Episodes

  • Doctrine of Mind

    Doctrine of Mind
    Aug 25 2024
    Once again, the classic student and teacher dialogue we have all heard at one time or another. True teachers can be and should be, difficult to pin down an “answer” to questions that in reality wind up limiting us. What else, and how else could Huang Po answer? Read the Journal while listening
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    11 mins
  • The Heart of the Pine

    The Heart of the Pine
    Aug 19 2024
    The essence of Taoism and Zen emanates from the same source, and many qualities of Taoist sages sound like what you could hear from a Zen master in China. At times the dividing lines seem quite blurry. Read the Journal while listening
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    10 mins
  • Interdependence and the Middle Way

    Interdependence and the Middle Way
    Aug 15 2024
    One of the core teachings in Buddhism is that of “co-dependent origination,” that nothing exists independently; rather, everything exists on the condition that its existence relies on all other entities. Read the Journal while listening
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    10 mins
  • The Unborn – Part 1

    The Unborn – Part 1
    Aug 11 2024
    Here is a refreshing and direct expression of something many of us make into a very complicated and abstruse issue. Bankei brought Zen to ordinary, everyday people along with the monks and nuns that he taught. Read the Journal while listening
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    9 mins
  • West Mountain Evening Talk – Part 1

    West Mountain Evening Talk – Part 1
    Aug 4 2024
    Ah, the patience of a good teacher resounds throughout this piece. The characters and their parts are timeless...we have all known challenging students who seem to push inappropriately, but like a highly skilled kendo master, Muso deftly answers questions that seem at times to cross the barrier of common courtesy. Read the Journal while listening
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    12 mins
  • Essentials of Mind – Part 1

    Essentials of Mind – Part 1
    Jul 28 2024
    Zen teaching is filled with enlightenment stories and koans that sound like mental gymnastics to the beginner. At times one wonders the purpose of them, other than to illustrate how futile all our striving really is. Read while listening to the Journal
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    10 mins
  • Search for the Pearl

    Search for the Pearl
    Jul 15 2024
    There are many principles of Buddhism easily understood. For instance, any one of the Six Perfections sounds like reasonable aspirations. However, as in all spiritual traditions, there is the understanding of the householder versus the spiritual aspirant who hears another meaning. Read while you listen to the Journal
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    10 mins
  • Journal of My Study in China

    Journal of My Study in China
    Jul 8 2024
    Over the years we have shared many teaching dialogues, most often in the format of an unknown student questioning a very well know Zen Master. This is one of the most unique dialogues we have, taken from Dogen’s own journal covering his years of study in China with Master Rujing. Read the Journal
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    11 mins