Podcasts by Thousand Harbours Zen

Episode 247: THZ 247 - Getting Trapped By Right Intention from 2023-11-28T22:25:28

THZ 247 - Getting Trapped By Right Intention

Episode 246: THZ 246 - What About Passion? from 2023-11-11T16:15:13

THZ 246 - What About Passion?

Episode 245: THZ 245 - Zazen is Colourless and Transparent from 2023-10-22T13:33:49

THZ 245 - Zazen is Colourless and Transparent

Episode 244: THZ 244 - Meeting Death in Everyday Life from 2023-10-06T19:54:23

THZ 244 - Meeting Death in Everyday Life

Episode 243: THZ 243 - Five Remembrances from 2023-09-17T12:00

THZ 243 - Five Remembrances

Episode 242: THZ 242 - Equanimity and Congruence from 2023-09-03T13:25:58

THZ 242 - Equanimity and Congruence

Episode 241: THZ 241 - No Secular World in Buddhadharma from 2023-08-13T18:52:12

No Secular World in Buddhadharma

Episode 240: THZ 240 - Zen Practice as Form from 2023-07-30T12:50:46

THZ 240 - Zen Practice as Form

Episode 239: THZ 239 - Resolute Stability from 2023-07-16T12:26:05

THZ 239 - Resolute Stability

Episode 238: THZ 238 - Let Yourself Break Open from 2023-06-28T20:52:38

THZ 238 - Let Yourself Break Open

Episode 237: THZ 237 - Desire vs Attachment from 2023-06-10T10:00

THZ 237 - Desire vs Attachment

Episode 236: THZ 236 - Lean in to Letting Go from 2023-06-03T13:28:16

THZ 236 - Lean in to Letting Go

Episode 235: THZ 235 - Nanquan, The Cat and Us from 2023-05-20T18:00

THZ 235 - Nanquan, The Cat and Us

Episode 234: THZ 234 - When It All Seems Too Big from 2023-05-06T14:00

THZ 234 - When It All Seems Too Big

Episode 233: THZ 233 - Sangha We Make from 2023-04-22T14:00

THZ 233 - Sangha We Make

Episode 232: THZ 232 - Knowing Ourselves as Animals from 2023-04-08T00:30:33

THZ 232 - Knowing Ourselves as Animals

Episode 231: THZ 231 - Mindfulness, Concentration and Superman from 2023-01-21T13:35:14

THZ 231 - Mindfulness, Concentration and Superman

Episode 230: THZ 230 - Fairness from 2022-12-03T16:06:38

Episode 229: THZ 229 - Spiritual Confidence from 2022-10-15T12:56:23

Episode 228: THZ 228 - Those Who Are Able to Let Go from 2022-08-20T15:13:47

We may not be able to let go of our preferences, but we can learn to let go.

Episode 227: THZ 227 - Make an Altar of the World from 2022-07-16T21:46:12

What are we capable of offering? Everything. And it starts now, where you are.

Episode 226: THZ 226 - Where Jizo (and we) Can Go from 2022-06-01T22:53:53

Jizo can go anywhere—including to hell. Where can we go? Where are we afraid to go?

Episode 225: THZ 225 - The Power of Asking Questions from 2022-04-24T15:17:14

The Buddha started with a question. Dogen started with a question. What's yours?

Episode 224: THZ 224 - We Vow to Mature Into the Awakened Way from 2022-03-03T00:02:27

A re-examination of the fourth bodhisattva vow: "The awakened way is unsurpassable; I vow to embody it.".

Episode 223: THZ 223 - We Vow to Learn Infinite Skillful Means from 2022-02-06T15:12:57

A re-examination of the third bodhisattva vow: "Dharma gates are infinite; I vow to enter them."

Episode 222: THZ 222 - We Vow to Cut Through Kleshas from 2022-01-25T22:10:53

A re-examination of the second bodhisattva vow: "Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them."

Episode 221: THZ 221 - We Vow to Free Us All from 2021-12-31T00:00

A re-examination of the first bodhisattva vow: "Beings are countless; I vow to free them all."

Episode 220: THZ 220 - Don't Stop There (Racism and the Bodhisattva Path) from 2021-12-23T15:00:56

In the face of injustice, don't let compassion be an endpoint. Don't let not-knowing be an endpoint. Move, somehow—that's what a bodhisattva does.

Episode 219: THZ 219 - For As Long As Space Endures from 2021-11-28T20:12:10

On Shantideva's Prayer, and what it means to commit to something—to really commit—forever.

Episode 218: THZ 218 - Ritual is How We Hold the World from 2021-11-20T18:23:52

Those who are staying at home right now may find themselves falling into little rituals meant to make things feel regular, and safe; in this practice, ritual is something else.

Episode 217: THZ 217 - Does a Virus Have Buddhanature? from 2021-10-30T13:39:55

Does Covid-19 have buddhanature? Do you? Why do we even ask things like that?

Episode 216: THZ 216 - Can You Feel Yourself Falling? from 2021-10-03T12:56:33

Dogen likened the spiritual life to the experience of falling off a horse. Can you feel it happening?

Episode 215: THZ 215 - When It Feels Like Too Much from 2021-09-02T20:37:07

It can feel like it's all too much, too much to hold. We need to look at that.

Episode 214: THZ 214 - The Three Treasures are Teflon (Tenth Precept) from 2021-08-16T20:43:15

On the tenth precept, "Not defiling the three treasures." The three treasures are just fine, but still, we forget who we are in relationship to them.

Episode 213: THZ 213 - Freedom from 2021-07-31T14:18:16

Freedom—the freedom we want (perhaps especially in the age of social distancing), and the freedom we already have.

Episode 212: THZ 212 - Fearlessness is Generosity from 2021-07-10T12:24:20

Fearlessness is one of the four types of generosity. Why? And how do we get there?

Episode 211: THZ 211 - The Practice of Not Touching Your Face from 2021-06-29T20:38:56

A simple act of refraining, like not touching your face in a pandemic, can be both a practice of mindfulness and an act of generosity.

Episode 210: THZ 210 - Everything is Old, Everything is New from 2021-06-15T20:53:27

Buddhism offers what looks like two contradictory ways of meeting our mind in each moment. But maybe we can hold both.

Episode 209: THZ 209 - Act Like You're Dying from 2021-05-29T13:23:53

If you knew you were dying, how would that change how you see others? Because you are.

Episode 208: THZ 208 - The Intoxication of Anger (Ninth Precept) from 2021-05-16T13:44:43

On Precept 9 (not indulging in anger)—it doesn't say there aren't good reasons to feel anger, just that we should learn not to be seduced by it.

Episode 207: THZ 207 - Offer It All Up (Eighth Precept) from 2021-05-01T12:48:02

On Precept 8 (not withholding dharma assets), clinging vs. letting go, and realizing what you're capable of giving.

Episode 206: THZ 206 - You Don't Know What You Would Do (Seventh Precept) from 2021-04-18T12:55:47

On Precept 7 (not elevating yourself and blaming others). We have more capacity for sympathy—and for delusion—than we're comfortable admitting.

Episode 205: THZ 205 - You're Just Like Everyone Else (Sixth Precept) from 2021-03-16T21:40:01

On Precept 6 (not speaking of the faults of others) and how the keyword isn't "faults," it's "others."

Episode 204: ZNS 204 - We're All Addicted (Fifth Precept) from 2021-01-11T21:52:03

On Precept 5 (not indulging in intoxicants) and the ways in which we feed our addictions.

Episode 203: ZNS 203 - What Do You Think You're Protecting? (Fourth Precept) from 2020-12-23T21:18:51

On Precept 4 (not lying) and the reasons why we lie. What narrative are we trying to control?

Episode 202: ZNS 202 - Let's Talk About Sex (Third Precept) from 2020-12-09T21:34:13

On Precept 3 (not misusing sex) and the messiness of intimacy.

Episode 201: ZNS 201 - What We Think is Ours (Second Precept) from 2020-11-26T19:30:29

On Precept 2 (not stealing) and the question of what we have been offered versus what we just think belongs to us.

ZNS 200 - Being Clean is Not the Point (First Precept) from 2020-11-10T00:09:29

On Precept 1 (not killing) and the mindset we can bring to all the precepts. It's not about becoming more pure.

ZNS 199 - Falling into Refuge from 2020-10-28T23:45:27

Imagine that taking refuge in buddha, dharma, and sangha isn't about choosing to enter some new space, but rather that it's an act of falling without any hope of control.

ZNS 198 - Get Clear About What You Need to Do from 2020-09-28T20:39:09

A reflection on climate activist Greta Thunberg and others who have shaped their lives around a singular intention. How do we root ourselves that deeply?

ZNS 197 - Are the Precepts Artificial? from 2020-09-05T15:24:20

On taking up a path that has boundaries that were created by people centuries ago—why do we do it, and how do we do it sincerely?

ZNS 196 - The Three Poisons from 2020-08-18T20:44:55

The three poisons—attachment, aversion, and ignorance—and how sometimes ignorance is at the centre.

ZNS 195 - Inspiration and the Three Pure Precepts from 2020-08-01T20:23:40

What do we need to take with us on this path? If that's different from what we want, how do we reconcile the two?

ZNS 194 - Traps of Identity from 2020-07-15T21:35:26

There is a difference between how we address the complexity of identity in ourselves, and how we relate to it in others. The approach can't be the same.

ZNS 193 - Actualizing the Buddha Ancestors from 2020-07-05T16:45:17

We chant, "Now, actualizing the buddha ancestors means to bring them forth and look at them respectfully. It is not limited to the buddhas of past, present, and future, but it is going beyond buddh...

ZNS 192 - Being a Teacher, Being a Student from 2020-06-25T21:40:42

Every teacher and every temple have different ideas about the student-teacher relationship; Koun shares some of his perspective on the complexity of it all.

ZNS 191 - A Special Transmission Outside the Scriptures from 2020-06-17T13:34

Bodhidharma famously described Zen as a "special transmission outside the scriptures". What does that mean and why does it matter?

ZNS 190 - Awakening vs Awakened Activity from 2020-06-08T14:54:02

The ground of this practice isn't what we experience, or what we feel, or even what we see—it's what we do, regardless of the rest.

ZNS 189 - Being Awake is Enough from 2020-05-25T18:20:18

We talk a lot about some experience called "awakening," but the real task is simply to be awake.

ZNS 188 - Feeling Trapped from 2020-05-14T19:46:44

On how we work with the feeling that there's no way out of wherever we are, or whatever we're experiencing.

ZNS 187 - We're All Sarah Connor Now from 2020-05-09T14:51:28

In the Terminator movies, Sarah Connor has the burden of knowing what's coming and having to cultivate someone who can address it. We're in the same position.

ZNS 186 - You're Going to Lose it All from 2020-05-01T20:02:26

There isn't anything you have now that you won't eventually lose. So why not start letting go now?

ZNS 185 - Why Do We Do Any of This? from 2020-04-26T15:08:36

Zen usually frames itself in terms of "goallessness", or at least of a practice without object. But that doesn't mean there isn't a method to it.

ZNS 184 - The Noble Eightfold Path (8 of 8) - Right Resolve from 2020-04-17T20:30:10

The last of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Resolve.

ZNS 183 - The Noble Eightfold Path (7 of 8) - Right View from 2020-04-10T13:27:32

The seventh of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right View.

ZNS 182 - The Noble Eightfold Path (6 of 8) - Right Concentration from 2020-04-04T12:36:50

The sixth of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Concentration.

ZNS 181 - The Noble Eightfold Path (5 of 8) - Right Mindfulness from 2020-03-28T22:54:46

The fifth of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Mindfulness.

ZNS 180 - The Noble Eightfold Path (4 of 8) - Right Effort from 2020-03-21T13:36:39

The fourth of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Effort.

ZNS 179 - The Noble Eightfold Path (3 of 8) - Right Livelihood from 2020-03-15T12:51:54

The third of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Livelihood.

ZNS 178 - The Noble Eightfold Path (2 of 8) - Right Action from 2020-03-07T17:59:28

The second of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Action.

ZNS 177 - The Noble Eightfold Path (1 of 8) - Right Speech from 2020-02-29T14:53:27

The first of eight talks on the Noble Eightfold Path - Right Speech.

ZNS 176 - Proper Care and Feeding of Delusions from 2020-02-23T21:33:22

We don't just get rid of delusions, as much as we may want to. So how do we treat them?

ZNS 175 - No Hope, No Despair from 2020-02-15T15:06:35

Hope and despair both come from the same place — no need to trust either one.

ZNS 174 - The Emotions You Think You Don't Want from 2020-02-08T14:20:40

How do we deal with panic, fear, sadness, anger? Buddhism isn't therapy—it doesn't take any of it away. But it does raise some worthwhile questions about how we feel, and about how we feel about ho...

ZNS 173 - When Arrow Points Meet from 2020-02-01T00:48:37

In both "Precious Mirror Samadhi" and "Harmony of Difference and Equality," there are references to arrow points meeting. This is how it works.

ZNS 172 - Compassion from 2020-01-25T16:14:35

Zen traditionally doesn't talk so much about compassion, yet we chant about it a lot. What are we chanting about? Why?

ZNS 171 - You're Holding It All from 2020-01-18T17:56:13

Zazen as a moment of silence in which we just hold everything. We're doing it already, but we can also choose to.

ZNS 170 - What Practice Is and Isn't from 2020-01-12T14:30:39

We have a tendency to take ordinary activities like walking, insert a spiritual feeling, and call it "walking practice."

But what this tradition asks us to explore is dharmic activity, whic...

ZNS 169 - You Don't Know What This Moment Offers from 2020-01-04T16:17:19

Zen practice is outside of any measurement—it's not a place where you can succeed or fail. So how to proceed?

ZNS 168 - Resolve - Just Don't Move from 2019-12-27T15:00:30

What is at the core of resolve? We think of it as a decision to do something, but we can also understand it as a choice to plant ourselves where we are.

ZNS 167 - Opening the Eyes of the Buddha from 2019-12-21T19:37:50

Following an eye-opening ceremony at ZNS's new location, a discussion of how we see the Buddha, and how buddhas see.

ZNS 166 - You'll Never Get it Right from 2019-12-14T19:35:16

How do we commit to doing our best while honestly confronting the impossibility of getting it just right?

ZNS 165 - Listen With This Attitude from 2019-12-06T21:41:35

From Dogen's Zuimonki 6-17: "Forget not only the different views on the dharma, but also worldly affairs, and hunger and cold as well... When you listen with this attitude, you will be able to clar...

ZNS 164 - Bodhidharma from 2019-11-30T15:38

On the legend and legacy of Bodhidharma, the first Zen ancestor in China.

ZNS 163 - Let Go of Inspiration from 2019-11-23T15:09:10

We all want to be inspired, but inspiration can only get us so far. What do we feel, beyond inspiration, that drives us?

ZNS 162 - Reality is a Fabrication from 2019-11-16T14:49:24

We know there's delusion, but what do we think we see if we see completely past delusion? Layer after layer, it's still our own creation. What do we do with that?

ZNS 161 - Why Do We Practice? from 2019-11-10T13:18:21

Why do we practice? Why do we gather in this way, sit in this way? Why do any of it? It starts with not knowing why.

ZNS 160 - How Not to Hold the Precepts from 2019-11-03T13:52:52

How we hold the precepts and what we might get wrong.

ZNS 159 - No Need to Get Unstuck from 2019-10-25T21:35:01

On Buddhism, plateaus, and the idea that there are tools we can use to progress in the practice.

ZNS 158 - The Rocks in Our Pockets from 2019-10-18T23:14:04

On the stories we carry with us and don't know how to let go.

ZNS 157 - Answer Only on the Basis of the True Dharma from 2019-10-11T23:05:20

Dogen said, "When someone asks about the dharma or the essentials of practice, Zen monks must reply on the basis of the true dharma. Do not answer on the basis of expedient means that are not true,...

ZNS 156 - It Starts With What You Do from 2019-10-03T19:40:33

Dogen said, "If you first change your physical behavior, your mind will be reformed as well."

ZNS 155 - Don't Lie About the Burning House from 2019-09-26T20:34:42

On the parable of the burning house, skillful means, and lying.

ZNS 154 - Who is the Teacher? from 2019-09-22T12:25:13

On Buddhist teacher scandals and the notion that we should "not confuse the teachings with the teacher." Can we even do that? And if not, then what?

ZNS 153 - Start From a Hopeless Place from 2019-09-14T12:26:56

Dogen in "Record of Things Heard": "You must practice the Way with the attitude of a person owing a vast debt and being forced to return it despite being penniless. If you have this frame of mind, ...

ZNS 152 - No Excuses from 2019-09-04T23:23:46

“I desire to practice the Way, but the world is in its last period (which is degenerate) and I have only inferior capabilities. I cannot endure the formal practice which accords with the dharma. I ...

ZNS 151 - How Did We Get Here from There? from 2019-08-28T12:34:07

Causation: how did we get here from there? And now what?

ZNS 150 - Don't Rely on the Words of the Ancients from 2019-08-21T22:28:59

"We should not necessarily rely on the words of the ancients, but we should grasp just true reality." From Dogen's "Record of Things Heard" 4-2.

ZNS 149 - Buddhahood and Artificial Intelligence from 2019-08-14T23:09:22

Buddhahood, artificial intelligence, and how we see ourselves in others.

ZNS 148 - Mist and Dew from 2019-08-09T20:05:05

“Associating with a good person is like walking through mist and dew; though you will not become drenched, gradually your robes will become damp.” From Dogen's "Record of Things Heard" 4-4.

ZNS 147 - The Big Thing from 2019-07-24T01:47:14

What is the Big Thing? And how do we not lose sight of it?

ZNS 146 - Awakening With the Body from 2019-07-16T21:29:54

From Dogen's "Record of Things Heard," 2-26: "As long as we only think about the buddhadharma with our minds, we will never grasp the Way, even in a thousand lifetimes or a myriad of eons."

ZNS 145 - Beyond Sitting from 2019-07-10T21:43:07

An explanation of what we call the "private ceremony," a service we can perform at home every day.

ZNS 144 - What is the Most Important from 2019-07-06T13:12:52

From Dogen's "Record of Things Heard," 2-17: "You should spend your time carrying out what is worth doing. Among the things you should do, what is the most important?"

ZNS 143 - Cool Your Mind from 2019-06-28T20:50:55

From Dogen's "Record of Things Heard," 1-15: "A student of the Way must cool his mind as if he were giving up his life, and consider if what he is about to say or do is in accordance with reality o...

ZNS 142 - The Toad - Buddha and the Hundred Foot Pole from 2019-06-23T15:11:13

From "Record of Things Heard" (Zuimonki) 1-13. Dogen: "You should believe your teacher if he says that buddha is nothing but a toad or an earthworm, and throw your former ideas away."

ZNS 141 - The Snake in the Box from 2019-06-16T16:22:14

On the motivations and expectations we bring to practice—and what we actually find.

ZNS 140 - Inside the Walls from 2019-06-11T22:32:44

What's the gap between what we see and what's really there? On the Zen imperative to look beyond simple appearances.

ZNS 139 - Spiritual Heroes from 2019-06-07T19:33:13

How do we open ourselves to being inspired by our heroes without losing sight of them, and ourselves, as three-dimensional beings? 

ZNS 138 - Genjo Koan - When One Side is Illuminated from 2019-06-01T13:21:47

From a one-day retreat, a talk on Dogen's Genjo Koan and the idea that there's something we're missing.

ZNS 137 - You Can't Just Act Ordinary from 2019-05-23T20:53:09

Zen upholds the "ordinary," but when we aim for that, we end up somewhere else.

ZNS 136 - Confusion vs Clarity from 2019-05-16T22:45:57

We imagine that clarity feels sure, and confusion feels uncertain, but there's another clarity in not knowing. 

ZNS 135 - If It Isn't Real, What is It? from 2019-05-09T23:01:50

A reminder about interdependence and how we work so hard to convince ourselves that the things in our minds are real.

ZNS 134 - What We Do When We Don't Know What to Do from 2019-05-01T22:51:15

How can we respond to the things that are out of our control? What can we honestly offer?

ZNS 133 - Institutions, Traditions and Fighting the Power from 2019-04-27T13:52:09

How Buddhism can either make us complacent or clarify how and where to push for change.

ZNS 132 - What is it to be Awake from 2019-04-18T18:20:56

Zen is not the work of awakening; it's awake work.

ZNS 131 - The Awakened Way is Unsurpassable from 2019-04-08T20:42:11

The fourth of the bodhisattva vows: "The awakened way is unsurpassable; I vow to embody it."

ZNS 130 - Dharma Gates Are Infinite from 2019-04-01T20:32:52

The third of the bodhisattva vows: "Dharma gates are infinite; I vow to enter them."

ZNS 129 - Delusions Are Inexhaustible from 2019-03-27T22:14:35

The second of the bodhisattva vows: "Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to put an end to them."

ZNS 128 - Beings Are Countless from 2019-03-21T19:05:19

The first of the bodhisattva vows: "Beings are countless; I vow to free them all."

ZNS 127 - All My Past and Harmful Karma from 2019-03-16T23:28:32

Our repentance verse.

ZNS 126 - Dogen's"Buddha Nature"(5 of 5) - I Have a Name But It's Not an Ordinary Name from 2019-03-11T20:13

Talk #5 on Dogen's Shobogenzo Bussho ("Buddha Nature").

ZNS 125 - Dogen's"Buddha Nature"(4 of 5) - If the Time Arrives, Buddha Nature Appears from 2019-03-06T21:44:55

Talk #4 on Dogen's Shobogenzo Bussho ("Buddha Nature").

ZNS 124 - Dogen's"Buddha Nature"(3 of 5) - To Master That One is to Master This One from 2019-02-28T23:24:41

Talk #3 on Dogen's Shobogenzo Bussho ("Buddha Nature").

ZNS 123 - Dogen's"Buddha Nature"(2 of 5) - Who Said That Buddha Nature Knows and Comprehends from 2019-02-22T21:50:52

Talk #2 on Dogen's Shobogenzo Bussho ("Buddha Nature").

ZNS 122 - Dogen's"Buddha Nature"(1 of 5) - The Tathagatha Always Abides from 2019-02-16T18:12:46

Talk #1 on Dogen's Shobogenzo Bussho ("Buddha Nature").

ZNS 121 - Newcomers Talk - Breathe Easy from 2019-02-10T16:15:20

Why do we make breathing in meditation so hard?

ZNS 120 - What is Invisible and What is Not from 2019-02-04T22:26:20

On how spiritual practice sometimes convinces us that the invisible is more real or important than the visible.

ZNS 119 - What Scares Us from 2019-01-31T13:33:53

What we think is "scary" versus what actually frightens us most.

ZNS 118 - You Will Never Be Ready from 2019-01-24T22:11:18

On the bodhisattva path and the danger of setting prerequisites for success.

ZNS 117 - OK Has Nothing to Do With It from 2019-01-12T14:32:54

Whether or not we tell ourselves it is OK, we're missing the point.

ZNS 116 - How Does a Weak-Minded Person Change Bad Habits from 2019-01-05T14:09:45

What is the mind? What is it to be weak-minded? And what is there to change?

ZNS 115 - Always Let Your Heart Break from 2018-12-31T17:32:13

What is our response to repeated tragedy?

ZNS 114 - Going Through the Motions from 2018-12-25T16:31:22

It's what we do that matters—don't get stuck in how it feels (or doesn't feel).

ZNS 113 - Zazen Snowmen from 2018-12-14T23:47:10

From a half-day sit on a snowy day —Reflection on how we're all like snowmen, dissolving and making way for something new.

ZNS 112 - How We Talk About Karma from 2018-12-08T13:59:53

How does karma work? How can we see our lives in terms of karma?

ZNS 111 - Newcomers Talk: Lineage, Repentance, Vow from 2018-12-04T00:53:55

They're a set.

ZNS 110 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(13 of 13) - Immediately Hitting the Mark from 2018-11-25T16:02:08

The final talk from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 109 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(12 of 13) - Practice Throughout the Way from 2018-11-21T15:09:39

Talk #12 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 108 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(11 of 13) - The Conduct of Zen Monks from 2018-11-18T14:46:44

Talk #11 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 107 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(10 of 13) - For Those Who Long to Leave the World from 2018-11-09T23:39:10

Talk #10 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 106 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(9 of 13) - It Doesn't Take a Genius from 2018-11-03T14:13:07

Talk #9 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 105 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(8 of 13) - What You Should Know for Practicing Zen from 2018-10-29T20:54

Talk #8 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 104 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(7 of 13) - You Should Seek a True Teacher from 2018-10-24T16:41:46

Talk #7 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 103 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(6 of 13) - Do Not Practice With the Idea of Gain from 2018-10-17T12:50:55

Talk #6 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 102 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(5 of 13) - Always Enter Enlightenment Through Practice from 2018-10-07T16:36:20

Talk #5 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 101 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(4 of 13) - Once You See or Hear the True Teaching from 2018-09-30T18:01:27

Talk #4 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 100 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(3 of 13) - Just Forget Yourself for Now from 2018-09-24T21:05:29

Talk #3 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way."

ZNS 099 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(2 of 13) - Enlightenment, Fame, Profit. from 2018-09-19T16:28:44

Talk #2 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way." (Hint from the title: one of these things is not like the others.)

ZNS 098 - Dogen's"Guidelines for Studying the Way"(1 of 13) - Arousing the Thought of Enlightenment from 2018-09-13T18:57:31

Talk #1 from our series on Dogen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way".

ZNS 097 - Happiness is Overrated from 2018-09-10T21:23:43

"Happiness" is just another way to measure a life and make it smaller. There's another view.

ZNS 096 - Drive All Blames Into One from 2018-09-06T21:47:07

From Lojong training, in the Tibetan tradition: Drive all blames into one.

ZNS 095 - Begin at the End from 2018-08-31T21:43:37

How would you hold yourself if you had one minute left to live? How would you breathe? What clarity would you have, knowing this is the final moment?

ZNS 094 - Vow, Enlightenment and the View from Inside the Palace Walls from 2018-08-26T15:23:57

A talk on the nature of the vow behind the Buddha's enlightenment. A spirited discussion follows about the ways in which the Buddha's backstory is actually much like our own.

ZNS 093 - What to Expect When You're Expecting (Something From Zen) from 2018-08-23T00:02:51

On how we can't help bring expectations to this practice, and where disappointment fits in.

ZNS 092 - Newcomers Talk: Zen and All Its Picky Rules from 2018-08-16T21:01:51

Why are Zen forms so specific? A talk on the notion of "comportment" in practice.

ZNS 091 - The Paramitas (14 of 14) - Knowledge from 2018-08-08T15:21:17

The fourteenth in a series of talks on the paramitas: jnana.

ZNS 090 - The Paramitas (13 of 14) - Spiritual Power from 2018-08-03T15:45:47

The thirteenth in a series of talks on the paramitas: bala.

ZNS 089 - The Paramitas (12 of 14) - Skillful Means from 2018-07-27T16:14:16

The twelfth in a series of talks on the paramitas: upaya.

ZNS 088 - The Paramitas (11 of 14) - Meditation from 2018-07-25T01:43:27

The eleventh in a series of talks on the paramitas: dhyana.

ZNS 087 - The Paramitas (10 of 14) - Equanimity from 2018-07-12T22:06:53

The tenth in a series of talks on the paramitas: upekkha.

ZNS 086 - The Paramitas (9 of 14) - Loving Kindness from 2018-07-08T18:44:25

The ninth in a series of talks on the paramitas: metta parami.

ZNS 085 - The Paramitas (8 of 14) - Determination&Vow from 2018-06-28T19:59:04

The eighth in a series of talks on the paramitas: adhitthana parami and pranidhana.

ZNS 084 - The Paramitas (7 of 14) - Honesty from 2018-06-21T22:30:21

The seventh in a series of talks on the paramitas: sacca parami.

ZNS 083 - The Paramitas (6 of 14) - Patience from 2018-06-14T03:30:35

The sixth in a series of talks on the paramitas: khanti paramita.

ZNS 082 - The Paramitas (5 of 14) - Effort from 2018-05-29T05:37:39

The fifth in a series of talks on the paramitas: viriya paramita.

ZNS 081 - The Paramitas (4 of 14) - Wisdom from 2018-05-23T23:47:37

The fourth in a series of talks on the paramitas: prajna paramita.

ZNS 080 - The Paramitas (3 of 14) - Renunciation from 2018-05-09T13:20:54

The third in a series of talks on the paramitas: nekkhama paramita.

ZNS 079 - The Paramitas (2 of 14) - Ethical Conduct from 2018-04-30T19:58:38

The second in a series of talks on the paramitas: sila paramita.

ZNS 078 - The Paramitas (1 of 14) - Generosity from 2018-04-21T20:14:49

The first in a series of talks on the paramitas: dana paramita.

ZNS 077 - Being Yourself from 2018-04-20T00:10:33

From Dogen's poem about the white crane in the white snow.

ZNS 076 - Dealing With Kleshas from 2018-04-10T02:12:41

What do we perceive as obstacles in our lives? Can we eliminate them, or is there another approach?

ZNS 075 - Just The Facts from 2018-04-01T12:19:13

Getting some distance from our story about what we think is real. 

ZNS 074 - The Prodigal Son from 2018-03-25T16:54:13

The story of the prodigal son from the Lotus Sutra: what it is to really see who someone is.

ZNS 073 - Meditation, The Hulk and Making Friends with our Mind from 2018-02-21T22:15:31

On what kind of meditation practice the Hulk really needs (the same one we need).

ZNS 072 - Waiting for Spring from 2018-02-12T23:13:15

On how even the word "spring" leads us deeper into confusion about how things really are.

ZNS 071 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(6 of 6) - Get Out of Your Head from 2018-02-02T21:00:54

The conclusion to our series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen."

ZNS 070 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(5 of 6) - Avoid Getting Caught Up from 2018-01-28T19:15:07

The fifth in a series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen."

ZNS 069 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(4 of 6) - Like a Fool, Like an Idiot from 2018-01-23T01:25:11

The fourth in a series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen."

ZNS 068 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(3 of 6) - No Back or Front, No Inside or Outside from 2018-01-19T00:11:30

The third in a series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen."

ZNS 067 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(2 of 6) - Do Nothing At All from 2018-01-17T02:46:37

The second in a series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen."

ZNS 066 - Keizan's"Notes on What To Be Aware of in Zazen"(1 of 6) - Keizan, Zazen and Trusting Yourself from 2018-01-13T13:38:13

The first in a series of talks on Keizan's Yojinki, or "Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen.": Appreciating the teachings of Keizan Zenji.

ZNS 065 - Navigating the Dark from 2018-01-08T20:12:43

Let's imagine this practice isn't about illumination, isn't about enlightenment. Let's imagine it's the opposite.

ZNS 064 - Looking at Our Own Eyeballs from 2018-01-05T00:28:17

On how we can't help but see this practice as a self-examination even after we see that we're being asked to look at something bigger.

ZNS 063 - Don't Be a Ghost from 2018-01-02T01:05:03

On ghosts, and how we're more like them than we think.

ZNS 062 - Newcomers Talk: Being Alert vs Being Awake from 2017-12-28T21:29:42

(They're not the same thing.) A talk on Newcomers' Night.

ZNS 061 - It's Not About Transcendence from 2017-12-26T18:42

There's a lot of talk about transcendence, even in the greater culture. But that's not what we're doing—some things, we just have to learn to hold.

ZNS 060 - Not Slandering the Three Treasures from 2017-12-22T11:44:54

The conclusion of a series of talks on the precepts: on the tenth precept of not slandering the three treasures.

ZNS 059 - Not Indulging Anger from 2017-12-19T02:05:58

The tenth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the ninth precept of not indulging anger.

ZNS 058 - Not Withholding from 2017-12-15T01:36:06

The ninth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the eighth precept of not sparing dharma assets—or anything.

ZNS 057 - Not Taking Credit, Not Placing Blame from 2017-12-12T02:02:15

The eighth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the seventh precept of not praising oneself while blaming others. We do this in more ways than we might think.

ZNS 056 - Not Speaking of the Faults of Others from 2017-12-04T22:19:39

The seventh in a series of talks on the precepts: on the sixth precept of not speaking ill of others.

ZNS 055 - Not Indulging in Intoxicants from 2017-12-04T22:17:17

The sixth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the fifth precept of not indulging in intoxicants. What is an intoxicant? And what does it mean to indulge?

ZNS 054 - Not Lying from 2017-11-27T21:11:35

The fifth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the fourth precept of not lying. To anyone.

ZNS 053 - Not Misusing Sex from 2017-11-27T21:09:46

The fourth in a series of talks on the precepts: on the third precept of not misusing sex—or anything.

ZNS 052 - Not Stealing from 2017-11-22T12:39:31

The third in a series of talks on the precepts: on the second precept of not stealing, or not taking what is not freely given.

ZNS 050 - The Three Pure Precepts from 2017-11-20T20:55:19

The first in our series on the precepts: on the three pure precepts and fundamental choice not to add and not to take away.

ZNS 051 - Not Killing from 2017-11-14T14:11:44

The second in the series of talks on the precepts: on the first precept of not killing.

ZNS 049 - What's At the Center from 2017-11-14T14:10:20

On a reading from Zuimonki on focusing on just one thing and letting go of the rest.

ZNS 048 - Madness, Goodness and Seeing Who We Are from 2017-11-06T18:27:14

On what we see when we start really paying attention to the nature of our mind.

ZNS 047 - Daichi, Zenji and the Buddha's birthday from 2017-11-06T18:26:18

Talk at a one-day sitting marking the Buddha's enlightenment—the beauty of the story, and not getting caught by it.

ZNS 046 - Religion and Spirituality from 2017-10-30T17:09:31

What is it about "religion" that makes us uncomfortable? And what is spirituality without it?

ZNS 045 - Diversity and the Buddha's Blind Spots from 2017-10-30T17:07:30

On Buddhism's legacy of racism, sexism, nationalism, and more; the nature of realization; the inevitability of blind spots.

ZNS 044 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(8 of 8) - Do Not Pass Your Days and Nights in Vain from 2017-10-23T18:12:07

The concluding eighth in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 043 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(7 of 8) - There is Only This Way from 2017-10-23T18:08:56

The seventh in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 042 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(6 of 8) - Zazen is Not Meditation Practice from 2017-10-16T19:24:01

The sixth in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 041 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(5 of 8) - What Kind of Thinking is Non-Thinking? from 2017-10-16T19:22

The fifth in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 040 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(4 of 8) - At Your Sitting Place from 2017-10-10T17:14:23

The forth in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 039 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(3 of 8) - Have No Designs on Becoming a Buddha from 2017-10-10T17:13:22

The third in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 038 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(2 of 8) - Consider the Buddha from 2017-10-02T20:33:51

The second in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"

ZNS 037 - Dogen's"Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen"(1 of 8) - The Way is Perfect from 2017-10-02T20:32:07

First in a series of talks on Dogen's "Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen.": The Way is originally perfect and all-pervading.

ZNS 036 - Gratitude and the Four Signs from 2017-09-26T00:45:31

On how we need to be jolted awake by the same things as the Buddha. And how we can be.

ZNS 035 - The Heart Sutra from 2017-09-26T00:44:33

A quick overview of what the Heart Sutra is really talking about—emptiness, yes, but not just emptiness.

ZNS 034 - Not Holding Back from 2017-09-18T17:24:52

On the ways in which we don't commit to what we know is true. 

ZNS 033 - Finding the Zen in Citizen from 2017-09-18T17:22:19

How do we stay grounded in practice while trying to affect change? How can we be effective citizens of the world?

ZNS 032 - In the Mist from 2017-09-11T22:12:28

On how we automatically become a student of what we're close to.

ZNS 031 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(8 of 8) - Not to Engage in Hollow Discussions from 2017-09-11T22:11:07

The eighth and concluding talk in our series on Dogen's "Eight Awakenings of Great Beings": on which conversations we can let go.

ZNS 030 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(7 of 8) - Cultivating Wisdom from 2017-09-06T00:42:48

The seventh in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": the way to wisdom is not aimed directly at wisdom.

ZNS 029 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(6 of 8) - Practicing Meditation from 2017-09-06T00:38:34

The sixth in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": on meditation and what it really means to find stability

ZNS 028 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(5 of 8) - Not to Forget the Object of One's Attention from 2017-08-29T20:15:38

The fifth in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": A talk on mindfulness, where we set our sights, and how easily we can slip up and become Darth Vader.

ZNS 027 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(4 of 8) - Diligent Effort from 2017-08-29T20:13:33

The forth in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": also known as continuous practice.

ZNS 026 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(3 of 8) - Enjoying Serenity from 2017-08-21T20:03:12

The third in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": enjoying serenity in seclusion. It's about knowing where you are.

ZNS 025 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(2 of 8) - How Much is Enough from 2017-08-21T20:00:23

The second in the series on "8 Awakenings of Great Beings": knowing how much is enough (it's not easy).

ZNS 024 - Dogen's"8 Awakenings of Great Beings"(1 of 8) - Few Desires from 2017-08-15T04:40:37

The first in a series on Dogen's "8 Awakenings of Great Beings." On the difference between attraction and attachment, and what it might mean to be an adult.

ZNS 023 - Identity Action (The Bodhisattva's Fourth Method of Guidance) from 2017-08-15T04:38:43

On embracing function in our relationships with others; the concluding talk on Dogen's "The Bodhisattva's 4 Methods of Guidance."

ZNS 022 - Beneficial Action (The Bodhisattva's Third Method of Guidance) from 2017-08-08T04:31:46

On doing good for the sake of doing good.

ZNS 021 - Kind Speech (The Bodhisattva's Second Method of Guidance) from 2017-08-08T04:30:35

On what we can offer when we speak, and also what we can withhold. 

ZNS 020 - Giving (The Bodhisattva's First Method of Guidance) from 2017-08-04T00:51:19

On how the kinds of generosity that are right in front of us are the very ones that seem beyond us. 

ZNS 019 - Not Just Here Not Just Now from 2017-08-02T02:31:22

"Be here now"; the mistake is in thinking we know what that is.

ZNS 018 - The Raw Honest Heart from 2017-08-01T00:04:38

The Great Way is not difficult if we are just completely honest.