Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Series Description: In this series, Roshis Joan Halifax and Enkyo O’Hara, and Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discuss the fundamental Buddhist teachings, “the four noble truths.” Rohatsu is a special time which annually commemorates the enlightenment of the historical Buddha. These talks explore such themes as “continuous mistake,” unselfish intentions, “meticulous effort,” awakening, and intimacy. Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Enkyo O’Hara talk about the correct motivation or intention for practice, as well as what the Vimalakirti Sutra has to say about living as a lotus among flames. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths

Episode Description: In this talk, Monshin Nannette Overley discusses a passage from Zen Master Dogen’s Genjōkōan about how and when real practice occurs. Dogen writes, “When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.” Nannette then asks: how do we live in a way which allows us to have found our places solidly where we are? Monshin recommends a slow approach to integrating zazen into daily life.

Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky discusses the perfection of generosity, Dana Paramita, which includes three kinds of giving: material things, goodness, and fearlessness. Kozan begins with a story from the Jataka Tales, a body of literature from ancient India on the previous lives of Gautama Buddha. The story describes a young prince who takes pity on a starving tigress and her cubs and consequently decides to sacrifice his life so that she and her cubs may survive. The metaphorical story underscores the role of Dana Paramita in the spiritual path of a Bodhisattva, and raises some interesting notions about what it means to give in a whole-hearted, joyful way. After a brief discussion with the audience, Kozan continues to talk about different forms of generosity as well as more contemporary ideas such as Norman Fischer’s conception of Dana Prajna Paramita as a kind of justice rather than a form of charity. This idea of justice emphasizes the natural flow to generosity, and it asserts that our job is merely to stop occluding this natural flow. Kozan finishes with a story of being with his father in the ICU near the time of his passing, where his father gave the silent gift of Dana Paramita to Kozan and his mother through a presence of fearless joy.

Episode Description: In this memorial, Roshi Joan Halifax & Frank Ostaseski first offer their thoughts on Roshi Bernie Glassman. Frank fondly remembers Bernie as being a true “mensch,” characterizing him as kindhearted, irascible, sweet, wise, and humble. Roshi Joan follows with additional words of love and respect for Bernie, who was her teacher and dear friend. She tells a personal story of Roshi Bernie, where they were together grieving for the death of his wife Jishu Holmes, which helped her learn that “to turn away from grief is to turn away from life.” These touching remembrances are followed by the “Gate of Sweet Nectar” liturgy, a ceremony created by Roshi Bernie based on the traditional Buddhist Kanromon with elements added from other traditions, and is practiced around the world by members of the Zen Peacemaker Order, wherein the “hungry spirits” of the world are fed and satisfied. After the ceremony, Roshi Joan concludes with a beautiful Kaddish for Bernie, humorously exclaiming, “Bernie was one hundred percent Jewish, the rest was Buddhist!” To help keep these podcasts freely available, we hope you will consider making a suggested donation of $25 to our Dharma Podcast Fund.

Episode Description: In this talk, Kigaku Noah Rossetter briefly dons a red clown nose in honor of Bernie Glassman Roshi for a very serious discussion on the relative and absolute. Noah consults Roshi Joan Halifax’s book Standing at the Edge to get the discussion started. He quotes, “Relative wisdom is seeing and understanding the interconnectedness of all beings and things, the truth of impermanence, the causes of suffering, the way to freedom from suffering, and living the imperative to free others from suffering.” He continues, “Ultimate wisdom is based on our direct experience of letting go of how we view so-called reality; any description we contrive about reality separates us from the direct experience of ‘things as they are’.” Noah describes how the ultimate and relative are interdependent, and cites the Buddhist philosopher, Nagarjuna, who claimed that the ultimate truth is that all things are empty of any inherent self. He then discusses the absolute as it applies to our practice of liturgy and meditation, closing with a few metaphors of the absolute, including a passage from Zen Master Dogen’s Genjo Koan which emphasizes the non-duality of enlightenment. To help keep these podcasts freely available, we hope you will consider making a suggested donation of $25 to our Dharma Podcast Fund.

Episode Description: In this talk, Robert Wilder opens with a poem by the late poet Tony Hoagland which emphasizes the little mysteries of life. Robert then reflects on being both a father and a son. Robert discusses the difficulty of being a parent, saying that it has become difficult for him in recent years to keep his mind clear while he observes the struggles of his children. He then tells the touching story of the relationship that he had with his father. The story describes his emotionally distant father and his attempts to foster a closer relationship. The story includes a beautiful period of time that he was able to spend sitting with his father before his passing. Robert then talks about the advice that he received while going through a challenging divorce. The advice that he received was to drop all preconceived notions of intentions or the way people should be, to “lose all hope” for the way things should be. He concludes with complementary insight from Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki on non-achievement.

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Shinzan Palma relays a powerful personal story about feeding the homeless. The story provides insight into the questions of how much is enough and what do we actually need. Shinzan then talks about instructions from Hui-Neng and advice from Roshi Bernie Glassman. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Sesshin: The Platform Sutra

Episode Description: In this episode, Myogetsu Jane Steinberg talks about grasping, clinging and needing more. She also talks about non-attachment to forced and fixed views, the freedom of a mirror mind, and the difference between karma and fate. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Sesshin: The Platform Sutra

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer begins with a call to maintain focus and to savor the remaining days of sesshin. She talks about how to incorporate pain and stiffness into our practice, and she discusses a koan from Blue Cliff record which teaches us to settle our practice in the body. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Sesshin: The Platform Sutra

Series Description: In this series, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer, Sensei Shinzan Palma, and Myogestu Jane Steinberg explore the extensive influence of the Platform Sutra on successive Zen teachings, including Zen Master Dogen and the koan tradition. The Platform Sutra is a foundational text in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Shinzan, Kathie and Jane discuss a number of themes including right effort, the correct mentality for sesshin, keeping practice fresh, dealing with pain, trusting your practice, karma and fate, and what it means to possess “just enough.” Kathie, Shinzan, and Jane skillfully use stories from their own lives to exemplify the teachings from the Sutra and to relay them to a contemporary audience. Episode Description: In this episode Sensei Shinzan Palma discusses what it means to practice with right effort. Shinzan reminds us that the most important thing is to be here and not to bring any expectations or agendas to the cushion. Shinzan also reminds us to keep our practice fresh by remembering that we re-start in every moment. He ends with a teaching from Hui-Neng, the 6th Patriarch, which prompts us to stop judging our practice. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Sesshin: The Platform Sutra

Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky explores what it means to practice being completely ourselves. Kozan first consults The Platform Sutra, a teaching attributed to Hui-Neng, the 6th Patriarch and founder of Zen Buddhism. Hui-Neng implores us to see our own true nature. Kozan contextualizes this plea by providing some guidance for zazen practice from The Sutra. He quotes, “Externally, if you are attached to form, internally, your mind will be confused. But, if you are free of form externally, internally your nature will not be confused.” He then continues by asking us why we might lead a life that may not be our life, and how we are not ourselves? After discussing three fundamental ways that we avoid this life, Kozan concludes with a comparison between a time that he spent weeding Upaya grounds and the process of weeding the mind, as well as the notion of taking refuge in the body.

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma answer questions from the audience which include the six gates of sensory experience, the gradual vs. sudden approaches to Buddhist practice, and truth as it relates to cultivating the Way. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Stories and Verses of the Platform Sutra

Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma invite members from the audience to read passages from the Platform Sutra. In addition to explicating these passages, they discuss notions such as “Sunyata,” integrating practice and teachings into everyday life, notions of truth, and the concepts of delusion and enlightenment as they relate to purity and impurity. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Stories and Verses of the Platform Sutra

Series Description: In this series, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma focus on the verses and stories from the Platform Sutra, a foundational text in the Zen Buddhist tradition. The series includes guided meditation, talks, discussion in whole and small groups, as well as contemplation and journal writing. Themes from the series include conventional and absolute truth, reality, the six gates of sensory experience, the socio-politics of Zen Master Hui-Neng’s era, the relationship between meditation and wisdom, and the nature of mind. Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about the beginning of the Platform Sutra which includes the story of a poetry competition between two potential Patriarch successors. Kathie and Shinzan discuss the meaning and relevance of these poems which includes the nature of work practice, meditation and wisdom, mind and thought, and reality. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Stories and Verses of the Platform Sutra

Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer begins with a poem meant to commemorate the beginning of a Practice Period or, in this case, a sesshin. The poem was written by Rujing, teacher of Zen Master Dogen. Sensei Fischer highlights its importance to sesshin by explaining how it helps us to see through dualities in our practice. She uses the examples of seeing beyond right and wrong, or good experiences and bad experiences. She also uses the story of a personal friend and fellow practitioner, whose humorous anecdotes she uses as commentary to Rujing’s poem. She then leads a guided meditation which focuses on the lower stomach before relaying a second story from her own past which analogizes her experience as a mother to the attachment we have to our own thoughts. She concludes with a passage from Zen Master Suzuki Roshi which describes the garbage-like quality of many of his thoughts which he was able to transcend when he returned to his core motivations.