Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Joshin Byrnes lists and speaks about the six factors of delusion. These include karmic inheritance, objects or things, the influence of people and culture around us, the following of false teachings, habits, and mistaken conceptualizations. He also discusses different ways in which we might see through delusion. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows

Series Description:In this series, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky discuss the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows as they relate to the Four Noble Truths, to teachings from the Pali Canon, and to stories from day to day life. The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows are not so much about objectives which we might attain. Instead, they can be thought of as ways in which we show up to life. This series touches on many notions which include: creations as thoughts, factors of delusion, what boundlessness means, and the “function of awakening.” Episode Description: In this episode, Matthew Kozan Palevsky talks about the first Great Bodhisattva Vow. The Vow is about saving numberless “creations,” and Kozan consequently discusses different ways in which we might interpret the word creations. The episode compares creations to thoughts and feelings and it explores the Arrow Sutta, a teaching from the Buddha on suffering. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows

(Zazenkai 3) Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes first notes how Zen has historically flourished as a result of sociopolitical upheaval. In today’s world, current events such as the Women’s March raise important questions. Joshin asks, “How do we cultivate a mind that allows us to meet, with relevance, the unique challenges and opportunities of our time? How do we bring it [our practice] into relevance in our lives today?” In answer to these questions, Joshin speaks about a seminal essay from Zen Master Dogen called, “The Four Embracing Dharmas.” The essay provides very clear and concise insight into these questions, proving the timelessness of such teachings.

Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky discusses the characteristics of the Bodhisattva archetype. Kozan says, “A Bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to relieving the suffering of the world.” Avalokitesvara and Manjusri are two of the most well-known archetypes who embody the notion of compassionate action in the world. Avalokitesvara, for example, has eleven heads which allow her to always be facing the suffering in the world. Kozan’s inspirational talk includes everyday stories of people whose actions help elucidate the Bodhisattva ideal, including stories of Daniel Ellsberg and Aaaron Swartz. Stories from Kozan’s talk tie together the themes of altruism, leaning into difficulty and living your truth.

(Zazenkai 2) Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky takes a closer look at The Four Great Vows. He notes some of the similarities between the Four Great Vows and the Four Noble Truths, and he discusses potential ways of working with the Vows as seen from this perspective. For example, if creations are synonymous with thoughts, then we can work with them by being less attached to them, thus alleviating a source of craving or suffering. Later, Kozan discusses the value of transcending the small self by saying, “I believe that we transcend the boundaries of this body. What do you think? I believe that we transcend the boundaries of our own thoughts and ideas too. If we didn’t, how would we find each other in the chaos of life?”

Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes speaks about Practice Period and The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows. Joshin asks some fundamental questions: what is it like to step into the mind of vow, and what is the process of living by vow? In order to begin answering some of these questions, he uses the Jataka Tales, a body of literature from ancient India on the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. Who was the Buddha before he was Buddha, and how did he realize Buddhahood? Joshin reminds us not to be intimidated by the infinite nature of “Big Vows,” but to instead maintain them through the lens of a “vowing mind,” as a process. He says, “We come back over and over and over again to clarify our vowing mind.”

(Zazenkai 1) Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky ask the question, what is vow and how does it show up in our lives? The talk explores the difference between living by vow and by karma, the unattainable design of the Four Great Vows, the embodiment of vow, and the underlying motivations for vow. Joshin says, “It’s really impossible to live into an infinite vow. Because the vow is infinite, there’s no end to it…If there’s no end to it, then there’s no progress, really, that can be measured.”

Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky introduce practice period by explaining some of the history behind it, and what it might mean for practitioners now. They also emphasize the theme of this practice period, the Four Great Bodhisattva vows. Practice period is just about community and living together, “together action.” Quoting, Zen Master Dogen, Joshin says, “When we go into practice period, we are making buddhas and bodhisattvas.”

Episode Description: In this talk, Lama Tsultrim Allione leads a unique combination of discussion, visualization, and chanting which stems from the Tibetan Mandala of the Five Dakinis. Lama Tsultrim introduces the five feminine Dakini archetypes, as well as their associated “seed syllables.” This talk is a guided exploration of sound and visualization. As Lama Tsultrim says, “I thought tonight I would take you into the Mandala, experientially—into the Mandala of the Five Dakinis, so you can have your own experience of how this works.”

Episode Description: In this episode, Roshis Joan Halifax and Enkyo O’Hara, and Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discuss such notions as dissatisfaction with ourselves and our lives, the role of anger, the “four reliances,” being versus practicing the four noble truths, and the realization of “grandmother’s heart.” For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, and Roshi Enkyo O’Hara talk about Roshi Bernie Glassman’s life’s work, as well as the Lotus Sutra. Sensei Kaz elaborates on Bernie’s work in Yonkers, New York, his street retreats, and his bearing witness retreats in Auschwitz. Roshi Enkyo relates a story about the Bodhisattva “Never-Disparaging” from the Lotus Sutra. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax explore such notions as the paradox of particularity, being plain and simple, being a great fool, the intimacy of awakening, and the characterization of transformation. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Enkyo O’Hara discuss lessons learned from the potential for death. Sensei Kaz asserts, “How you want to die is how you should want to live.” Roshi Enkyo talks about the difference between a reactive mind and a wise mind. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths

Episode Description: In this talk, Natalie Goldberg and Katie Arnold discuss their friendship, the influence of Zen practice in their lives, and Katie’s powerful story about winning the Leadville 100, an ultramarathon race. Katie discusses how Zen practice and philosophy helped her to keep running, initially during an arduous recovery from a broken leg and then during the Leadville 100 race. She talks about how recovery was a form of starting over as a runner for her, which was comparable to the cherished “beginners mind” in Zen Buddhism. She explains, “In the book, Zen Mind Beginners Mind, he [Shunryu Suzuki] describes beginners mind as an open mind, and, in the beginners’ mind there are many possibilities and in an expert’s mind there are few.” Her inspirational story is a goldmine of insight for practitioners and runners alike.  

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax discuss what continuous practice means and how enlightenment is not separate from practice. Roshi Joan emphasizes the cultivation of bodhicitta and the power of bearing witness. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths