Sydney Zen Centre Dharma Talks and Teishos

Subhana discusses right livelihood and conduct and the deeper question pervading these efforts – ‘for whom do we do it?’

This Teisho was given by Robert Aitken Roshi on October 29 1990 at the Koko An Zendo, Honolulu note: around 11 minutes in Roshi talks a little about the origins of Mind Moon Circle publication from the Sydney Zen Centre

a Teisho given by Robert Aitken Roshi on Day 6 of Sesshin 7th January 1988, This Teisho is part of Sydney Zen Centre’s digitisation project, Aitken Roshi was kind enough to give permission to share these recordings with you a month before he passed away…

Wu-men Kuan Case 40 – Kuei-shan Kicks Over the Water Bottle was a Teisho given by Robert Aitken Roshi on Day 5 of Sesshin 6th Jan 1988 it was as part of Sydney Zen Centre’s digitization of Teisho’s given over the past 40 years, Aitken Roshi was kind enough to give permission to share these recording with you.

Subhana explores the four sicknesses that can befall a student and how these can manifest in our lives.

This Dharma talk was given Sexton Bourke Roshi at the Transmission Sesshin for both himself and Paul Maloney Rosahi celebrated at Kodoji on 10th April 2010.

This Podcast by Paul Maloney was given during Autumn and Transmission Sesshin for Sexton Bourke and Paul Maloney at Sydney Zen Centres Kodoji. Paul describes the very begginings of the Zen lineage.

Case 16 of The Blue Cliff Record – Breaking in and Breaking Out by Subhana recorded at the 2010 Autumn Sesshin at Kodoji The Koan A monk asked Ching Ch’ing, “I am breaking out, I ask the Teacher to break in.” Ching Ch’ing said “Can you live or not?” The monk said, “If I weren’t alive, I’d be laughed at by people.” Ching Ch’ing said, “You too are a man in the weeds.”

Case 52 of The Blue Cliff Record The Great Stone Bridge of Chao Chou by Subhana was recorded during the 2010 Autumn Sesshin at Kodoji. A monk asked Chao Chou, “For a long time I’ve heard of the stone bridge of Chao Chou, but now that I’ve come here I just see a simple log bridge.” Chao Chou said “You just see the log bridge, you don’t see the stone bridge.” The monk said, “What is the stone bridge?” Chao Chou said “it lets asses cross, it lets horses cross.”

This Podcast is by Paul Maloney in talk that he gave during Autumn Sesshin at Kodoji SZC’s wilderness zendo at Gorricks Run adjacent to Yengo National Park, about two hours north-west of Sydney. “Huangbo [Huang Po] addressed his assembled monks and said, “You are all eaters of brewers’ lees. If you go about on pilgrimage like this, when can you meet today? Don’t you know that in all the land of Tang, there is no Zen teacher?”

This is a Teisho given by Gillian Coote during December 2009 Rohatsu Sesshin, this is the week between 1st and 8th of December, A sesshin literally “touching the heart-mind”, is a period of intensive zazen The custom has its roots in the Buddha’s own attainment of enlightenment after the Buddha’s own meditation that lasted for a week. Following the example of the Buddha, the Zen monks as well as lay practitioners such as in the Sydney Zen Centre participate in this week of intensive zazen. Enjoy!

“Our experience of life is mediated by the body and yet we are not ultimately defined by the body. However if we are to realise enlightenment we are not going to realise it in any place other than right here in this body and mind” – Subhana

“This talk is dedicated to my dear friend Gail Longmuir who’s daughter Hannah Levi Dawn Galliard, died at the age of 27 in Athens on the 27th August, 2009.” ~ Subhana

Subhana addresses a baseline question held by many students “How should I direct myself?” Melbourne Sesshin 2009.