Podcasts about Upaya

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk coinciding with Lunar New Year, Senseis Kodo and Dainin Lau guide viewers through a recording of Upaya's Gate of Sweet Nectar — a monthly new moon ceremony of radical hospitality toward all hungry and wandering spirits. These hungry ghosts become a mirror for the parts of ourselves blinded by greed, aversion, and delusion — the states that make us unable to… Source

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk following the Winter Practice Period at Upaya, Sensei Fushin explores silence not as absence or void, but as presence—”that face before we were born looking back at us.” Through three powerful stories from his work as a family law attorney and former chaplain, he reveals silence as an active force that holds, supports, and heals. In a conference room after a… Source

DKI Jakarta merupakan daerah yang memiliki APBD dan aset yang besar dengan dinamika pembangunan daerah yang kompleks. Salah satu dinamika pengelolaan aset daerah yang sempat mencuat yakni eks Rumah Sakit Sumber Waras, serta beberapa permasalahan lain yang akhirnya dapat dibereskan dengan tuntas. Dalam penatalelolaan daerah DKI Jakarta yang lebih baik dan terjaga, terjalin pendampingan dengan aksi-aksi insan KPK khususnya Direktorat Koordinasi dan Supervisi Wilayah 2. Rekam aksi kali ini menceritakan bagaimana pendampingan yang secara khusus untuk menjaga dan melindungi DKI Jakarta.

Bencana di Sumatra meninggalkan ribuan pengungsi yang membutuhkan perhatian khusus. Pemerintah dan relawan terus bekerja untuk menjaga kesehatan para pengungsi serta mencegah penyebaran penyakit pasca bencana. Dukungan dan kesadaran masyarakat sangat penting untuk mengurangi risiko kesehatan

In this introduction to Dōgen's Tenzo Kyōkun (Instructions for the Cook) during the opening days of Upaya's Winter Practice Period, the faculty explores how awakening is realized through work, care, and ordinary activity. Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on Dōgen's three minds—joyful mind, parental mind (grandmother's heart), and big mind—emphasizing care for others in the cultivation of wholesome… Source

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk during the Winter Practice Period at Upaya, Sensei Dainin collects our attention from the many paths we feel pulled in—gathering it toward one-pointed effort as a genuine way of relieving the suffering of self and other. Illustrating Roshi Joan's reflection—“it's good to stay in one place, watch the seasons change, and just do one thing”—through photographs of… Source

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk during the Winter Practice Period at Upaya, Sensei Wendy Johnson explores Dōgen's Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook) through the metaphor of standing stones like those erected in England and the British Isles by Neolithic ancestors—ancient, grounded monuments embodying power and presence. She traces the text's origins to Tang Dynasty monastics who created… Source

Pesawat ATR 42-500 milik Indonesia Air Sport dengan rute Jogja-Makassar hilang kontak pada Sabtu lalu. Tim SAR gabungan telah menemukan sejumlah serpihan pesawat di Puncak Bulusarung, Kabupaten Pangkep, Sulawesi Selatan.Sebagai langkah awal identifikasi, tim DVI mengambil sampel data antemortem dari keluarga korban, termasuk Co-Pilot Farhan Gunawan dan kru Esther Aprilita. Upaya ini dilakukan untuk memastikan keselamatan seluruh kru dan penumpang, serta mempercepat proses identifikasi bila terjadi hal terburuk.#ATR42500 #PesawatHilangKontak #SARIndonesia #DVI #Makassar #Pangkep #Bulusarung #KeluargaKorban

Through the lense of Upaya 'the skilful means' of the Bodhisattva, Parami explores the seemingly contradictory themes of withdrawal and engagement on the Bodhisattva path. She demonstrates how they are synthesised by drawing on the last four stages of the spiral / transcendental path and how they culminate in the arising of the bodhicitta. Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2023. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

Elena Brower is a celebrated international yoga and meditation teacher on Glo, guiding transformative practices since 1999. Her debut book, Art of Attention, has been translated into seven languages. In 2023, she received Jukai (lay Buddhist vows) from Roshi Joan Jiko Halifax at Upaya Zen Center and is a student in Upaya's Chaplaincy Training As part of her service, she volunteers in hospice and penitentiary settings, bringing yoga, meditation, and compassionate presence. Her most recent book, Hold Nothing, investigates what it means to let go of narratives and return to the spacious emptiness within.   Here she and Dawson reflect on: Elena's background  The moment of change: “How do I ever stop? The alignment of outer work with the vows and values The sometimes scary inner world Exercise: when you want run away, stay with it for one more breath The point where the void ceases to be fearful Letting go of the external extraneous realities Why there's no way to escape sickness, old age, death, and losing everyone you love Wisdom in the quiet   Learn more about Elena at: https://elenabrower.com/   Find host Dr. Dawson Church at: http://dawsongift.com/   To purchase Dawson's latest book, Spiritual Intelligence:  https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Intelligence-Activating-Circuits-Awakened/dp/160415294X/   #mindtomatter #blissbrain #spiritualintelligence #eft #meditation #highenergyhealth #sq #zen #stillness #holdnothing 

Memakai dalih usang soal biaya mahal, partai politik pendukung Prabowo mengusung rencana pembatalan pilkada langsung dan mengembalikan ke DPRD. Upaya merampas kedaulatan rakyat tersebut berkonsekuensi buruk bagi kehidupan bernegara. Selain itu patut dicurigai ada motif terselubung lain: setelah pilkada kembali ke DPRD, berikutnya pemilihan presiden kembali ke MPR. Jika itu terjadi, kita kembali ke Orde Baru, era kegelapan sejarah demokrasi Indonesia. - - - Kunjungis.id/bacatempo untuk mendapatkan diskon berlangganan Tempo Digital. Unduh aplikasi⁠⁠ Tempo⁠⁠ untuk membaca berbagai liputan mendalam Tempo. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Dibawakan oleh Jovita dan Agustinus dari Paroki Kristus Raja Baciro Yogyakarta di Keuskupan Agung Semarang, Indonesia. 1 Samuel 4: 1-11; Mazmur tg 44: 10-11.14-15.24-25; Markus 1: 40-45.TUHAN MEMULIHKAN KITA Tema renungan kita pada ini ialah: Tuhan MemulihkanKita. Kebutuhan akan pemulihan di dalam kehidupan adalah mutlak. Tuhan sendiriyang menghendaki pemulihan dan kita diperintahkan untuk menjalani pemulihan itu.Tuhan memulihkan kita dari keadaan sebagai pendosa dan orang yang menderitakesulitan atau sakit. Kita juga wajib memulihkan diri kita sendiri dan sesamakita yang perlu dipulihkan. Seorang bapak mengisi lima hari setiap minggu denganbekerja sangat fokus dan penuh dedikasi. Ia memiliki sedikit sekali waktubersama istri dan anak-anaknya. Pekerjaan yang sangat banyak itu membuatdirinya sangat lelah ketika sudah berada di rumah. Meski begitu ia masih terusbekerja di rumah. Kekurangan yang membuatnya menderita ialah tidak adakesempatan untuk bersama keluarga. Maka ia memulihkan dirinya dari kesulitanitu dengan menyempatkan diri secara penuh bersama keluarga selama akhirpekan.   Bacaan hari ini dari kitab pertama Samuelmenggambarkan tentang kekalahan pasukan Israel dari peperangan melawan bangsaFilistin. Puluhan ribu tentaranya mati dibunuh. Bangsa Israel harus mengakuidiri tidak berdaya dan menerima kekalahan itu sebagai tanda kerapuhan manusiadan kedosaan. Sebagai bangsa yang ber-Tuhan, mereka harus menarik diri untukmemulihkan diri mereka dan memulihkan huhungan mereka dengan Tuhan yang sudahrusak akibat ketidaktaatan mereka. Yesus menyembuhkan orang kusta merupakan bagian daritugas-Nya sebagai Penyelamat, untuk mentahirkan umat pilihan-Nya dariborok-borok sakit mengerikan, yang membuat mereka tersiksa sekian lama. Bagikita saat ini, pemulihan sebuah kehidupan pribadi, keluarga, kelompok, danbangsa menjadi sebuah kebutuhan. Upaya untuk mewujudkan suatu pemulihan hidupdi dalam dunia ini hanya dapat berhasil baik kalau dilakukan dengan kuasaAllah. Kita meminta campur tangan Tuhan Yesus untukmentahirkan atau memulihkan hidup kita dalam segala aspek. Seseorang secarapribadi memohon untuk pemulihan atas sakit jasmani atau rohani yang sedangmenderanya. Mungkin pemulihan sangat diperlukan sebuah kehidupan keluarga,kampung, desa, kota, atau wilayah. Mungkin suatu kebutuhan pemulihan lebihdiperlukan oleh sebuah bangsa atas kondisi ekonomi atau keamanan bagi segenapmasyarakatnya. Tuhan berkuasa memulihkan hidup kita. Namun ini menuntutadanya permohonan yang disampaikan kepada-Nya. Dengan mendapatkan pemulihan,kita dapat kembali bekerja, mendapatkan lagi semangat hidup, bangun dariketerpurukan, dan mengalami hidup baru. Dalam mengawali tahun 2026 ini,hendaklah kita meminta rahmat pemulihan dari Tuhan, agar dapat membuat hidupkita lebih baik lagi dari pada sebelumnya. Marilah kita berdoa. Dalam nama Bapa... Ya Tuhan maha kuasa,inilah diri kami, baharuilah kami sesuai dengan kehendak-Mu. Bapa kami yang adadi surga ... Dalam nama Bapa …

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Roshi Joan Halifax is joined by Senseis Kodo, Dainin, and longtime Upaya friend and master Zen gardener Sensei Wendy Johnson to set the roots of the month-long Winter Ango (peaceful dwelling). Roshi traces Ango's history to ancient traditions of seasonal retreat and offers careful instruction not to trample what arises—no longer avoiding snakes, insects… Source

At a recent event in support of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program on January 6th, Ethan was joined by the great Roshi Joan Halifax, to discuss the practice, history and theory of Engaged Buddhism. Why is this integrated approach to the dharma so crucial now? Ethan begins with an impassioned plea after the ICE murder of the Renee Good in Minneapolis to come together as sangha and practice engaged dharma this year. And every time the thought arises "I could do something but it won't really make any difference," please label that thought thinking. Roshi Joan Halifax is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya, a center which focused on Engaged Buddhism in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness. She is also the author of multiple books including Standing at The Edge and Being With Dying. In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber below Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.          

Mesir dan Uni Eropa menyatakan tengah mengupayakan peralihan ke fase kedua gencatan senjata di Jalur Gaza antara Hamas dan Israel. Upaya ini mencakup rencana pengerahan pasukan stabilisasi internasional, penarikan lanjutan pasukan Israel, serta pemulihan layanan dasar bagi warga Palestina.

Jumlah korban meninggal dunia akibat banjir bandang yang menerjang Pulau Siau, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sitaro, Sulawesi Utara, bertambah menjadi 14 orang. Bencana terjadi pada Senin, 5 Januari 2025, sekitar pukul 02.30 WITA, setelah hujan berintensitas tinggi mengguyur wilayah tersebut dalam waktu lama. Tiga kecamatan terdampak yakni Siau Timur, Siau Timur Selatan, dan Siau Barat.Bagaimana kondisi terkini di lokasi bencana? Sejauh mana proses pencarian, evakuasi, serta penanganan para korban yang dilakukan tim SAR? Ikuti laporan langsung dan update penanganan di lapangan bersama Kepala Seksi Operasi dan Siaga Kantor Pencarian dan Pertolongan Manado, Ida Bagus Ngurah Asrama, dalam laporan live sekarang.

Warga korban bencana di Malalak masih mengalami kekurangan air bersih. Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan air bersih, personel TNI dan Polri membangun pipanisasi di wilayah Limo Badak, Sumatera Barat. Upaya ini dilakukan sebagai langkah darurat untuk membantu warga bertahan pascabencana.

Upaya pemulihan pasca banjir bandang di Kabupaten Aceh Tamiang terus dilakukan dengan cepat. Ratusan prajurit TNI Angkatan Darat dari Batalyon Artileri Medan 17/Rencong Cakti dikerahkan untuk membersihkan lumpur dan material sisa banjir yang menghambat aktivitas masyarakat.Pembersihan dilakukan di berbagai fasilitas umum, rumah sakit, sekolah, dan rumah warga untuk membantu mempercepat proses pemulihan. Kehadiran TNI diharapkan dapat mempercepat kembalinya aktivitas masyarakat di Aceh Tamiang.

MetroTV, Kakorlantas Polri Irjen Pol Agus Suryonugroho menyatakan telah melakukan evaluasi dan koordinasi dengan jajaran Polri serta Kementerian Perhubungan menyusul kecelakaan maut bus di Tol Krapyak, Semarang. Upaya ini termasuk operasi ramp check terhadap kendaraan bermuatan besar untuk menekan angka kecelakaan selama libur Natal dan Tahun Baru.

Abdul Muhari, PhD, Kepala Pusat Data, Informasi, dan Komunikasi Kebencanaan BNPB, menyampaikan update terbaru penanganan bencana di Sumatera.Tim BNPB bersama pemerintah daerah dan relawan terus melakukan evakuasi, distribusi bantuan, dan pemantauan warga terdampak. Upaya mitigasi juga berjalan untuk meminimalkan risiko lanjutan.Tetap waspada, utamakan keselamatan, dan pastikan informasi yang Anda sebarkan akurat. Untuk detail resmi, akses kanal BNPB.

Di tengah mata publik tertuju pada bencana Sumatera, Polri malah gencar menangkap aktivis. Pada Kamis (27/11) pekan lalu, Polrestabes Semarang menangkap Adetya Pramandira dan Fathul Munif, aktivis lingkungan dan HAM. Dera dan Munif disangka melanggar UU ITE dan pasal penghasutan. Mirisnya, kriminalisasi ini terjadi sekitar dua pekan sebelum keduanya melangsungkan pernikahan pada 11 Desember mendatang.Desakan pembebasan Dera dan Munif terus menguat. Beberapa tokoh masyarakat seperti pengurus PW NU Jawa Tengah KH Ubaidullah Shodaqoh dan Sekjen Asosiasi FKUB Indonesia KH Taslim Syahlan menjaminkan diri agar penahanan Dera-Munif bisa ditangguhkan.Desakan serupa disuarakan oleh Komisi Percepatan Reformasi Polri agar polisi segera melepaskan Dera-Munif, juga Laras Faizati. Ketiganya adalah bagian dari 1.038 orang yang ditetapkan tersangka terkait kerusuhan demo Agustus 2025 lalu.Bagaimana kondisi Dera dan Munif? Seperti apa perkembangan terbaru kasus ini? Mengapa berbagai desakan pembebasan tak digubris polisi? Upaya apa lagi yang bisa ditempuh Dera-Munif maupun aktivis lain untuk mendapatkan keadilan?Di Ruang Publik KBR kita akan bahas topik ini bersama Kuasa Hukum Dera dan Munif dari Tim Hukum Suara Aksi, Nasrul Saftiar Dongoran, S.H., M.H, Peneliti Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat (ELSAM), Octania Wynn, dan Pegiat Lingkungan Daniel Tangkilisan.

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) Daerah Operasi 8 Surabaya melakukan pemeriksaan lintasan rel kereta untuk memastikan keselamatan perjalanan kereta selama libur panjang Natal 2025 dan Tahun Baru 2026. Inspeksi dilakukan di jalur tunggal dan double track, serta memeriksa kondisi prasarana lainnya seperti perlintasan sebidang, jembatan, dan persinyalan. Upaya ini dilakukan untuk mencegah kecelakaan antar kereta dan menjamin keamanan penumpang.#PTKAI #KeretaApi #KeselamatanKereta #LiburNatal2025 #TahunBaru2026 #Transportasi

On the closing day of Upaya's Fall Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Kathy, Hoshi Senko, and Sensei Monshin offer an integrated reflection on continuing practice beyond the zendo. Sensei Kathy grounds us in the body, reminding […]

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk and Day 4 of Upaya's Fall Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Kathie Fischer brings our attention to resonance—the way one vibration awakens or encourages another. Drawing from physics, poetry, […]

Senseis Monshin, Kathie Fischer, and Shinzan, together with Hoshi Senko, open Upaya's Fall Practice Period by welcoming participants from around the world into a month of deep study of Dogen's Genjokoan. “To study the way is […]

In this Zazenkai Day talk during Upaya's Fall Practice Period, Sensei Kathie Fischer offers her reflections on the simplicity and depth of Zen practice. She begins by exploring the role of language in […]

In this opening session of Upaya's 2025 Fall Pratice Period Sesshin, four teachers—Sensei Kathie Fischer, Sensei Shinzan (joining remotely from San Diego), Sensei Monshin, and Hoshi Senko—welcome participants into the stillness and rhythm of this […]

In this talk from Upaya's Awareness and Action series, Dr. Guo Gu, founder of the Tallahassee Chan Center, explores Embodiment and Engaged Practice—how awakening through the body becomes the ground for compassionate action in […]

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk during Fall Practice Period at Upaya, Sensei Monshin explores the meaning of dharma position. Building from Dogen's Genjokoan, she explains dharma position as an expression of the inseparability of self and […]

In this episode, Kimberly and Elena discuss and reflect on their life experiences through nearly two decades of knowing one another. They discuss radical forgiveness for our families of origin, the importance of stillness and meditation, children leaving the home, and menopause. They also discuss what led Elena to write her upcoming book “Hold Nothing,” which offers stories and prompts as an artful contemplative guide towards personal, daily practice for self-discovery and self-wisdom. Kimberly reads powerful excerpts aloud, and you can preorder the book in the link below.   Bio Elena Brower is a mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and podcast host. She is a celebrated international yoga and meditation teacher on Glo, guiding transformative practices since 1999. Her books include the “Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation,” bestselling journal “Practice You and Being You” her collection of poetry entitled “Softening Time,” along with her courses, classes, and talks, explore stages of studentship, practice, life, and listening. Her latest book “Hold Nothing” investigates what it means to let go of narratives and return to the spacious emptiness within. She also has a column on Substack and podcast Practice You. She offers weekly classes and is a candidate in Upaya's Chaplaincy Training. She volunteers in hospice and penitentiary settings, bringing yoga, meditation, and compassionate presence to her local and broader communities.   What She Shares: –Forgiveness, repair and acceptance –Practice of daily stillness and stability –Powerful excerpts from new book –Excerpts read from new book “Hold Nothing”   What You'll Hear: –What sticks with Kimberly from Elena's teachings –Elena forgiving mother –Mercy and forgiveness for family of origen –Holding onto grudges instead of real repair –Impacting our actual spheres –Incentivizing holding grudges long-term in culture –Having direct contact with the present –In contact with body as medicine –Everyone doing their best at all times –Making our consciousness transparent to ourselves –Why Elena wanted to write a new book –Meditations and personal writings –Universal permission slip to be tender with ourselves –How stories, prompts, and artwork came about –Impact of writing in present tense –Getting reader in scene that unfolds as if happening presently –Reading excerpt from book on uncertainty –Daily sitting in stillness to allow thoughts to emerge –Importance of humility in work –Addressing accusations, controversies, and publicness –Importance of relationships, close inner-circle, close proximity –Bringing down women taking initiatives to serve –Evolving definition of family –Staying present and listening during hard conversations –Children leaving home for college –Mothering young adults –Conflicting emotions with children leaving home –Advice for mothers in new paradigm shifts –Kimberly's fresh experience taking Cece to college –Opening to stability –Stabilizing principle at center of every circumstance –Turning chaos to stability –Working in a vacuum to focus on own work –Addressing issues of AI as writers and teachers –Focus, devotion, returning to what matters –Menopausal transitions with weights, HRT, supplements, sleep, friends –Regulating nervous system through menopause –Elena's Matter of Menopause podcast for menopause education –Kimberly's underworld experience of menopause –Hormones are gods –Preorder upcoming book “Hold Nothing”   Resources Website: https://elenabrower.com/ and https://elenabrower.com/menopause/ IG:  @elenabrower Jaguar Sex Edition Sign Up Here  

In this session of Upaya's Awareness in Action series, Bhikkhu Bodhi offers a penetrating teaching on discernment as the heart of engaged Buddhism in times of crisis. He reflects on his journey from 1960s […]

In Part 4 of Upaya's Love and Death program, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan invite participants to “bring death into the room” through a mindfulness practice with photographs of people who stepped through the threshold of […]

In part two of Upaya's Love and Death weekend program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski deepened the exploration of how personal love can open into universal compassion. Framed by the bodhisattva path, Roshi Joan recounted […]

This is the 2nd half of … part two of Upaya's Love and Death weekend program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski deepened the exploration of how personal love can open into universal compassion. Framed […]

In Part 3 of Upaya's Love and Death program, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax explore the tension between belonging and accommodation. Through personal stories of illness, recovery, and care, they show how dignity in receiving […]

This is the 2nd half of … part 3 of Upaya's Love and Death program, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax explore the tension between belonging and accommodation. Through personal stories of illness, recovery, and […]

In this session of Upaya's Awareness in Action series, writer and activist Rebecca Solnit joins Roshi Joan Halifax to explore how stories shape reality, the nature of human behavior in crisis, and the discipline of hope […]

In this fifth session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, Norman and Kathie Fischer explore Dogen's Four Methods of Guidance (Bodaisatta Shishobo), one of the most accessible and transformative fascicles of the Shobogenzo. Building on reflections about paradox in Zen, […]

In the sixth session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, the faculty engage in a rich exploration of Dogen's use of language, paradox, and poetry as spiritual communication. Heine highlights how paradox functions as […]

In the seventh session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, Sensei Genzan explores Dogen's Eight Awakenings of Great Beings (Hachi Dainin Gaku), weaving scholarship with lived experience to reveal how Zen practice addresses the paradoxes of daily […]

In this closing session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, faculty and participants reflect on how ancient teachings become living transmission through courage, friendship, and practice. Roshi Joan reminds us that discovery emerges not through […]

In this opening session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, program faculty introduce themselves and reflect on themes and paradoxes within Dogen's teachings they will be sharing over the weekend. Roshi Joan Halifax presented Dogen's […]

In this third session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, renowned poet, translator, and peace activist Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi presents his analysis of paradox in Dogen's writings, drawing from his monumental 33-year translation project of […]

In this fourth session of Upaya's Dogen Seminar, Sensei Jiryu explores the profound paradox at the heart of Zen practice: the essential teaching of non-separation. He highlights the famous line, “The great way […]

From time to time over the nearly 50 years since the establishment of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, a significant number of its members and its affiliates in the Silent Thunder Order have complained of burning out in terms of their participation in the Zen community. Some have faded into obscurity and were never heard from again. Others have come back after years. The record for the longest hiatus is about three decades. This cohort would amount to a small percentage of the total attendance, or course, but it has been noted that more people come and go than stay. Matsuoka-roshi used to say, of some disciple that was no longer showing up, "Come-and-go type" or, "Wishy-washy type." I assume that these lost souls continue to practice in some form or other, hopefully maintaining their practice of meditation at least. And they probably retain an interest in reading about Zen and Buddhism. And I think it fair to say that if they had stayed, instead of moving on, we would have no place for most of them to sit. This is why I refer to the Zen sangha — and it is probably true of all communities — that it is like a cloud, constantly evaporating and recondensing, with new molecules of water, over time. People have real lives, other demands on their time and energy, and they always have. Master Dogen pointed out that the famous places in China were not typically comprised of large groups, but a small core of a half-dozen monks or so, with others coming and going from time to time. A cursory reading of the history of the formal transmission in Soto Zen makes this clear. Many of these encounters were short-term. So I don't worry too much about the many former members who are no longer in attendance. I do reach out from time to time if someone has suddenly disappeared who was diligently engaging on a frequent basis for some time, out of curiosity if nothing else. But I have enough to worry about, dealing with those who are presently practicing, as well as the constant flow of newcomers knocking at our doors. Most newcomers report that their first exposure to Zen is through reading — or, nowadays, listening — to a well-known teacher online, such as Thich Nhat Hahn, or Ram Dass. I had the pleasure of meeting Ram Dass in person in the 1960s, when I was teaching at the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle campus. Some friends of mine who knew him told me he was travelling through the area, so I asked them to connect us, and invited him to speak to one of my classes at the U of I. I still have the 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape somewhere of his talk, which was his classic trip to India, giving LSD to the guru tale. I plan to have it digitized so that those who are interested can listen to it. Not to be too much of a name-dropper — near to greatness, and all that — but he came to our apartment for dinner that evening and cooked chipatis and beans for us. My friends told me later that he had told them he thought I was one of the most spiritual people he had ever met. That may have been because my apartment was full of student work, models of geometric structure studies they had done in one of my design classes.Another factoid of interest, and one of those coincidences that we say are not in Zen — he was driving a Chrysler Airstream at that time, and several years earlier, before I had graduated from the Institute of Design, my best friend at that time and I attended a talk by Claes Oldenburg, the famous Swedish-American sculptor, at the University of Chicago, at which presentation, amongst other things, we saw his life-size soft sculpture of — you guessed it — a Chrysler Airstream. But I digress. I have never heard of anyone burning out from too much study of the dharma, or too much sitting in meditation, although some naturally grow tired of too much group discussion, especially when it slides down the slippery slope of intellectualism and erudition, as has been seen many times in the history of Zen. Ch'an Master Huineng famously made a public show of burning scrolls of sutras to make this point. Dogen held that both things can be true at the same time — that the written record also contains the dharma, even though subject to the limitations of language. No, usually, problems with burnout arise in the context of serving the Zen community. Community, or sangha, is the third leg of the stool of Buddhism, joining that of dharma, the study of the teachings of Buddhism and Zen; and most centrally, buddha, the practice of zazen, or the meditation of Buddha. This is what Zen claims to transmit. Where the rubber hits the road in terms of burnout is usually in an individual's efforts to serve the sangha in ways that demand what seems to them to be a lot of time, effort, and energy, with all the opportunity costs associated with any form of contributions of one's precious time to any cause. The third rail for most or all not-for-profit enterprises such as ASZC seems to consist in serving on the board of directors. What I refer to as the "substitution effect" begins to set in — one finds oneself sitting less and less over time, the limited bandwidth available for Zen being consumed more and more by the ever-evolving demands of raising money and paying the bills; upkeep, repair and maintenance of the facility; producing and publishing online communications, newsletters, bulletins and podcasts; and, finally, the sheer pressure of administrating a robust schedule of programs of dharma study and meditation, serving a shape-shifting and ever-growing community of practitioners. As one who has been immersed in this process for going on 50 years -— ASZC was incorporated in 1977 — I am very familiar with this syndrome of overcommitting, on a personal level. But I think it may be that we are getting it backward if and when we do burn out in service to the sangha. It is easy to lose track of the central focus of Zen. The three legs of the stool are not equal in importance or effectiveness in supporting our personal practice. Buddha practice, Zen meditation, or zazen, is definitely first and foremost. Dharma, or study of the teachings, comes second and is subordinate to zazen. Without zazen there is little hope of ever comprehending buddha-dharma. Sangha, community participation and service, is a distant third, and is not really necessary, or conducive to personal practice, absent meditation and study. When we get this backward is when we tend to burn out. If I had not been continuing my meditation practice over the 60 years I have been engaged in all three dimensions, from the mid-1960s at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, through the years of establishing ASZC in Atlanta, I would have burnt out long ago. Attending most of the public sessions of meditation and witnessing the evolution of the Zen lives of hundreds of individuals have reinvigorated my zeal for Zen again and again, especially during the difficult times we have endured. The evidence of my senses has convinced me ever more undoubtedly of the value and effectiveness of Zen as the Upaya, or skillful means, for our times, as Matsuoka-roshi believed. If you have found yourself experiencing burnout, please consider whether or not you see yourself in this picture. If you do your best to attend a reasonable number of our scheduled meditation programs including daily, weekly, monthly and annual opportunities, such as day sits (zazenkai), longer retreats (sesshin), classes and workshops, you will rediscover the renewable resource that is genuine Zen practice. If you have gotten entangled in the ASZC or STO administration or other demanding roles of service to the sangha, please understand that your efforts are very much appreciated, but that you may be inadvertently developing the substitution effect syndrome, which ultimately does not bode well either for your practice, or the wellbeing of the community. If you relinquish your position and function, no worries, someone else will step up. I have witnessed this again and again. There is no way to plan for, or to design around, human nature, so please do not blame the corporate entity that is the Zen community for your unhappiness. If instead you renew and reinvigorate your practice of meditation, both at home and at the Zen center, you may begin to see that the burden you are or were carrying on behalf of your fellow travelers on the Zen raft was not so onerous, after all. And that somehow, willy-nilly, what you may have seen as your vital function within the Zen community will be taken up by others. If you do not claim your place on the cushion, you may miss the point of practice altogether. Which would be a "cry and shame" as Albert the Alligator would say. And I know that dates me. Look up "Pogo the Possum" by Walt Kelly. Let me propose in closing that you apply a tried-and-true time management approach to your Zen practice. There are only 24 hours in a day, as we say, so unless we chuck it all and go join a monastery, or become a hermit, only a small fraction of those hours can be devoted specifically to our practice, as we conceive it. So let's say you create the visual of a classic clock face representing your 24-hour day. After filling in all the many other things you do to get you through the night, such as sleeping, and through the demands of your day, such as paying the rent, take a look at how much time is left over. For the sake of argument, let's say you can free up an hour a day, or maybe two. In that time, maybe an hour in the morning, and an hour in the evening, maybe more of a weekend, you commit 50% to Buddha Practice: time on the cushion; 30% to Dharma Study: reading up on the literature and joining online dialogs; that leaves 20% for Sangha Service: helping out at the center, or attending admin meetings. The very exercise of visualizing — and tracking — your time may reveal that you are not actually spending as much as you think you are, or at least allow you to cut it down to a bearable amount. The main thing it may help you do is to put the emphasis where is should be: on meditation. If you are attending zazen regularly you are already doing the most you can do to support your community. Your presence encourages them in their practice more directly and to a greater degree than financial and in-kind contributions. Although those are very important. If you join the dharma dialogs online or in person on Sunday mornings and occasionally make a contribution to the conversation, that is also a service to the sangha. It indicates your sincere interest in clarifying the Great Matter, which is the main and central purpose of the pursuit of Zen. If you do both the above and still have time to devote to supporting the programs and physical plant of the Zen center, more power to you. But please be careful not to let the tail wag the Zen dog. There is a story from the history in China, if memory serves, that illustrates this principle clearly. A monk complained that during meditation, the rain was leaking in on him through the thatched roof. The Master's response? "Move down." Why spend a great deal of time and effort patching a roof, maintaining a building, if it prevents you from sitting in zazen? The building, the corporate entity, and all other dimensions of the Zen community and its physical manifestation in the world are subject to the three marks of dukkha. They are impermanent in the long run, imperfect in their current variation, and inherently insubstantial in comparison to the effects of zazen on your consciousness. To quote the venerable Ch'an Master Sekito Kisen, from the closing line of his short but dense poem, Sandokai—Harmony of Difference and Equality: I respectfully urge you who study the mysterydo not pass your days and nights in vain

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Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZMM - 4/25/25 - Skillful means, “Upaya,” are forms that the teachings take throughout our practice. How do we take up everything, including the edges that appear, rather than fight against them? How do we use our practice to explore and expand our capacity to be alive, fulfilled, and responsive to the world? - Dharma Talk during the Apple Blossom Sesshin 2025 Fusatsu Ceremony.

Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty.About Roshi Joan Halifax:Roshi Joan Halifax speaks to Buddhists and non-followers alike on such universal topics as compassion, suffering, and what it is to be human. As Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya, her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness.To find this meditation in the Happier Meditation app, you can search for “Strong Back, Soft Front.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.