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Title Speaker Date

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00146 The talk explores the significance of understanding and practicing the spirit of Zen through the metaphor of a dragon representing life's pervasive power. It emphasizes the importance of the three treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and...
Dragons, Dharma Transmission, Gratitude, Transmission, Zendo, Sangha, Letting Go, Offering,...
Apr 04 1995

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00144 The talk centers on the theme of "transmission of the light" in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing that it is an ongoing process rather than a singular event. It explores the personal, relational aspects of Dharma transmission between...
Teacher-and-Student, Transmission, Ceremony, Dharma Transmission, resistance, Bowing, training...
Apr 03 1995

Oneness Embodied: Dharma Transmission Rituals

Serial: SF-00018 The talk explores the DEMPO-E, a seven-day ceremonial practice within Zen tradition, where the Dharma is transmitted from teacher to disciple through a series of rituals, including HO-E KANKIN and DAI-TEN-SAN-PAI. The...
Ceremony, Dharma Transmission, Transmission, Oneness, Precepts, Posture, Buddha Ancestors,...
Mar 30 1995

Practicing With The Precepts

Serial: SF-00143 Tokubetsu Sesshin   The talk emphasizes the essence of the true Dharma transmission, comparing the historical transmission of Buddhism in Japan and China with the modern reception of Buddhism in America. It highlights the significance of the Sixteen...
Precepts, Bodhisattva Precepts, true dharma, Three Treasures, Transmission, Vow, Silence, Bell...
Mar 28 1995

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00140 The talk explores the transformative power of Zen practice, focusing on the personal realization that home and self are not external pursuits but internal states. It reflects on the concepts of Dharma transmission and the...
Faith, Ceremony, Big Mind, true dharma, Transmission, Monastic Practice, Emotions, Gratitude,...
Mar 28 1995

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00145 The talk emphasizes the importance of Zazen practice in revealing the true nature of the original self, illustrating how the posture and mind of Zazen connect with the infinite universe and all beings, as conveyed in Sawaki Roshi...
Transmission, Posture, Delusion, Right Effort, Zazen, Daily Life, Observe, Silence,...
Mar 27 1995

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00139 The talk explores the theme of "Active Participation in Loss," inspired by Uchiyama Roshi's book "Opening the Hand of Thought." It emphasizes embracing loss, suffering, and impermanence as integral to spiritual practice and...
Delusion, confusion, Freedom, Sangha, resistance, Silence, Zendo, Anger, Hate...
Mar 27 1995

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00142 The talk explores a personal journey into Zen practice, highlighting the transformation from an initial disinterest due to Marxist beliefs to becoming a Soto Zen priest. This journey is marked by exploring differences between...
Priest, New Year, Rinzai, Religion, Ceremony, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, training, Soto...
Mar 25 1995

Importance of Shikantaza

Serial: SF-03104 Description of Tokubetsu Sesshin The talk focuses on the practice of Shikantaza, or "just sitting," as a foundational aspect of Soto Zen, emphasizing its simplicity and healing power. Descriptions of a Tokubetsu Sesshin at Green Gulch highlight the gathering of...
Ceremony, Lotus Sutra, Priest, Letting Go, Buddha's Birthday, realization, Soto Zen,...
Mar 19 1995
Green Gulch

Tokubetsu Sesshin

Serial: SF-00141 The talk discusses the importance of transmitting and maintaining the Soto Zen tradition, focusing on the essential doctrines of "shikan taza" (just sitting) and "sokushin zebutsu" (this very mind is Buddha). It emphasizes the...
Soto Zen, Ceremony, Transmission, Precepts, Instruction, Subject-and-Object, Bodhidharma,...
Mar 15 1995

Embracing Constancy in Buddhist Practice

Serial: SF-00076 The talk explores the practice of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, emphasizing acceptance and understanding of one's own nature as central to Buddhist practice. It reflects on the thoughts of Kadagiri Roshi...
Hate, Suzuki Roshi, Repentance, Constancy, Sangha, Practice Period, Tassajara Zen Mountain...
Feb 22 1995

Jewel of Sangha

Serial: SF-03102 Sunday Lecture The lecture "Jewel of Sangha" explores the concept of Sangha, emphasizing the spiritual community's vital role in deepening the practice of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The discussion stresses community as an...
Three Treasures, Gratitude, Sangha, Fox, zen meditation, Happiness, Teacher-and-Student,...
Jan 29 1995
Green Gulch

To Be Oneself

Serial: SF-00157 Sunday talk; what does that mean - what's that? Finding out what this means is a vast undertaking. The talk explores the concept of being oneself as a complex and personal journey, discussed through experiences at a retreat involving theater, calligraphy, communication exercises, and dance, where participants seek authenticity...
Conversation, Practice Period, Dragons, Lay, New Year, training, Separation, Skandas, Zendo,...
Jan 15 1995
Green Gulch Farm

Embracing Zen: Self and Community

Serial: SF-00065 The talk focuses on the importance of self-reliance in Zen practice, while also acknowledging the value of community and relationships with teachers. Personal reflections are shared regarding experiences with various Zen teachers...
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Teacher-and-Student, Priest, Practice Period, Ceremony, Zazen,...
Jan 04 1995
City Center

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03116 The talk examines the Zen concept of "think not thinking," primarily interpreting it through Dogen's teachings, suggesting that one should allow thoughts to come and go without attaching to them or forming a continuous narrative...
Vow, Discrimination, Commitment, Patience, Chanting, Soto Zen, Delusion, confusion, Don't...
Dec 18 1994
Green Gulch

Wednesday Lecture

Serial: SF-03612 This talk explores the intersection of Buddhist concepts with cultural traditions, focusing on the idea of miracles and their relevance in spiritual practice. The discussion highlights festivals of light like Hanukkah as an...
training, Practice Period, Heart Sutra, Subject-and-Object, Posture, Instruction, Mindfulness...
Nov 30 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03105 The talk primarily explores the experience and impact of participating in the Zen practice period at Green Gulch. It emphasizes the timeless and transformative quality of repetitive daily rituals and their role in dissolving the...
Practice Period, Commitment, Letting Go, Suzuki Roshi, training, Greed, Emotions, confusion,...
Nov 27 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03609 The talk explores themes of impermanence, transformation, and the necessity of confronting the darker aspects of life to achieve spiritual and personal growth. An emphasis is placed on ancient myths, particularly the Sumerian...
Practice Period, Impermanence, Ceremony, Dragons, Manjushri, Delusion, Zendo, Posture, Teacher...
Nov 06 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03247 The talk focuses on the challenges and processes associated with discussing Zen practice, the pervasive nature of desire, and the importance of awareness in managing dissatisfaction and desire. It elaborates on the Four Noble...
Ceremony, Practice Period, Four Noble Truths, Funeral, Fox, Bell, Six Realms, Demons, Emotions...
Oct 30 1994
Green Gulch

Effort

Serial: SF-00155 Sunday talk The talk discusses the concept of effort in Zen practice, distinguishing between 'labor' and 'samu' (temple work as an expression of zazen in action), explaining the commitment to presence through the lens of joyous effort. The...
Vow, Birth-and-Death, Suzuki Roshi, Zendo, Impermanence, Ceremony, Concentration, Buddha...
Sep 04 1994

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03248 The talk primarily reflects on the significance of embracing uncertainty as central to Zen practice, drawn from experiences traveling in Latin America. It discusses how uncertainty is the true essence of life and suggests that...
Hate, Mindfulness, Letting Go, Happiness, Zazen, Patience, resistance, Commitment, Liberation...
Aug 28 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03610 The talk explores the practice of developing awareness through different forms of wisdom, specifically focusing on prajna (wisdom) in its three forms: srutamaya (wisdom from hearing), cintamaya (wisdom from contemplation), and...
Anger, Birth-and-Death, Monkey Mind, Vow, Attachment, Posture, Impermanence, Buddha's...
Jul 10 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-00988 The talk explores the Zen concept of awareness and waking up, focusing on the mind as synonymous with the heart or 'mind-heart.' This idea is illustrated through personal anecdotes that demonstrate how listening and presence can...
causation, Zazen, Balance, Letting Go, Separation, Liberation, Posture, Precepts, Suzuki Roshi...
Apr 24 1994
Green Gulch

Buddha's Birthday

Serial: SF-03249 Sunday Lecture The talk focuses on the celebration of Buddha's Birthday and explores the significance of renewal symbolized by the Buddha's birth. The discussion emphasizes the mythological aspects of Buddha’s birth as a metaphor for continuous...
Buddha's Birthday, Renewal, Ceremony, Bell, Heart Sutra, Nirvana, Offering, Happiness,...
Apr 10 1994
Green Gulch

The Meeting of American Culture and Buddhism

Serial: SF-00135 Lecture Series The talk explores the intersection of American culture and Zen Buddhism, focusing on the themes of selflessness and completeness as key aspects of Zen practice. Famous Zen stories, particularly the tale of the tea cup from Paul...
New Year, confusion, Suzuki Roshi, Peace, Diversity, Continuous Practice, Concentration,...
Apr 05 1994
7
City Center

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03675 Includes Q&A and discussion The talk emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and attention to life's details, drawing parallels between Zen practice and horticulture. The speaker illustrates how minor actions and objects can carry significant consequences...
Big Mind, Emptiness, Bell, Heart Sutra, Four Noble Truths, Instruction, Zazen, Posture, New...
Mar 13 1994
Green Gulch

The Meeting of American Culture and Buddhism

Serial: SF-00103 Lecture Series The talk explores the intersection of Zen practice and poetry, focusing on the concept of enlightenment articulated in Zen teachings and how these principles inform the speaker's work as a poet. A key story discussed involves...
Right Speech, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Fox, Half-Smile, Lay, Emptiness, Concentration,...
Mar 01 1994
City Center

The Meeting of American Culture and Buddhism: The Arts

Serial: SF-00008 Lecture Series The talk focuses on the intersection of American culture and Buddhism, particularly through poetry and artistic expression. It discusses the influence of Zen philosophy, specifically emphasizing the importance of being present in...
New Year, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Emptiness, Lineage, Anger, Suzuki Roshi, Faith,...
Feb 01 1994
City Center

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03229 The talk focuses on the concept of Dharma as the essence of Zen practice, explaining it as the inherent nature of reality and the futility of attempting to grasp it through descriptions or possessions. Zen Master Nansen's...
Ordinary Mind, Faith, Anger, Impermanence, Humility, Greed, Commitment, Letting Go, confusion...
Jan 30 1994
Green Gulch

Sunday Lecture

Serial: SF-03611 The lecture explores the concept of presence in Zen practice by examining the idea of appreciating ordinary and extraordinary aspects of life. It highlights the metaphor of the moon reflecting on water as an allegory for calm...
Zendo, Posture, Demons, Suzuki Roshi, Delusion, Precepts, Zazen, Conversation, Vow, causation...
Oct 24 1993
Green Gulch

Transmission of the Light

Serial: SF-00041 Wednesday night teisho The talk explores the teachings in the "Transmission of the Light" by Master Keizan, focusing on the 19th ancestor, Kumarata. The discussion delves into the Buddhist concepts of the knowledge of former lives, non-duality, and...
Birth-and-Death, Buddha Nature, Karmic Consequences, Karma, Attachment, Delusion, Demons,...
May 26 1993

Fire Sermon

Serial: SF-00006 The talk explores the Buddha's "Fire Sermon" within the framework of three initial discourses, emphasizing the symbolic mythology in Buddhist scriptures and the metaphor of fire as passions affecting the six senses. It discusses...
Passions, Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, Delusion, Greed, realization, Liberation,...
May 19 1993
City Center

Buddhism and American Culture

Serial: SF-00118 The talk focuses on the intersection of Buddhism and Western psychology, illustrating how both address human suffering and its alleviation. Through personal anecdotes and insights, the discussion delves into the development of...
Emptiness, Forgiveness, Letting Go, Samadhi, training, Emotions, Freedom, Four Noble Truths,...
May 03 1993
City Center

Shakyamuni's Enlightenment as a Guide to Practice

Serial: SF-00075 Saturday Lecture The talk explores Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment as a model for Zen practice, highlighting the tension between personal independence and traditional expectations in spiritual practice. It emphasizes the importance of embracing...
Fasting, Hate, Chanting, Concentration, Delusion, Vow, confusion, Zazen
Apr 24 1993

Sesshin Talk

Serial: SF-03553 The talk delves into the coexistence of happiness and suffering, exploring self-interest, limitations, and the effort required for self-awareness. It emphasizes recognizing one's own patterns of thought and the importance of...
Separation, Delusion, Oneness, Posture, Freedom, Practice Period, Six Realms, New Year, Karma...
Apr 01 1993
Tassajara

Women in Japanese Soto Zen

Serial: SF-00097 Author reading from her book on the subject. The talk centers on the history and role of women in Japanese Soto Zen Buddhism, challenging the prevalent androcentric narrative by highlighting significant female figures and contributions. It provides an in-depth examination...
Soto Zen, training, Monastic Practice, Ordination, Ceremony, Religion, Lay, Emptiness...
Nov 25 1992

Hokyo Zammai Class

Serial: SF-00047 The talk focuses on the interpretation and significance of the "Hokyo Zammai" with a detailed exploration of the "Five Ranks," an essential part of this Zen text. The speaker discusses Hakuin's commentaries, the degeneration and...
Five Ranks, Emptiness, Sixth Patriarch, Rinzai, Soto Zen, Buddha Nature, Evil, Darkness and...
Feb 19 1992
2

Cultivating Community Through Zazen Practice

Serial: SF-00093 The discussion emphasizes the practice of Zazen and the importance of taking refuge in the Sangha, exploring the three treasures of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It examines the role of a Sangha as a supportive community...
true dharma, Sangha, Gratitude, Zazen, Letting Go, Vow, Anger, Suzuki Roshi, Ceremony, Peace...
Oct 19 1991

Saturday Lecture

Serial: SF-02762 The talk emphasizes the importance of the practice of Zazen as a pathway to realizing one's true enlightened nature, as articulated through Dogen Zenji's "Fukan Zazengi." The discussion highlights how human tendencies toward...
Precepts, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Practice Period, Suzuki Roshi, Ceremony, Zendo,...
Sep 21 1991
Unknown

Embracing Zen Through Community

Serial: SF-00092 The talk emphasizes the importance of collective practice in Zen meditation to stabilize and respond to life's unpredictability through Zazen, underscoring the shared experience rather than the individuality of meditative...
Practice Period, Zendo, Suzuki Roshi, Intimacy, Posture, Aspects of Practice, Zazen, Ceremony...
Sep 18 1991

Fear

Serial: SF-00081 The talk explores the concept of fear in Zen practice, critiquing the common tendency to conflate religious doctrines with personal beliefs. It emphasizes the courage required to engage deeply with one's own fear and discomfort...
Emptiness, Mindfulness, Right Speech, Don't Know Mind, Commitment, Anger, Emotions,...
Aug 05 1991
City Center

Tara Rinpoche's Memorial

Serial: SF-00001 The discussion honors the memory of Tara Tulku Rinpoche, emphasizing the theme of impermanence and the interconnectedness between ancestors and their followers. The talk reflects on Rinpoche's peaceful state in facing death and...
Heart Sutra, Bell, Lineage, Bodhisattva Vow, Vow, Happiness, training, Impermanence, Mandala,...
Jun 30 1991
Green Gulch Farm

Mumonkan Case 10

Serial: SF-00046 Seizei lonely and destitute. The talk analyzes Mumonkan's Case 10, examining the interactions between Seizei and Sozang to explore themes of spiritual poverty and the contrasting interpretations of solitude within Zen practice. The discussion delves into the...
Enthusiasm, Priest, Sanctuary, Sangha, Buddha Nature, Faith, Soto Zen, Balance, Zazen...
Apr 28 1991
Green Gulch Farm

Buddha's Mother saves Tibet

Serial: SF-00012 The talk discusses the transformative potential of embracing universal compassion and interconnectedness, citing the story of Maya, Buddha's mother, to emphasize the creative and sustaining power of feminine wisdom. It explores...
Peace, Delusion, Balance, Samsara, Liberation, confusion, Freedom, Concentration, Don't...
Apr 14 1991
Green Gulch Farm

World Peace Through Compassion and Non-Violence

Serial: SF-00110 The talk presents a vision of achieving world peace through compassion and non-violence, emphasizing the necessity of inner peace as a precursor to external peace. The discussion outlines historical perspectives on Tibet's...
Non-violence, Peace, Religion, Happiness, Freedom, Politics, Hate, Patience, Greed, Anger...
Apr 09 1991

Goodwill in Action: A Buddhist Perspective

Serial: SF-00150 The talk focuses on the concept of goodwill as a Buddhist practice, using children's participation to illustrate its importance. Goodwill is presented as an essential thought with the power to inspire action and effect change, as...
Fundraising, Offering, Suzuki Roshi, Zazen, Mindfulness, Lineage, Tassajara Zen Mountain...
Mar 02 1991

Jewel Mirror Samadhi

Serial: SF-00128 The talk centers on the interpretation of four lines from the poem "Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi," discussing the metaphor of form and reflection as they relate to enlightenment and self-realization. It explores various...
Precious Mirror, Buddha Nature, Samadhi, Faith, Diversity, Soto Zen, Patience, Ego, Balance,...
Oct 24 1990

Receiving the Precepts

Serial: SF-00061 One day sitting The main thesis of the talk is the exploration of the Zen precepts, emphasizing their role as a gateway to Zen practice and the nature of offering in sitting meditation. The discussion includes the concept of receiving precepts...
Precepts, Three Treasures, Repentance, Offering, Duality, Karma, Hindrances, Teacher-and-...
Aug 21 1990
Green Gulch Farm

Taking Refuge

Serial: SF-00062 The talk centers on the practice of taking refuge in the Buddhist triple treasures—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—emphasizing its role as a foundational entry point into the Zen tradition. The speaker underscores that taking refuge...
Sangha, Three Treasures, Complete Perfect Enlightenment, Precepts, Transmission, Lineage,...
Jan 10 1990

Dzogchen Teachings

Serial: SF-00109 The talk discusses Dzogchen teachings and explores the concepts of consciousness, free will, compassion, and enlightenment within the context of Tibetan Buddhism. It examines the integration of method and wisdom in both Sutra and...
Emptiness, realization, Transmission, Lineage, Mandala, training, Religion, Cultivation,...
Oct 08 1989
4
San Jose

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