Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Episode Description: In this episode, Frank Ostaseski explores the meaning of courage. “Courage is the heart’s answer… When we’re driven by fear we often lack common sense,” he says. He talks about opening oneself to and learning from fear and doubt. “The willingness to open to our fear is also the willingness to be transformed by it,” he says, “it’s not enough to […]

Episode Description: In this “way-seeking mind” talk, Kigaku Noah Rossetter reflects on how he came to the Dharma and looks at how the ideas of renunciation and practicing “nothing extra” related to his path of practice–from entering solitary retreat at the Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge, to serving in the Nomads Clinic in Nepal, to residency at Upaya, and ordaining […]

Episode Description: In this talk, the second session of this program, Roshi Joan Halifax asks: how do we cultivate a strong back and an open heart? “Empathy is when the world truly enters you,” she says. Roshi looks at ways in which we can approach suffering with strength and openness. “If you’re going to sit in the midst of […]

Series Description: This whole life is a place where we can make real and right our dedication to awakening, in living and dying, in caring and being cared for. Being completely and vividly present for the rich details of our lives and the lives of others is the means that we use to transform our anguish, discover […]

Episode Description: On the sixth and last full day of Rohatsu Sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi explores the concepts of oneness and non-duality. “Oneness or non-duality can be the basis of all our actions,” he says. Roshi Enkyo O’Hara encourages us to remember the vast oneness that carries us throughout our lives. When engaging with the world […]

Episode Description: In this talk, on the fifth day of Rohatsu Sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discusses the teachings of no-self and emptiness. “The ‘I’ changes all the time… there are no boundaries, we are free of boundaries and differentiations,” he says. Roshi Enkyo O’Hara speaks of the importance of dropping away concepts and ideas and fully […]

Episode Description: On the fourth day of Rohatsu Sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discusses the importance of bowing and forms in Zen practice. “We are making everything we do in sesshin sacred… Bowing is acknowledging the awakened nature of others.” Kaz reflects on the miracle of everyday life activity. “We can breath. That is a miracle,” he says. Roshi […]

Episode Description: In this talk, on the third day of Rohatsu Sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi talks about how practice is an opportunity to “explore what is most essential in the life of each one of us.” Aside from our individualistic concerns, he asks: What is most important? What is our life doing? What is the meaning of it? […]

Episode Description: On the full moon and second day of Rohatsu Sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi gives a talk on the writings of Zen Master Dogen. “The most important teaching of Dogen is that the goal is right here… Each one of us is a dew drop reflecting the moon of enlightenment,” he says. Roshi Joan Halifax […]

Series Description: Rohatsu Sesshin marks the enlightenment of the Buddha. It is a powerful gathering of practitioners and friends who are dedicated to realizing the way. Roshis Joan Halifax and Enkyo O’Hara, and Sensei Kaz Tanahashi explore the enlightenment of the Buddha, the story and its meaning in our lives today, during this powerful annual retreat. Episode Description: In the […]

Episode Description: In the final talk of this program, Sharon Salzberg and Roshi Joan Halifax address the questions of: What is love? What does it mean to have compassion for everybody? What creates disconnection and unskillful action? “We are capable of greatness in the matter of love and wisdom. Hurting and creating suffering for others is a […]

Episode Description: In this episode, Sharon Salzberg and Roshi Joan Halifax lead a Q/A session on love and lovingkindness practice. To help keep these podcasts freely available, we hope you will consider making a suggested donation of $25 to our Dharma Podcast Fund. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please […]

Episode Description: In this episode, Sharon Salzberg and Roshi Joan Halifax lead a Q/A session on love and lovingkindness practice. The session is then concluded with Sharon giving a guided lovingkindness meditation. To help keep these podcasts freely available, we hope you will consider making a suggested donation of $25 to our Dharma Podcast Fund. For […]

Episode Description: In this episode, Sharon Salzberg guides us in a lovingkindness meditation and talks about lovingkindness practice. Roshi Joan Halifax discusses compassion as it relates to love. “The sense of deep care for the world makes it impractical to engage in harm. Not engaging in harm is how we express love,” she says. To help keep these […]

Episode Description: In this talk, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara urges us to ask ourselves: Why wake up? What are we after? “I hope you will take the time to acknowledge the importance of waking up,” she says, “when we wake up, we realize that in addition to our own personal experience and history we are connected intimately. We […]