright, Boundless Field Main Source(s): Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu. What Is This? Ancient Questions for modern minds by Martine and Stephen Batchelor Being Black, Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace by Angel Kyodo Williams

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2020-07-31 Day Four 4-day Online Sesshin

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 56:46


Comments on Master Hongzhi's Cultivating the Empty Field, 4: With Total Trust Roam and Play in Samadhi Main Source(s): Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 4, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 56:46


“With total trust, roam and play in samadhi”. Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991 The post July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 4, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 3, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2020 57:22


“You must be broadminded, whole, without relying on others.” Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991 The post July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 3, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 2, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 53:27


The bright, boundless field — what is it? “Degrading situations” and how to avoid pursuing them. Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991 The post July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 2, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)
July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 1, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field

Rochester Zen Center Teisho (Zen Talks)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2020 56:22


The life of Master Hongzhi Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco 1991 The post July 2020 Online Sesshin, Day 1, Amala-sensei: Master Hongzhi’s Cultivating the Empty Field appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Scharpening The Mind
Different Forms of Meditation

Scharpening The Mind

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2020 25:11


Different forms of meditation described. Plus, my favorite: Silent Illumination.  if you want to support this podcast by making a donation you can do so by clicking here: Donate Go like my Facebook Page: facebook.com/dscharpy

The Zen Studies Podcast
133 - Restoring Wonder: Hongzhi's Guidepost of Silent Illumination - Part 2

The Zen Studies Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2020 36:42


I continue in a second episode with my reflections on Chan master Hongzhi's "Guidepost of Silent Illumination. I discuss the interdependence of absolute and relative and why that matters in real life; how skillful bodhisattva action arises out of zazen; how silence is the supreme mode of communication, and how serenity and illumination - calm and insight - are both contained in zazen.

The Zen Studies Podcast
132 - Restoring Wonder: Hongzhi's Guidepost of Silent Illumination - Part 1

The Zen Studies Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2020 34:49


In this episode and the next, I riff off of 12th-century Chan master Hongzhi’s short text, “Guidepost of Silent Illumination,” one of the most positive and encouraging Zen teachings a know. By “riff” I mean I’ll play off of, and spontaneously elaborate on, Hongzhi’s words, as opposed to explaining or analyzing them in an exhaustive or comprehensive way. I take this approach because it’s more fun, but also because “Guidepost of Silent Illumination,” like most Chan and Zen writings, is essentially poetry.

Hartford Street Zen Center Dharma Talks
Silent Illumination – Rev. Myō Lahey

Hartford Street Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2020 32:45


Scharpening The Mind
26: Silent Illumination

Scharpening The Mind

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2019 12:45


A description of a Formless meditation practice as well as a little guidance. 

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2019-01-14 Great Doubt 2

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2019 55:21


Zazen as a way of dissolving the mirage of ego Text quoted: Silent Illumination by Master Sheng Yen and John Crook

Ordinary Mind Meditation Podcast
Session VII: What Is Enlightenment?

Ordinary Mind Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2018 24:37


In the final session of our Birdseye View series, we get down to the question of Enlightenment. We explore the different ideas that exist about it, and look at different aspects of enlightenment and awakening experiences. We practice a version of Silent Illumination, a technique through which we provide the space for an insight into the nature of Mind to take place. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don't forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Join our community on FB: www.facebook.com/BodhiBass Subscribe and review on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-mind-meditation-podcast/id1433677569?mt=2 Subscribe and review on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6qdtpBF52kwAYYKJ8Kugeq

Buddhist Temple of Toledo Podcast
Hongzhi's Guidepost of Silent Illumination

Buddhist Temple of Toledo Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2018 27:21


This is a Dharma Talk given by the Reverend Jay Rinsen Weik Sensei at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo.  In this talk, Rinsen Sensei explores the teachings of the early 11th Century Chinese teacher Master Hongzhi. If you would like to learn more about the Buddhist Temple of Toledo or to make a donation in support of this podcast please visit buddhisttempleoftoledo.org.

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2018-05-06 Cultivating the Empty Field 1

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 51:08


Biographical material and introduction to Master Hongzhi's teaching. Main Text(s) quoted: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu and The Method of No-Method, The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination by Chan Master Shengyen

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2018-05-12 S32 Yangshan's Mind and Environment

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 34:36


It is possible to get stuck in emptiness. More is needed for real living. Main Text(s) quoted: The Method of No-Method, The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination by Chan Master Shengyen

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2018-05-10 Cultivating the Empty Field 5

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 46:00


Becoming an ox at the bottom of the mountain, or "Nothing distinguishes the enlightened person." (Yamada Koun-roshi) Main Text(s) quoted: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu and The Method of No-Method, The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination by Chan Master Shengyen

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2018-05-09 Cultivating the Empty Field 4

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 50:10


Review -- why do we come to sesshin and what do we do? Skillfully working with our mental obsessions, compulsions and delusions and entering the Hongzhi's "clear circle of brightness". Main Text(s) quoted: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu.

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts
2018-05-07 Cultivating the Empty Field 2

Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 48:57


"Murkiness remains": pros and cons and pitfalls of shikantaza and koan practice. What is the "field of boundless emptiness"? Some perspectives from quantum physics. Main Text(s) quoted: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi, translated by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos by Brian Swimme.

The Meditation Freedom Podcast
EP 28 – Silent Illumination – What is the function of serenity and stillness?

The Meditation Freedom Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2015 23:16


The post EP 28 – Silent Illumination – What is the function of serenity and stillness? appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

DharmaMind Buddhist Group
Silent-Illumination Unpacked

DharmaMind Buddhist Group

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2015 52:58


Silent- Illumination is an ancient Chan practice that can be difficult to understand and put into practice. This talk attempts to unpack this ancient practice and make it accessible to us here in the west so we can identify with it and take it not just to our meditation, but crucially also into our everyday ordinary life. Discover how to grow into this profound form that will not just awaken us to our habits and attachments that create the suffering of samsara, but open the door beyond this self-made creation into the uncreated, and return us to our true nature and liberation.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : Abiding in the Circle of Wonder

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2013 14:47


With this talk we begin the final series of talks on Silent Illumination. Here, we explore the nature or the Circle of Wonder and how we are to abide there.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

This talk returns to the practice of Silent Illumination and specifically addresses the nature of mind.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : What Makes a Buddhist a Buddhist

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2012 18:41


Once one enters the Field of Silent Illumination, how does one dwell there? How does one live there? It means living one's Buddhist identity. This talk examines what that means.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : The Conspiracy of Virtue

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2012 17:52


The Third and concluding talk in the Silent Illumination sub-series on virtuous conduct as a way to extinguish the fires of craving.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : Attention to Intention

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2012 16:10


The second part of the Virtue sub-series of Silent Illumination.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : Fire Extinguishers

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2012 22:42


A continuation of the Silent Illumination series. This talk discusses the Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) teaching on the development of virtue and how that teaching can be used to create "fire extinguishers" to quell the fires of craving and attachment.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : We Are All Arsonists

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2012 23:48


This Dharma talk both reviews the theme of Silent Illumination and explores the ways in which each of us starts and keeps fueling the fires of our cravings. It uses the US Justice Department Manual for Arson Investigation as a guide to help understand the HOW of our arsonist tendencies.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : Becoming a Faith Follower

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2012 21:50


Third talk in the "Silent Illumination Series*. This talk discusses the role of faith (saddha) in Buddhist practice and its implications for Silent Illumination.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Second talk in the *Silent Illumination Series*. This Dharma talk explores what we mean by entanglement and it's relationship to Silent Illumination.

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks
GR Zen Center : Silent Illumination

Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple and Zen Center Dharma Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2012 13:46


This is the first in a year long series of Dharma talks based on Master Hongzhi's *Silent Illumination*. In this talk, we are introduced to the meaning of the two key words: silent and illumination.

Treeleaf Zendo Podcasts
SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Oh, What A Year It's Been!

Treeleaf Zendo Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2011 10:12


Happy times, sad times, rainy days and sunny ... earthquake and nuclear disaster, good health and sickness ... the death of someone we love, our new daughter coming home ... getting older ... ups, downs, beginnings and endings ... Oh, what a year this has been! But in truth, a year like any year. The Buddha knew that such is the stuff of life, all of life filled with many things we long for and many we fear and resist ... I usually describe Shikantaza Zazen to newcomers by a "sky-and -clouds" metaphor (one of the 'classic' metaphors in the Zen world) .... with the Light, Clear, Open, Boundless Shining Sun and Sky as Buddha Nature ... and clouds of ignorance, thoughts and emotions that may becloud or obstruct our experiencing such. Yet our way of Shikantaza (unlike some flavors of meditation and Zazen) is not about attaining a mind always 100% totally free of clouds, though sometimes that may come too. Rather, sometimes we do and sometimes we don't ... clouds drift in, clouds drift out. Sometimes, the sky is so wide and blue and clear in all directions, without a cloud in the sky! That is good Zazen! Boundless, Cloud Free! And sometimes (maybe most times), there are clouds drifting through the sky ... but we do not latch onto them or stir them up ... just let them go and drift away. Shining Blue peaks through the wide open spaces between the clouds. Moreover, the light of the sky can be seen to shine right through-and-through the clouds themselves ... so that clouds and sky are not seen as apart or in any conflict whatsoever. The clouds are now illuminated and transformed from their darkness, the Sun and Blue Shining right through-and-through each and all, and the Sky Whole. It is not "cloud free", but rather, the clouds are encountered as having been Free, Light and Clear All Along!   That is good Zazen too ... maybe even more precious than an all clear sky! Now, sometimes (in human darkness and ignorance), the sky is so cloudy, fogged and stormy, filled with rampant thoughts and emotions, that the clear blue is completely hidden and bound in! That is not good Zazen ... that is just ignorance, confused and cloudy bad Zazen! And so, we should let the clouds clear and blow away, returning to the spacious, shining blue as described above. However, even when the sky and sun are totally hidden ... not a patch of blue to see in the gray and stormy sky ... the sky and sun are still there even though we are blocked from seeing by the covering clouds. In fact, there is no bad Zazen ... even the bad Zazen. More here: "Right" Zazen and "Wrong" Zazen Now, take those clouds as also representing too the events and times in our own life ... each cloud just happy times or sad times, rainy days and sunny ... earthquake and disaster, good health and sickness ... the death of someone we love, our new daughter coming home ... getting older ... beginnings and endings ... ... and just let them be too, the changing clouds of life moving along. Know the Light, Clear, Open, Boundless Shining Sun-and-Sky that illuminates each happening ... all the white clouds or black clouds or gray of daily life. Our way is not about always having a life free of problems, any more than there can be a sky always free of clouds! But each is instantly transformed in the Silent Illumination of the Bright Boundless Sky ... and the Sky and Clouds are seen as Whole ... ... even the darkest moment just Light, Clear, Open, Boundless, Shining when known as such! It is a lovely way to live. Happy New Year ... ... and a Peaceful Right This Moment to ALL! Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended Visit the forum thread here!