Podcasts about Zazen

When we sit Zazen, even if we're working with a koan, we do not actively try to achieve insight. But nonetheless, Chan and Zen masters throughout history have exhorted us to awaken to Reality. How does insight happen when you're "just sitting?" How do you awaken to what you have not yet seen without getting caught up in concepts of enlightenment and delusion, before and after? How do you lean into the unknown if you're trying to let go of any kind of doing at all?

The simple, difficult teaching. Don't make Zazen; just sit.

Welcome once again to UnMind, the podcast of Great Cloud, my Zen name, also published on Substack, and as my DharmaByte in the newsletter of the Silent Thunder Order (STO) - visit www.STOrder.org. Please let me know if there is a subject you would like to hear about in a future segment. We are pioneering a creative, collaborative approach to establishing true Zen community (Skt. sangha) in the USA. We invite you to come aboard the raft. If you are in the Southeast, visit www.aszc.org for our schedule. "Excuse Me My Dear Aunt Sally," in case you are unfamiliar with the expression, is a mnemonic I learned in high school for remembering the proper sequence of arithmetical operations to be performed in solving quadratic equations: solve the exponents first; then do the multiplication; then the division; the addition; and finally, any subtraction called for. If you do not follow this sequence exactly, you will not get the right answer. Setting aside for now the question of what may be the larger point of getting the right answer, as well as the question of the potential arbitrariness of the "givens" of any equation — i.e. the initial values attributed to "x" and "y" — XMDAS provides an analogy for the process of solving any problem, from a design-thinking perspective. Let's look at each of the five steps, one at a time. From writing a book to simplifying our life, it works. Determining what value lies under the radical in an exponent (X) is roughly analogous to defining the reason for pursuing any problem, whether in a professional setting or in everyday life. "What's it all about, Alfie?" or "What's the meaning of this?" as my grandfather would sternly demand, when we were caught roughhousing, in my younger days. He didn't realize what a profoundly central question he was asking. I find myself at the intersection of Zen and design-thinking, when confronting the various aspects of daily life. Zen practice and the discipline of design-science, as one of my many mentors, R. Buckminster Fuller, termed it, are both generalist worldviews oriented to a problem-solving mentality as an approach to navigating the challenges of life in our times and developing the specialist skills necessary to that endeavor. Key to finding the best solution to any problem is developing the best definition of the problem. In the professional context, working for the benefit of a client company, the first step may involve redefining the client's own definition of the problem they are asking you to solve. One of the values of using outside consultants is that they ostensibly are not subject to the same tunnel vision of insiders, though of course they may be hindered by another sort of tunnel vision. The process outlined is meant to mitigate against this. Returning to and redefining the focus of the initiative is a crucial part of the process. It should be noted that someone writes down the ideas on a whiteboard for all to see. The second step, doing the multiplication (M), is likewise analogous to brainstorming, engaging in the uninhibited free association of any and all factors that may have a role in developing the final solution to the given problem. This is where thoroughness and lack of prejudging come into play. Best done as a form of playful "What-if" scenarios. The third, division (D), correlates roughly with sorting the various free-ranging comments into groupings or categories of related items, like the familiar "One of these things is not like the others" theme from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The fourth, addition (A), suggests fleshing out the various distinct categorical groupings with other items that may not have occurred to anyone on first consideration. Finally the fifth step, subtraction (S), involves setting aside all the various components and considerations that are not immediately necessary at this point in the project, for later development, scaling down the scope of the first phase of solution iterations to include only the most important and germane elements. Prioritizing, in other words. Needless to say, and so I will say it emphatically: this is not a one-and-done process. It will be necessary, in virtually every case, to revisit the exponent several times to see if we have wandered too far afield from the original problem definition, and to reexamine the other four steps again as we proceed. Everything is a work-in-progress. There are some provocative prompts to the process that can be brought to bear when the creativity seems to lag, such as positing the "Worst Possible Solution" — imagining that if we wanted to subvert the objectives of the project altogether, how would we do it? Oftentimes, conjecturing the most negative outcome in opposition suggests a different positive approach that we otherwise would not come up with. We can apply this design-thinking approach to our Zen practice, emphasizing problem definition over leaping to a solution, based on the underlying premise that within a thoroughgoing and complete definition of any given problem, the solution will be implied. It becomes clear that, while as Master Dogen reminds us, "Zazen is not step-by-step meditation," the process of our Zen life moves through several distinct, if overlapping, phases, if not exactly stages. The difficulty with conceiving the arc of our experience as progressing through stages is that we will inevitably be looking to the next stage, assuming that it will be more advanced. And consequently, missing the reality of the present moment. As the old Ch'an poem reminds, "Not understanding the Way before your eyes, how will you know the path you walk?" Nonetheless, it is incumbent upon us who find ourselves in the unenviable position of being regarded as teachers or exemplars of Zen to address this issue, when students or followers express a sincere aspiration to insight, and confusion as to its meaning, or the common experience of "plateauing" — the sense that no progress is occurring. Let us attempt a correlation of the fivefold sequence of the process outlined above with the general arc of the narrative of a typical Zen pilgrim's progress. As always, your results may vary, and the map is never the same as the territory. X — Let's begin with the exponent of Zen - what is the root of the problem? What lies under the radical, waiting to be solved? What is the source of our suffering? We can derive some guidance from the written record, of course, where we find such definitions as the reification of a non-existent self, unsatisfactoriness with the causes and conditions of our existence, et cetera, which are, of course, not very satisfactory. The problem of existence, and our place in it, begs the question: Is it really a problem? It is more important to personalize this problem definition than to generalize it. What is troubling you immediately, in space and time? As Master Dogen says in "Genjokoan": If you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point. If you find your way at this moment, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point. So the problem, if it is a problem, must be hiding in plain sight. M — Brainstorming intentionally, rather than allowing the monkey mind to hijack the process, we embrace our world of complexity and distractions from all four spheres of activity and influence — the personal, social, natural, and the universal realms — in which we find ourselves. All apparent barriers to solving the problem. The root of the problem we might logically assume to manifest on the personal level; but we cannot ignore social demands of family, friends, colleagues and strangers; nor the many ways in which we connect with the world of Nature; and even the universal, especially in a time when technological evolution has revealed so much of our macro- and micro-cosmic context. D — Sorting through the matrix of all dimensions impinging upon us and considering how to group them into relatively discrete aggregations, analogous to the "five skandhas" of the traditional Buddhist model of sentient being, may help to overcome the daunting asymmetrical nature of the scope of our interconnectedness and diminishing influence on outcomes, as we move from the personal to the social, natural and universal realms. Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness accompany a growing sense of humility at the vastness of the enterprise. But at least we are beginning to comprehend it. Recognizing the problem is the first step; visualizing or modeling it is the second. A — After articulating the many components of our living situation we come up with, writing them down in a mind-mapping exercise, and sorting into relatively discrete — if overlapping — categories, we can now review each to see if we have inadvertently left out any elements that may prove to be relevant or important. Are they complete? S — At this point, the problem may be well-defined, but any point of taking action is still obscure. Subtracting what is inessential from consideration at the present time, leaving what is necessary to address first and foremost, we come to a point of taking action. No process of problem-solving is effective unless it leads to appropriate action. Resistance to doing so is based on fear of the unknown, unintended consequences, and the desire to maintain the status quo. "Fall down seven times get up eight": we succeed by failing. Once the "problem" is stripped down to a limited set of actionable items, we can begin the prototyping phase of the project. This involves trial and error, experimenting with various promising approaches, assessing progress, and adjusting as necessary. The current trope in the business world is "agility," the ability to recognize when we are off-course, and correct accordingly. It is an apt expression on the personal, as well as the corporate, level. The main difference is that we should be able to get ourselves to risk a change in behavior on a strictly personal level much more easily than it is to sway others into compliance with our definition of a solution. In summary, most of us approach Zen with an initial curiosity or motive — X, the root exponent — derived from the unsatisfactory nature of living in today's world, drawn to Zen by a hunch that it seems focused on this very issue, buttressed by impressions from reading books and hearsay. As Matsuoka-roshi would often say, people go though life with a sense of something missing. They don't know what it is, but they definitely know it's missing. Eventually they come to Zen hoping to find it. This is typically followed by a phase of "doing my own research" — M, multiplication — perusing more books on the subject, pursuing podcasts and documentaries, attending lectures and joining groups. There is a nearly inexhaustible smorgasbord of entrees on offer in today's spiritual materialism market. The multiplier effect often lends more confusion than clarity as to our initial purpose — the exponent of Zen — where we started out. Once we have surveyed most of the approaches on offer, we begin to categorize them — D, division — as to sameness and difference, effectiveness and convenience, the whole gamut of judgment calls that we generally apply to any other activity or pursuit. They break down into such categories as various styles of meditation, our personal bibliography of books that we choose to read and re-read, teachers we choose to follow, and support groups with which we engage and disengage. As well as those we reject. Much of this trial-and-error testing and analysis is aimed at rationalizing our resistance to making the effort sustained required to realize any long-term positive effects. We resist change, if on an unconscious level. In my first book, "The Original Frontier," I devote an entire chapter to the various lame excuses we make up for evading the hard work of meditation, beginning with the most common cop-out, "I don't have the time." These are followed up with suggested workarounds, under the rubric, "Damn your lousy excuses." Over time, we cobble together our own Frankenstein monster of a practice path, adding to the mix — A, addition. Hopefully, we settle upon a combination that seems to work. In Zen, it usually comes together as a balanced combination of buddha-, dharma-, and sangha-practice, a 3-legged stool consisting of: time on the cushion; studying the teachings; and participating in Zen community. And, in a non-monastic setting, finding a reasonable, operable schedule of training. Eventually, we begin to minimize or eliminate — S, subtraction — those activities and preoccupations that have proven to be peripheral rather than central. As Master Dogen asked, if you want to find drinking water, do you drill a lot of shallow wells, or one deep well? He also recommended focusing on the central method, rather than the surrounding protocols: When first you meet a master, without engaging in incense offering, bowing, chanting Buddha's name, repentance and reading scripture, you should just wholeheartedly sit, and thus drop away body and mind. Again, over the span of our lifetime, it is likely that we will cycle through this process many times, disappointed by unmet expectations and buffeted by the whims of fortune. As Matsuoka-roshi would often encourage us, "Just don't give up." The reality that Zen points to does not change with the vicissitudes of fate. More design thinking to come in the next installment of UnMind: "It's Not About That."

Bernd Bender, Dharma-Vortrag, Sommer-Sesshin, 22. Juli 2026 in WilhelmsaueIm Zuge unseres Sommer-Sesshins hielt Bernd einen Vortrag über die Kunst der Untätigkeit und ihre Verbindung zur Zen-Praxis. Da Untätigkeit in unserer Gesellschaft als Defizit abgewertet wird, das es schnellstmöglich zu beheben gilt, entgeht uns „das Reich und der Reichtum der Untätigkeit,“ wie der Philosoph Byung-Chul Han sich ausdrückt. Zen kann ein Zugang zu diesem Reich gewähren. Indem wir lernen, in den Dingen zu Ruhen, können wir erfahren, dass alles hier und jetzt da ist, dass nichts hinzugefügt werden muss, und dass wir, so wie wir sind, vollkommen sind. Support the show

Una meditación guiada para calmar la mente y reconectar con tu presencia interior. Esta práctica te ayuda a observar tus pensamientos sin identificarte con ellos, soltar la ansiedad mental y encontrar claridad emocional a través de la respiración consciente y la visualización. Basada en técnicas de atención plena (mindfulness) y meditación tipo Zazen, combina respiración guiada, observación del pensamiento y visualización de luz interior para reducir el estrés, mejorar el enfoque y fortalecer la calma emocional.Ideal para quienes buscan herramientas de manejo emocional, control mental, relajación profunda y crecimiento personal desde la conciencia y la espiritualidad práctica.✅ Sesiones privadas y asesorías espiritualesSi buscas claridad en tu camino, una consulta personalizada puede ayudarte a desbloquear tu energía y tomar mejores decisiones. Agenda tu sesión conmigo aquí:

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZMM – 7/25/26 – Zazen practice of shikantaza, “just sitting” comes from the Chan practice of Silent Illumination. In solitude we find our way, in the support of the teachings and learning to allow our minds to settle and come to rest. How we can understand this practice requires knowing that it's open and available all the time. Gokan Osho reminds us that this path of liberation, of silent illumination, is never far away when we clarify it for ourselves.

Ausgehend von Koan 6 des Hekiganroku entfaltet Christoph Rei Ho Hatlapa in diesem Teisho das Leben und Wirken des Zenmeisters Ummon, der für seine knappen Antworten bekannt war. Mit seinen wenigen Worten zielte er nicht darauf ab, etwas zu erklären. Vielmehr wollte er bei den Zuhörenden einen Durchbruch bewirken. So führt uns auch seine Koan-Aussage: »Jeder Tag ein guter Tag« mitten hinein in die Welt der Nicht-Dualität. Denn nur, wenn wir die gemeinsame Quelle aller Dinge erkennen und daraus Gelassenheit, Mitgefühl und innere Weite entstehen lassen, können wir dem Leben mit all seinen hellen und dunklen Seiten wirklich begegnen. Dabei hilft die Zazen-Übung. Sie befreit den Geist von unnützen Gedanken und schenkt dem Herzen Frieden. Ein ruhiger Geist beobachtet zunehmend das Treiben der Wesen und betrachtet ihre Rückkehr zur Quelle. Denn wer erkennt, woher er kommt, kann gelassen mit allem umgehen, was das Leben bringt – und verkörpert, wenn der Tod kommt, Ummons goldene Brise. Um für junge Erwachsene den Aufenthalt im ToGenJi zu ermöglichen, bitten wir um eine Spende: Sie finden die Kontodaten/Paypal auf unserer Website https://choka-sangha.de/spenden/ Herzlichen Dank

Bernd Bender, Kurs zu Vasubandhus 30 Versen, 5. Treffen am 29. Juni 2026 im Akazienzendo, BerlinWir veröffentlichen hier das fünfte von sechs Treffen des Workshops „Wahrnehmung als Tor der Befreiung – Ein Zen-Kurs zu Vasubandhus 30 Versen über den Geist.“ Anhand dieses kurzen, dichten Yogācāra-Texts erforschen wir unsere Wahrnehmung als Transformation in wechselseitiger Abhängigkeit.In der fünften Folge geht es um die Verse 26 und 27. Sie besagen, dass die Tendenz, Selbst und Anderes zu ergreifen, solange nicht abnimmt, bis das Bewusstsein in Nur-Vorstellung zur Ruhe gekommen ist. Wenn wir andererseits das, was wir vor uns stellen, wiederum als „Nur-Vorstellung“ ergreifen, so ruhen wir auch noch nicht in eben diesem.In der angeleiteten Meditation betrachten wir, wie das Gegenüber entsteht. Indem wir uns darin üben, in den Erscheinungen, so wie sie sich entfalten, zu ruhen, können wir erkennen, dass alles, Innen und Außen, Selbst und Anderes, gemeinsam erscheint, als ein lebendiges Feld.Was heißt es für unsere Praxis, in Nur-Vorstellung zu ruhen? Bernd entwickelt in seinem Vortrag einen Stufenplan für Zazen bzw. Shikantaza. Auf der ersten Stufe konzentrieren wir uns auf den gespürten, atmenden Körper und kommen in dem, was sich in diesem inneren Spüren zeigt, zur Ruhe. Auf der zweiten Stufe erweitern wir unsere Aufmerksamkeit um das, was im Außen erscheint. Indem wir sowohl innere, als auch äußere Erscheinungen zugleich bewusst wahrnehmen, öffnet sich die Grenze zwischen Innen und Außen, Selbst und Anderem, und wird durchlässig. Auf der dritten Stufe zeigt sich auch das Ich-Bewusstsein (manas) nicht mehr als das lebendige Feld selbst, sondern innerhalb dieses Feldes. Das Gefühl eines meditierenden Ichs, das betrachtet, denkt, wahrnimmt, ist nicht getrennt von allem anderen, das auf dieselbe Art und Weise erscheint. Bernds Praxisvorschlag für die dritte Stufe ist es, sozusagen mit dem Atem das Selbst-Gefühl in das Feld hinein zu entspannen, aus dem es sich erhebt. Dies ist die Transformation von alaya in leuchtende Spiegelweisheit, wenn uns unser Leben von Moment zu Moment geschenkt wird.Support the show

1288 Date: Sunday, June 28, 2026 Speaker: Rev. Hōgetsu Laurie Belzer Source

There's room in practice for many kinds of students; at some stage in practice, we have been them all.  Everything is in a constant state of change, including us, and anything we think we understand about zazen is to be discarded to make room for even vaster insights. Read the Journal while listening

   Rev. Allard Kieres explores the vital relationship between faith, doubt, and compassion within Zen practice, contrasting rigid "absolute faith" with the open, flexible "perfect faith" described by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. He redefines doubt not as the enemy of faith, but as a tool that sharpens it, describing faith as the willingness to take the next step in the dark even when the path is obscured by delusion or pain. Through personal stories—including a transformative encounter with a statue of Maitreya in college and a profound, comforting experience of Avalokiteshwara (Kanzeon) during a period of intense lay training—Rev. Allard illustrates how the universe compassionately waits for us without judgment or agenda. Ultimately, he argues that the conditions of daily life are not obstacles but friends meant for our spiritual good, and that the simple, quiet act of sitting in Zazen (meditation) is itself a profound expression of "great faith" that allows practitioners to harmonize with reality exactly as it is.   This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 31, 2026.YouTube: https://youtu.be/MpkT91OY0b8Twitter/X: @shastaabbey

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Sunday, June 14th 2026 by Linda Galijan.

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho – ZMM – 6/14/26 – What is already present is the authentic form of Buddha, not different than your own body and mind. We may think there is something broken that needs to be fixed about ourselves, or that we're lacking in some way. Zazen is the authentic form of Buddha, and returning to yourself again and again is the contemplation of our own true self. Gokan Osho takes up this teaching and encourages us to see ourselves “without distractions and without duality, going beyond conceptualizing,” to contemplate Buddha.

Given by Nyokai Kristin Diggs at Green Gulch Farm on June 14th, 2026 Nyokai Kristin Diggs talks about zazen as a practice of realizing the non-separation of body and mind, and about the dynamic relationship that is the body-mind.

A talk on practicing stillness. (Koun Franz; January 16, 2024)You can support Thousand Harbours Zen and learn more about our practice by visiting thousandharbourszen.com; talks are also available on the Thousand Harbours Zen YouTube Channel. Post-production by Tod Nyokai.

A talk given at Berkeley Zen Center on Thursday, June 11th 2026 by Linda Galijan.

It's easy to see that when we do zazen, we're doing a yoga pose. But we may not be clear about which one it is (Koun Franz; November 21, 2023). You can support Thousand Harbours Zen and learn more about our practice by visiting thousandharbourszen.com; talks are also available on the Thousand Harbours Zen podcast. Post-production by Tod Nyokai.

Drawing on Dogen's meditation manual, Rumi's "Guest House," and the playful wisdom of Zen ancestor Joshu, Bansho explores how zazen is an embodied practice of patient absorption — not a mental project — where welcoming whatever arises with steadiness and lightheartedness reveals that the ordinary mind itself is the way. ★ Support this podcast ★

Given by Nyokai Kristin Diggs at City Center on May 23rd, 2026 Nyokai Kristin Diggs talks about the difference between the zazen of Soto Zen and styles of sitting practice that aim at attaining an ideal or special state of mind.

1282 ADZG Sunday Morning Shuso Talk about Zazen by Gerrie Griffin The post Shuso Talk 3: The Koan of Don't Know first appeared on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

Dharma talk given Sunday, April 19, 2026.

1280 ADZG Sunday Morning Shuso Talk about Zazen by Gerrie Griffin The post Shuso Talk #2: On Zazen first appeared on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

04/08/2026, Dan Zigmond, dharma talk at City Center. Dan Zigmond explores how the "monkey mind" the Buddha diagnosed 2,500 years ago is exactly what today's algorithms are engineered to exploit, drawing on nearly thirty years of building attention-capturing technology at Google, Facebook, Apple, and Headspace, alongside four decades of Zen practice.

Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh - An introduction to our zazen practice

04/04/2026, Marc Lesser, dharma talk at City Center. Marc Lesser weaves together personal stories, Shunryu Suzuki, Dogen, and the Enneagram, in an exploration of how we interpret our identities and the world.

04/01/2026, Henzan Roger Hillyard, dharma talk at City Center. Roger Hillyard explores how Dogen's most poetic sutra, Mountains and Rivers, can help us practice with tragedy and lead us towards equanimity.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 3/28/26 – The subtle healing energy of zazen is likened to an acupuncture needle by Hongzhi, and Shugen Roshi explores how this teaching functions in our own practice life. Within zazen, are we truly engaging what is right in front of us? The simple and direct nature of zazen brings us back again and again, and so we return and settle into the ease of being within our own minds. Hongzhi invites us to “know without touching…and rest there.” Things become closer, softer, bright and clear.

Genjo Marinello Osho gave this Teisho during the second day of Spring Sesshin, 2026, at Chobo-Ji. This talk explores the difference between effort and striving. Striving creates interference; without effort no growth is possible. Zazen requires effort.

1276 ADZG Sunday Morning Dharma Talk by Rev. Hōgetsu Laurie Belzer The post Fundamentally Zazen is a Caring Practice first appeared on Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

03/18/2026, Doshin Patti Mitchell, dharma talk at City Center. Doshin Patti Mitchell shares how meditation and community helped her face suffering, expectations, and self-judgment. Speaking about the importance of honesty, gratitude, and spiritual friendship, she also honors the teachers and practitioners who supported her along the way.

03/15/2026, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho expands the teachings of Buddha from tools held in our hands (in our control) to a way of living that is wider than we can imagine.

03/08/2026, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho explores stillness and silence as a response to the great suffering we are facing today. Can we trust the discovery promised in a practice of silence to lead us to resolve or peace?

03/08/2026, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho explores stillness and silence as a response to the great suffering we are facing today. Can we trust the discovery promised in a practice of silence to lead us to resolve or peace?

03/04/2026, Shosan Victoria Austin, dharma talk at City Center. Shosan Victoria Austin explores love as an internal posture, rather than a feeling. A stable base for our posture of love is awareness and patience with the negative emotions that often come up without our noticing them.

03/01/2026, Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Jiryu Rutschman-Byler reflects on the classical Zen teaching "the ten thousand things are one body," exploring how understanding that truth plants seeds of peace in our hearts and in this world of confusion and violence, in which we see the "left hand" and "right hand" of this "one body" choose again and again to go to war with each other.

02/28/2026, Grace Dammann, dharma talk at City Center. Dr. Grace Dammann shares her journey through medicine, Zen practice, disability, and spiritual awakening.

02/25/2026, Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo, dharma talk at City Center. Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo reflects on full presence as direct, embodied, moment-to-moment awareness beyond judgment or self-narrative, illustrated by a wordless encounter with a newborn and cultivated through zazen as “practice 24/7.”

02/22/2026, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho speaks to the fear of being consumed by great suffering while being turned towards the expansion of life at the same time.

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 2/21/26 – Our unified being—seeing body and mind as one reality—is profoundly affected by outside circumstances. Zazen practice turns us inward, to meet ourselves and what is arising in this mind-body. Shugen Roshi brings The Metta Sutta alive as the Buddha's instructions on how to practice this dynamic flow of both inward and outward with loving-kindness. It speaks to the heart of spiritual work and the transformation possible, when a practitioner can bring these qualities outward to meet the world. – The text of the Karaniya Metta Sutta is here on the ZMM Liturgy page: zmm.org/liturgy/

02/21/2026, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. Kiku Christina Lehnherr explores meeting everything that presents itself to our awareness with tender and gentle attention.

02/20/2026, Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo, sesshin dharma talk at City Center. Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo explores how lifelong, internalized expectations—shaped by personal history and conditioning—distort perception and create suffering by separating us from present-moment experience.

02/15/2026, Heather Shoren Iarusso, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Heather Shōren Iarusso discusses an encounter with a rattlesnake when, in the flash of danger, there is no “Heather,” no narrative, no arising mental formations—only pure perception and appropriate response.

02/14/2026, Gendo Lucy Xiao, dharma talk at City Center. Gendo Lucy Xiao 玄道 invites us to welcome the Lunar New Year by settling into inner stability and ease—remembering that peace is not something we chase outside ourselves, but something we can return to right where we are.

02/08/2026, Marc Lesser, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Marc Lesser explores awareness, compassion, and the idea that nothing in the universe is truly hidden.

02/07/2026, Onryu Mary Stares, dharma talk at City Center. Onryu Mary Stares explores how external stimuli can act as a gate to practice if we use intention and curiosity.

02/01/2026, Thiemo Blank, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Thiemo Blank guides us towards awakening to "the one who is not busy" in everyday activity.

Since the term arose in 1950's, "self-care" has referred to a number of different things. If we consider self-care to be things you do to remain physically and mentally healthy, then Zazen – simple, goalless, Zen meditation – can be seen as excellent self-care. In these troubled times, such self-care can even be seen as defiant – refusing to be broken down by challenging circumstances. Other forms of meditation can also be seen as self-care, of course, but Zazen can be a little difficult to get your mind around. Framing it as self-care may help you appreciate what it's all about.

01/28/2026, Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo, Shuso Way-Seeking Mind talk at City Center. Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo unpacks the shuso's way-seking mind by framing practice as an everyday exercise of holding internal conflict without fixing it, allowing harmony to arise naturally, and walking one's vows through ordinary activities.

01/24/2026, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. Kiku Christina Lehnherr explores how the body is completely and inseparably intertwined and interconnected with the mind and with everything in this universe, and how the practice of slowing down a fraction in all our activities can support us in becoming intimate with our body.

Our annual session includes readings from Hold Nothing, emphasizing practice, respect, and structures of encouragement. Join me to sit briefly, address potent prompts intended to create intentionality and spaces of grace for you and yours as you proceed into this year.  (0:00) – Annual Planning Session Introduction (1:54) – Practice and Respect in Conscious Evolution (4:45) – Zen Meditation and the Practice of Zazen (7:20) – Aging and Letting Go of Caring About Others' Opinions (10:16) – Note of Gratitude from the Body (35:42) – Sitting Practice and Reflection on Encouragement (39:29) – Engaging in Relationships with Encouragement (47:58) – Final Reflections and Q&A Resources Planning Guidebook Feelings and Needs List Substacks Elena Brower – Hold Nothing Sierra Campbell – Choose Nurture | choosenurture.com Laurel Hayne-Miller – The Flowering Path Books Bookshop Everyday Zen — Charlotte Joko Beck Returning to Silence — Kōshō Uchiyama Silent Illumination — Guo Gu The Truth of This Life — Katherine Thanas Mountains and Rivers Sutra — Norman Fischer Better Apart — Gabrielle Hartley and Elena Brower What We Say Matters — Judith Lasater