Podcasts about zen practice

Send us a textIn today's episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we're talking with Zen Master, Genpo Roshi. Roshi has been one of the pioneers of Zen throughout the U.S. and Europe. He's known for his development of the Big Mind process, a method that combines Zen practice with Western psychological principles to facilitate personal transformation and insight. We discuss his early life experiences that set him on this path, the concepts of awakening and enlightenment, the nature of the mind, human being vs. doing, the judicious use of psychedelic tools, and the differences between Big Mind and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Roshi also takes Reid and me through a short practice that we found very helpful. You can learn more about Roshi's teachings at https://bigmind.org/For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Numinus Network and is hosted by Dr. Steve Thayer and Dr. Reid Robison.Learn more about our podcast at https://numinusnetwork.com/learn/podcast/Learn more about psychedelic therapy training opportunities at https://numinusnetwork.com/training/Learn more about our clinical trials at https://www.numinusnetwork.com/researchLearn more about Numinus at https://numinusnetwork.com/Email us at ptfpodcast@numinus.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstevethayer/https://www.instagram.com/innerspacedoctor/https://www.instagram.com/numinushealth/

Discover how to transform crisis into clarity in this powerful guided meditation designed to help you reclaim your inner strength, elevate your awareness, and realign with your spiritual truth. Whether you're navigating emotional overwhelm, personal loss, or unexpected life changes, this meditation offers a grounded and heart-centered path through the storm. Led by Rev. Lee Wolak, spiritual teacher and author of The Power in You, this session combines deep breathwork, visualization, and powerful affirmations to support you in moving beyond fear, reconnecting with your purpose, and accessing the still point within. This isn't just a relaxation technique—it's a tool for awakening. Use this meditation anytime you feel off-balance, uncertain, or disconnected from your spiritual power.

In this episode I make the case for accommodations for people with physical challenges, even in sesshin, and then describe a number of tried and tested ways Sanghas can do this. I finish by talking about how to negotiate with a Sangha if you are someone with physical challenges and hope to be accommodated, particularly in the practice of intensive retreat.

People with extra physical challenges - disabilities, chronic illnesses, or advanced age - often find it impossible to participate fully in Zen practice without special accommodations. Seated meditation (zazen) can be painful, and the demands of silent meditation retreats (sesshin) can be prohibitive. However, an important part of Zen practice - especially sesshin - is how everyone follows the forms together, doing the same things at the same times. The whole idea is to minimize the need to exercise personal choice, and to use a certain amount of physical discomfort to bring us up against the existential matter of our lives. How can Sanghas support the Zen practice of people with physical challenges while preserving what is supportive to those without them?

Unlock the secret to mastering life by embracing the power of letting go in this transformative video. In a world full of challenges, control, and resistance, true peace comes from surrendering to the present moment. Discover practical insights rooted in spirituality, Zen principles, and the teachings of Religious Science that will help you release the struggle and trust life's natural flow. Whether you're seeking inner peace, spiritual growth, or a deeper connection to yourself and the universe, this video will guide you through how acceptance can be the ultimate key to freedom. Learn how to stop overthinking, let go of emotional baggage, and find harmony within. Perfect for those exploring mindfulness, meditation, and the path to spiritual awakening.

Discover the transformative power of your breath in this insightful video, “Unlock the Power of Your Breath: Your Key to Inner Calm and Centered Living.” Learn how conscious breathing can help you achieve inner peace, release stress, and become fully present in the moment. Whether you're navigating life's challenges, seeking spiritual growth, or simply looking for tools to stay grounded, this video offers practical guidance rooted in mindfulness, Zen principles, and spiritual awakening. Rev Lee Wolak, author of The Power in You and a passionate teacher of Religious Science, shares how the breath is your anchor to the now—a pathway to serenity, clarity, and transformation. Join this exploration of spiritual awareness and discover how to use the breath to realign with your higher self. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to continue your journey to self-awareness.

Are you struggling to navigate life's unpredictable highs and lows? In this video, Rev. Lee Wolak, author of The Power in You and spiritual teacher of Religious Science, shares practical insights on how to maintain inner peace, strength, and resilience through life's rollercoaster moments. As a dedicated Zen practitioner, Rev. Lee reveals how to embrace acceptance, find balance, and use the power of the present moment to create a life of fulfillment. Discover how to let go of resistance, flow with life's challenges, and uncover your true spiritual essence. Whether you're facing overwhelming success or deep struggles, you'll learn how both experiences can serve your growth when approached with awareness and spiritual mastery. If you're someone seeking deeper meaning, personal empowerment, or spiritual awakening, this video is for you. Don't let the chaos of life define you—learn how to take charge of your experience with mindfulness, acceptance, and courage. Stay tuned until the end for actionable steps to help you turn life's challenges into opportunities for expansion. Subscribe for weekly wisdom on spirituality, personal growth, and how to unlock the power within you!

The eighth Field of Zen Practice is Realization, gaining a direct, personal experience of the truth. Realization helps you respond appropriately, allowing you to live by choice instead of by karma. Even more importantly, it gives you a larger perspective that can result in equanimity, even joy. There are different levels of truth, and the Dharma – Reality-with-a-Capital-R – is the biggest truth of all. Fortunately, it is a wonderful and liberating truth to wake up to. However, it's important to understand that there is no “Realization” you can attain that means you know everything. The truth is infinite and there is always more to awaken to and embody.

Make sure to check out Henry's book “Original Love” https://henryshukman.com/writing/original-love Also check out the meditation app “The Way” https://www.thewayapp.com/?source=us_traffic Welcome to The Sacred Speaks! In this episode, I sit down with Henry Shukman—a Zen teacher, poet, and co-founder of The Way meditation app. Together, we explore the profound mysteries of meditation, spirituality, and the human experience. Henry shares his journey from his early struggles with eczema and psychological challenges to his transformative awakening and his life as a Zen teacher. We dive deep into Zen concepts, the beauty of ordinary experience, and the intersection of poetry and meditation. Henry offers wisdom on navigating common meditation hindrances and shares practical advice for cultivating awareness, deepening meaning, and connecting with the unseen currents of existence. Join us as we uncover the power of meditation to transform both our inner and outer lives.

The seventh Field of Zen Practice is Opening Your Heart. Working explicitly to open your heart not only benefits other living beings, it puts you in accord with the Dharma and supports all other aspects of your practice. You work on radical self-acceptance to make Awakening and compassion possible.  You work on real and personal relationships with other beings – overcoming your social fears, becoming more willing to be seen and known, learning to be authentic, and recognizing the Buddha-Nature manifested in others. Ultimately, self and other are not separate; in practice, you seek to manifest and realize this simultaneously.

The sixth Field of Zen Practice is ending Dukkha (this is part of my book, The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners). While physical and emotional pain, discomfort, and longing are an inevitable part of human life, Dukkha is existential angst we add to such experiences, ranging from subtle uneasiness to acute anguish. It drives our unhealthy or harmful behaviors, so we seek to end Dukkha for the sake of self and others. Buddhism offers a holistic approach to doing this, including maximizing our overall spiritual health and working with our karma. However, Buddhism's radical teaching is that Dukkha is a symptom of underlying spiritual illness caused by false views - so, through practice, our spiritual illness can be cured, and Dukkha ended.

This dharma talk was given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on October 2nd, 2024 during Wednesday Night Program. In this talk Jogen discusses the ego, its many facets and how it impacts or life. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to UnMind podcast, number 165. In this segment, with a sigh of relief, we turn away from the horror show that is the climactic crescendo of the current 4-year election cycle, with its implications for climatic consequences — as we are witnessing with the 1-2 punch of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, Mother Natures' odd couple of the moment and probable precursors of more to come. It is as if God's eraser is being applied to the original plan for this nation, eradicating whole swaths of our occupation of what was once Her sacred wilderness. In the face of such catastrophe — which we consider “unprecedented,” in the worn-out superlative of the day, “only because of our ignorance,” according to the great Ch'an poem Hsinhsinming, Trust in Mind. Whether innocent or willful, this ignorance causes us to question the bedrock assumptions we make about the importance and relevance of our most personal aspirations in the practice of Zen. Of course, the Earth has endured much worse in its lifetime, known as the “five major extinctions,” where many of the species prevalent on her fragile surface did not survive the change intact. The human species may now be facing a similar extinction, ironically, as an unintended consequence of our success in dominating the planet, or so we are told. In this context, there seems to be little point in paying attention to the relatively trivial aspects of coping with everyday life, let alone hoping that the outcome of the election is going to make much of a difference, but that is precisely what I would like to share with you in what follows. Zen practice is eight days a week. For the last year or so, I have been more committed than usual to regularly attend morning meditation at the Zen center, which for me incurs only a 10- to 15-minute drive, depending on traffic, from our home. Nonetheless, because it starts at 6:00 o'clock am, I have to exercise some diligence in going to bed a bit earlier than I might like, as well as getting out of bed, and out of the house, to arrive in time before the others do. In a city like Atlanta, the commute — to work and back, or anywhere else — becomes a part of the calculation. So I thought it might be interesting to you to hear a blow-by-blow account of what I go through as my morning routine. Perhaps it will encourage you to endeavor to visit the zendo in person more often, as one of many of the “damn your lousy excuses” from that chapter in “The Original Frontier.” Let me touch on some of the repeat highlights of negotiating daily practice around regular sitting in a non-monastic setting. Getting ThereMaster Dogen reported that his teacher in China, Nyojo Zenji, made a vow to leave his bed “like a pair of old shoes” each morning. I am not sure of what kind of shoes they wore in those days, but in my case at least, old shoes can be a lot more comfortable than new ones. And with the process of aging, getting up and getting going each day can be a real adventure in recovery. Moving from the horizontal to the vertical in proprioception becomes an exercise in defiance of gravity. Setting the AlarmA great luxury of being semi-retired, or retired into full-time Zen, as I like to think of it, is the non-necessity of using an alarm. At last I have come into accordance with the old Zen saying, “When tired I sleep; when hungry I eat” — a description of reality, and a prescription for practice, from a time in which no one had a clock, let alone a motherboard embedded in a slab of silicon. I reluctantly set the alarm for 5:30 AM in order to be sure to arrive at ASZC in time to open for the 6:00-7:00 AM sit. When the alarm went off, I was already half-awake. As if my subconscious mind was aware of time as measured by the tick-tock of battery-operated electrons. Dressing in the DarkCommitted to attending every morning for five weekdays, and to leaving the house just in time, my morning routine is quick and simple. I keep my Zen outfit readily available, so I can dress as quickly as possible, pick up the things I need, and be out the door. This involves pulling on clothing in the dark, including my long-sleeved tee-shirt made of bamboo. Proceeding by touch in lieu of vision offers three ways to get it wrong, and only one way to get it right. If the garment has a label at the back of the neck that can be felt, it provides tactile clues to orientation to put the shirt on correctly. But If not, you might put it on backward; inside out; or inside out and backward. In one recent instance, I thought I had it right, because in lieu of a label at the back of the collar, my pullover has a small triangle on the front that can be identified clearly through touch. But when I returned home after zazen, and looked in the mirror, I found that the shirt was not on backward — but it was inside-out. The pants I wear to sit in are also made of bamboo, soft and stretchy, so they tend to be clingy when I am pulling them on, so I perch on my bureau, or chest of drawers, and pull them on one leg at a time — they have tie-strings in front, so no problem in getting the front-to-back and inside-to-outside orientation correct there — but my left foot always tries to find its way into the pants pocket. I have to remember to put my socks on after my pants, because the enhanced friction of cloth-on-cloth increases the likelihood of becoming tangled in the leg of the pants. Driving to the CenterAt 5:30 AM it is still dark in Atlanta at this time of year, so I turn on the headlights. Our car does not have an audible warning if the lights are left on, so I have to be careful about turning them off once I reach the Zen center, and even more so after I return home, when it is light. I have managed to run the battery down more than once. Just another mindfulness moment. Neighborhood traffic is light at this time of day, though where we live is very much an inner-city location. The route to the Zen center is only three miles or so, as a crow flies, but it passes through six stoplights and one stop sign at the various intersections along the way, which takes about ten minutes. Potholes are the bigger nuisance, and I know from the school of hard knocks where each and every one of them is. Sometimes, half-asleep, I forget, and am rudely reminded by the sudden bump and loud noise, like the kyosaku stick, which, as Matsuoka-roshi would often say, will “wake you up.” If all goes well, I arrive within fifteen minutes or so of the start time, turn on the lights, burn a stick of welcoming incense, and settle in at the Doan, or time-keeper, station. One of our current fulltime residents is an early bird, so she is usually there to unlock the door and meet and greet any attendees even before I arrive. But residents are, by nature, transient. Again, we are not monastics, and the modern Zen center is not a monastery. It is more like a bivouac, a temporary gathering place where we reconnoiter to rest up and regroup before reentering the fray of the battle of everyday life. Retreats, or sesshin, are an extended version of this hunkering down, more like an attack on our life issues, than a retreat from them. AttendingSoon, I am sitting in my spot with the clock, gong, and clacker-sticks at the ready to time the alternating bouts of sitting and walking meditation. If others arrive in time, I strike the gong three times at precisely 6:00 AM, which signifies the beginning of the period, marking the three bows the head priest usually makes before joining the group in zazen. If I suspect someone is coming but may be late, I wait until 5 minutes or so after to strike the gong. You can hear the cars arriving in the parking lot outside, and it is better to let the late-comers join before striking the starting gongs. SittingSettling into the posture includes embracing the stubborn resistance of tendons and ligaments in the legs and knee joints to being folded into the pretzel-like figure of crossed legs or kneeling, the so-called “lotus” and “seiza” postures. I favor the more relaxed “Burmese,” or native American style of tucking the legs under, instead of twisting the knee joints to rotate the ankles and feet to turn the soles up, in the classic posture illustrated by various iconic statuary and images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. Fortunately, these aspects of “sitting upright in Samadhi” are less important than that the spine, neck and head be oriented in one straight, vertical line, “between heaven and earth,” as Matsuoka-roshi used to say. TimingBeing responsible for timing the sitting, both for oneself and for others, puts a different slant on our perception of time. We typically sit for two 25-minute periods with walking meditation of 5 minutes in between. I do not like looking at the clock, or timing my own sit at home, but when attending on others, I have to keep track of the time for their benefit. So the apparent friction between “self-and-other” raises its unlovely head, sometimes arousing a mild resentment, to accompany the natural resistance of the body to sitting still. When the time for walking meditation (J. kinhin) comes, we ring the bell twice, and strike the clacker sticks, twice at the beginning, and once at the end, of the five minutes or so. All signaling is non-verbal, in order to relieve the participants of the irritant of the human voice. ChantingAt the end of the last period of sitting, we strike the bell once before beginning the morning service. The sound of the big gong (J. kane) is said to be the “voice of Buddha.” Reciting the daily feature chant from our “Zen Practice at Home” manual, we are reminded of the various teachings of our Indian, Chinese, and Japanese ancestors. When someone is in need of training, we stay behind for a half hour or so to go over the protocols or leading the service, or whatever details they want to review more closely. LeavingAfter “leaving no traces” by restoring the zendo to its pristine appearance, and shutting down the facility, I drive home by the reverse route that I followed coming to the morning session, with variations depending upon the local morning traffic that has increased dramatically over the span of a couple of hours. I know all the shortcuts to avoid the morning rush on the main north-south route of the neighborhood commute to work, as well as local parents escorting their progeny to the bus stop, to be picked up and safely transported to the local schools. It reminds me that Master Dogen once commented that what we are doing in Zen — zazen meditation and Dharma study — is developing “true intelligence.” I find myself hoping that the children being herded to their public and private institutions of learning will someday be exposed to this Dharma, the most refined level of education. Arriving HomeWithin a time span of approximately twice the duration of the earlier commute to the Zen center, given the exponentially increased traffic load, I arrive home again in the daylight of the rising sun. (Although, of course, the sun does not rise, nor does it set, technically speaking. But I digress.) Sometimes, along the way, I will stop and pick up a couple of large lattes — one regular, one decaf — and perhaps a breakfast croissant, from one of the three or four coffee shops along the way, one of the perks of living in a lively inner-city setting. I am reminded of the historical factoid that coffee shops were once banned in the cities of Greece, when they had become hotbeds of revolutionary fervor. The social or political downside of being over-caffeinated, I suppose. Other mornings I will make my own breakfast, or crawl back into bed, depending on the after-effects of the prior evening's schedule and activities. Then, in 24 hours or so, I do it all over, once again. With enough repetition, it becomes routine, this daily practice of public, group zazen, bookended by sleep, work, rest and re-engagement in the passing pageantry of life. Best way to start the day.

In this episode, Sensei Michael shares reflections from the closing of a September 2024 sesshin at One River Zen. As the retreat draws to a close, he explores the powerful insights that arise when we step out of the stories we've created about ourselves and engage with the present moment. Drawing from Shōyōroku Case 32, "Kyōzan's State of Mind," Sensei Michael invites us to observe our thoughts and experience life directly, without being swept away by mental constructs.The episode also weaves in the teachings of Carl Jung from his Red Book, emphasizing the importance of letting go of fixed ideas and embracing the natural growth of our true selves. Just as Jung encourages growth without knowing the law of it, Sensei Michael reminds us that our practice is about meeting life as it is—not as we think it should be.Join us as we explore how to shift beyond intellectual understanding and step into the boundless nature of being. Remember, once you've seen your true nature, you can't unsee it—but continued practice is essential, as the weeds of delusion can quickly grow back.Key Points:The seductive power of personal stories and how to step beyond themReflections on Shōyōroku Case 32 and Kyōzan's guidance on observing thoughtInsights from Carl Jung's Red Book on natural growth and letting go of the small selfThe importance of continued practice to prevent delusions from creeping back inTakeaway: Let go of who you think you should be, and find your life where it is, right here and now. But don't stop practicing—true insight requires ongoing effort.Tune in and reflect with us at oneriverzen.org! Learn more, study with us, and meditate online at oneriverzen.org.

This talk was given by Kodo Conover during the Sunday evening program on September 8th, 2024 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, OR. In this talk Kodo discusses women zen practice. Is zen a liberating practice for women as well as men? ★ Support this podcast ★

This talk was given by ZCO Dharma Holder Shonin Ashton on September 5th, 2024 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, OR. In this talk Shonin discusses the path of zen practice, and specifically how leaders in ZCO sometimes looks at the path of practice in ZCO. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this guided meditation we explore what is it to do zen practice together and to wake up together. in supporting each others practice, we support our own; in practicing together we discover our uniqueness within the simultaneous discovery of how important we are to each other.

This talk was given at this year's annual gathering of the American Zen Teachers Association held at the Great Vow Monastery in Oregon. This talk explores what Genjo Osho sees as the essence of Zen practice and the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows.

This talk is by Jogen, Sensei from July Sesshin 202 at Great Vow Zen Monastery , talk 5. In this dharma talk Jogen discusses a bigger view of zen practice and specifically sesshin practice. What is all this practice really about? ★ Support this podcast ★

GuestRyan Lee Wong is author of the novel Which Side Are You On, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. He lived for two years at Ancestral Heart Temple and is the Administrative Director of Brooklyn Zen Center.Some of Ryan's publications include:Which Side Are You On, his novel published in 2023. Every Past Life All At Once, a critical essay on the films Past Lives and Everything Everywhere All At Once on The AMP.The Buddha on TV: Nam June Paik's fraught relationship to Buddhism, on PBS: American MastersCheck out his website to read more and stay updated. IG: @ryanlwong Your HostREVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

This Dharma Talk was given by the Reverend Karen Do'on Weik Sensei at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo on September 24, 2023. In this talk Sensei discusses Three Necessisary Conditions for Zen Practice by Kōun Yamada. 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. 

Hogen Bays, Roshi Rohatsu Sesshin 2020Great Vow Zen MonasteryDecember 2020 ★ Support this podcast ★

The fifth Field of Zen Practice is living according to moral Precepts. The Buddhist precepts guide our ethical conduct, ensuring we minimize the harm we do to self and others. Such conduct is a prerequisite for the peace of mind we need for spiritual practice. The precepts also serve as valuable tools for studying the self; when we are tempted to break them, it alerts us to our self-attachment and reveals our persistent delusion of self as a separate and inherently-existing entity. Keeping the precepts familiarizes us with acting as if the self is empty of inherent existence. This episode is the first part of chapter five of my book-in-process, The Ten Fields of Zen: A Primer for Practitioners. 

Kia Miller and Elena Brower discuss Elena's continuing journey into her Zen practice, covering her methodology and some key insights that the practice has brought her. They discuss how their spiritual practices have led them to positively embrace imperfection, and steer away from perfectionism.They discuss the challenges and rewards of meditation, and how to bring a fresh perspective to one's practice. Elena emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and shares techniques for practicing nonviolent communication, both internally and with others. Kia and Elena reflect on how their practices have evolved over the years and what it means to accept and grow from one's imperfections. They delve into the role of teaching and how to connect with and inspire students in the ever-evolving journey of spiritual and personal development.As “Elena says in the interview, “The best celebration of your humanity is to sit and be present with what is."You'll come away from the episode with insightful strategies for integrating meditation and mindfulness into daily life.Key Takeaways for this Episode00:00 Meet Elena Brower02:13 Elena's journey into zen practice06:04 The simplicity of zen practice08:41 Letting go and cultivating compassion12:35 Nonviolent communication and acknowledging humanity25:04 Dropping negative thoughts32:46 Embracing imperfection on the spiritual path36:49 Self-compassion and self-acceptance40:29 The evolution of Kia and Elena's personal practices43:20 Gratitude and love as healing forcesLinks:Kia Miller: Website | InstagramElena Brower: Website | InstagramGlo: Website | InstagramGLO classes:Practice with KiaPractice with Elena

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

The Teaching of Thus: the Avatamsaka Sutra as a Root of Zen Practice

This episode and the last, “Dharma Study: Wrestling with the Teachings,” comprise chapter four of my book, The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners. In the last episode, Part 1, I talked about the value of Dharma Study and how best to approach it. Then I discussed how to go about deciding what you want to study. In this episode I offer a list of eight fundamental teachings I recommend becoming familiar with, along with suggested texts to begin your investigation of each topic. I'll end with a discussion of how to engage the teachings you study in a meaningful way. 

The fourth Field of Zen practice is Dharma Study, or becoming familiar with and investigating Buddhist teachings. The texts and teachings in Buddhism include tools we can use for practice and inspirational guidance for our behavior, but the most critical part of Dharma Study is challenging the ideas and views we already hold, not acquiring new ones. The teachings describe Reality-with-a-Capital-R and invite us to investigate and verify the truth for ourselves. We don't seek to acquire insight into Reality for its own sake, but because it is liberating and transformative.

The third Field of Zen practice is Mindfulness, which is cultivating clear awareness of what is happening, moment by moment, within you and around you. Mindfulness is absolutely fundamental to Zen practice, allowing you to practice within all the other Fields. Without awareness, you can't live your life by choice instead of by karma.

This is the third episode of three comprising the “Zazen” chapter of my book, “The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners.” I start by offering what I should have put at the beginning of my chapter on Zazen: Basic instructions for Zazen. I then discuss how my “Five Efforts in Zazen” suggest Zazen is a neat and linear process, but in actuality Zazen is a messy, organic, real-life experience. Finally, I talk about how to deepen your Zazen without getting caught up in self-centered striving.

This is the second episode of three comprising the "Zazen" chapter of my book, "The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners.” I finish my discussion of the five efforts of Zazen, covering becoming intimate with Life, seeing the true nature of Life, and being one with Life.

Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.  Automated Transcript The post The Zen Practice of Non-abiding appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

The second Field of Zen practice is Zazen. “Za” means seated, and “zen” means meditation. However, as 13th-century Zen master Dogen famously stated, “…Zazen is not meditation practice.” Superficially, our Zazen may look like the meditation done in other spiritual traditions, or even in secular settings. We even call Zazen “meditation” sometimes, for convenience. However, Zazen is not meditation in the sense of a mental exercise aimed at a particular result. Zazen is our total response to life. It is the essence and enactment of our entire Zen practice.

Conditions come and go. At times, one may feel motivated and energized by practice, and, at other times, discouraged and stuck in a rut. How do we stay engaged in the midst of changing conditions? Teisho by Sensei Dhara Kowal. Automated Transcript The post The Ebb and Flow of Zen Practice appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

This episode on Bodhicitta, or Way-Seeking Mind, is chapter two of my book The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners.” Bodhicitta is the first Field of practice because without it we never even begin practice, and, if we don't nurture and sustain it, our practice will wither and die. I discuss the first arising of Bodhicitta, its function, how to cultivate it, and its profound nature.

For the beginning of a young adult sesshin, Sensei Kodo and Sensei Kozan speak on beginner's mind and maintaining freshness in our practice. Sensei Kodo explores the meaning of “pure […]

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

In this introductory chapter to my book, “The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners," I discuss the nature of practice and "progress" on the path of practice. I then introduce the Ten Fields, and the rest of the book will consist of a chapter on each of the Fields.

Degna Chikei Levister, MRO Senior Lay Student - ZCNYC - 1/28/24 - Chikei offers a glimpse of why she came to Zen Practice, and why she has stayed—this commitment to living a life in harmony.

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly zoom session of questions&responses. For more information: https://zaltho.org/ If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question: info@zaltho.org Book recommendations:  -       Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021) -       AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003) https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html If you are interested in a specific question, this is the list of questions that Claude AnShin responded to and the time stamps for those questions so that you can go directly to the topic that is of most interest to you. Questions and Time Stamps:1:12 What would you say to somebody who says:“I like to smoke pot every day. It makes me happy, productive, and I relate better to other people.. What's wrong with that?" **** 2:35 You are recommending that people sit twice a day. What would you say if someone was asking you what for? **** 3:38  How do you know and then how do you respond if someone is trying to manipulate? **** 5:38  How come there are not more people of African origins in Zen groups? **** 6:27 Do you sometimes have bad temper without a reason and if so, do you then do efforts to understand how come? **** 8:54 From the point of view of our practice are there good moods and bad moods? **** 9:45 Would you find it useful and meaningful and also appropriate to include a meditation practice into a psychotherapeutic setting? **** 11:24 How can I deal with a grieving that suddenly overcomes me in connection with animals that I was part of them dying and at the time when it happened I did not process any of that? **** 12:49 In which ways can meditation be dangerous? **** 13:48Does a personal response to outside stimuli ever surprise you meaning your own thoughts? ****14:22 What does it do to you when people are initially inflamed by practice after visiting a talk or retreat and don't continue on? Or people abandon practice and don't come back? **** 15:27 How do I deal with a conversation in which I am sharing about my experience with meditation practice and I am being treated offensively or hurtfully? **** 17:36 When someone is angry with you, how do you deal with that?

12/03/2023, Chosetsu Lauren Bouyea, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Suzuki Roshi said that beginner's mind - meeting the world and ourselves just-as-it-is - is the secret of Zen practice, but there are many powerful cultural and evolutionary forces that make remembering our beginner's minds the most difficult thing.

Dharma talk by Melissa Myozen Blacker, Rōshi, on October 17, 2023

Practice and our lives are not two. Insight comes when the thinking mind falls silent. Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn. Automated Transcript The post Establishing and Sustaining Zen Practice appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly zoom session of questions&responses. For more information: https://zaltho.org/ If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question: info@zaltho.org Want to read up on these topics? Book recommendations:  -       Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021) -       AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003) https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html Questions and their time stamps:1:10 If daily life and meditation are not two separate things, should we aim at keeping breath awareness as long as we are awake? **** 1:25 In my relationship, especially with cats, I realize that loving them comes with some attachment. How is it in practice that non-attachment doesn't mean not to love? **** 3: 34 Would you say that as humans most of our problems are created by ourselves, for example through our attitude or our behavior? **** 3:53 Do you have any recommendations for work when one is working with people with different cultural backgrounds? **** 6:55 Would you expand on a quote I read?  “When the mind appears reality disappears and when the mind disappears reality appears." **** 7:14 Is suicide ever a solution? **** 7:55 You mentioned that my conditioning is being reflected back to me by my world. Do you have an example of this? **** 8:36 Earlier in this session you said that expecting love to be reciprocated is to ignore the interconnectedness of the world? Could you explain that? **** 10:42 Do you see a difference between taking one's own life and or engaging in assisted dying? **** 11:07 How would you evaluate Buddhism in context of a perspective through the Abraham religions? **** 11:55 There are those poems from Rumi. Do they speak to you? **** 12:43 How can you see that the grass loves you? **** 13:27 Yesterday you mentioned to not to seek external comfort. If you support someone in their suffering, what are you doing it for if not to comfort them? **** 14:54 How would you respond to someone who sincerely believes that they perceive dead people and can speak for them? **** 16:16 I have problems with hearing something and understanding it in that moment, then remembering and repeating it. Mostly it's too much for me. **** 17:18 How would you respond to a teenager who says that she hates her mother, that her mother doesn't deserve any love or recognition, even though the mother does a lot for them?

THZ 240 - Zen Practice as Form

07/09/2023, Dojin Sarah Emerson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Ritual is a way to heal ourselves, each other, and the earth.

The emotional walls that protect us at some point, imprisons us. And unless we open the door, we won't see the shadow in front of us to walk through it. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison. Koshin is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and ACPE Certified Chaplaincy Educator. Koshin began his formal Zen training in 1987. He completed six years of training at the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association as well as clinical contemplative training at both Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Medical Center. Koshin is a renowned thought leader and author in contemplative care; his work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. Koshin is the author of the recently published book Untangled: Walking the Full Path to Clarity, courage, and Compassion.   For more information about Untangled: Walking the Full Path to Clarity, courage, and Compassion by Koshin Paley Ellison, please visit: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60568473 For more information on the New York Zen Center, please visit: https://zencare.org To connect with New York Zen Center on Instagram please visit: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkzencenter/?hl=en For more information about Commit to Sit, please visit: https://zencare.org/commit-to-sit-90-day-practice-periods/ For more information about Foundations in Contemplative Care, please visit: https://zencare.org/foundations-new/ For more information about Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up by Koshin Paley Ellison, please visit: https://zencare.org/wholehearted-slow-down-help-out-wake-up/ And finally, for more information about Awake at the Bedside, contemplative Teaching Some Palliative End of Life Care by Koshin Paley Ellison, please visit: https://zencare.org/awake-at-the-bedside-contemplative-teachings-on-palliative-and-end-of-life-care/