Best Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot Podcasts (2025)

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Awareness In Action: Nonviolence with Father John Dear (Part 11 – September) 1:33:05

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1d ago1:33:05

1:33:05

In this timely session of Awareness in Action, Father John Dear confronts the urgency of our times with an echo from Martin Luther King Jr.: “The choice is no longer violence or non-violence… It’s non-violence or non-existence.” Rooted in Gandhi’s teaching that “nonviolence is the highest form of human consciousness,” Father John presents nonviolen…

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Life, Death, and Freedom 53:15

2d ago53:15

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In this unique Wednesday Night Dharma Talk before the upcoming Love and Death program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski engage in an open dialogue on Life, Death, and Freedom. Departing from scripted teachings, the evening unfolds through participant questions that touch the raw edges of grief, love, and mortality. Roshi Joan frames grief as …

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The Grace of Bodhisattvas 44:35

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Dainin interweaves personal story, Buddhist teaching, and contemporary challenges to show how the Bodhisattva vow can be lived — and is urgently needed — in our times. She shares how her understanding of compassion shifted through practice, from a fixed character trait to something that can be cultivated …

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Awareness In Action: We Were Made for This with Rebecca Solnit (Part 10 – August) 1:38:51

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In this session of Upaya’s Awareness in Action series, writer and activist Rebecca Solnit joins Roshi Joan Halifax to explore how stories shape reality, the nature of human behavior in crisis, and the discipline of hope as an antidote to despair. Rebecca reminds us, “Hope is not an emotion, it’s a commitment to not give up, to keep looking for poss…

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Vimalakirti’s Vulnerability: Through Star to Sky to the Eye of Another 46:01

16d ago46:01

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei James Fushin explores vulnerability as a profound gateway to awakening. Drawing from the Vimalakirti Sutra and physicist Brian Cox’s question—”How do we live a finite, fragile life in an infinite, eternal universe?”—Fushin reflects on illness, silence, and the dissolution of self and other as pathways to …

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Silent Illumination and the Practice of Wonderment (Part 2) 1:08:22

23d ago1:08:22

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In the second part of this two-part Wednesday Night Dharma Talk mini-series, Zen teacher Guo Gu guides us into the embodiment of silent illumination. He begins not with theory but with experience: posture, presence, and body. Speaking with a soft, smooth cadence—measured and unhurried—we explore the terrain of our own physicality through an extende…

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Awareness In Action: Earth with Terry Tempest Williams & Joan Halifax (Part 9 – August) 1:36:49

23d ago1:36:49

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In this session of Awareness in Action, Roshi Joan Halifax and Terry Tempest Williams guide participants to witness the world with care, presence, and courage. Roshi Joan opens with the Zen koan—“A monk asked Joshu, when great difficulties come upon us, can they be avoided?” Joshu replies, “Welcome.”—and, in the same spirit, notes the similarity in…

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Living Transmission Closing Session (8 of 8) 1:06:08

28d ago1:06:08

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In this closing session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, faculty and participants reflect on how ancient teachings become living transmission through courage, friendship, and practice. Roshi Joan reminds us that discovery emerges not through resolution but through living fully within paradox, just as Dogen himself persisted amid loss and uncertainty. Stev…

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Eight Awakenings of Great Beings (7 of 8) 1:02:03

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In the seventh session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Sensei Genzan explores Dogen’s Eight Awakenings of Great Beings (Hachi Dainin Gaku), weaving scholarship with lived experience to reveal how Zen practice addresses the paradoxes of daily life. “It’s not that Dogen is paradoxical,” he notes, “our lives are paradoxical.” With humor and humility, Genzan…

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Dogen Seminar 2025: The Art of Contextual Teaching (6 of 8) 1:07:52

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In the sixth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, the faculty engage in a rich exploration of Dogen’s use of language, paradox, and poetry as spiritual communication. Heine highlights how paradox functions as a “turning word,” pushing beyond ordinary discourse to liberate us from fixed assumptions. The faculty respond with perspectives on authenticity…

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Four Methods of Guidance (5 of 8) 1:03:17

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In this fifth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Norman and Kathie Fischer explore Dogen’s Four Methods of Guidance (Bodaisatta Shishobo), one of the most accessible and transformative fascicles of the Shobogenzo. Building on reflections about paradox in Zen, […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Dogen Seminar 2025: True Paradox (4 of 8) 52:50

29d ago52:50

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In this fourth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Sensei Jiryu explores the profound paradox at the heart of Zen practice: the essential teaching of non-separation. He highlights the famous line, “The great way […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Paradox as a Tool of Awakening (3 of 8) 1:08:13

29d ago1:08:13

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In this third session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, renowned poet, translator, and peace activist Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi presents his analysis of paradox in Dogen’s writings, drawing from his monumental 33-year translation project of […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Paradox, Parable, and Paradigm (2 of 8) 1:06:14

29d ago1:06:14

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In this second session of the Dogen Seminar, distinguished scholar Dr. Steven Heine explores the profound role of paradox in Zen Buddhism, examining how these seemingly contradictory teachings serve as liberating devices rather […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Dogen Seminar 2025: Meeting Paradox in the Teachings of Zen Master Dogen (Part 1) 1:06:35

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In this opening session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, program faculty introduce themselves and reflect on themes and paradoxes within Dogen’s teachings they will be sharing over the weekend. Roshi Joan Halifax presented Dogen’s […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Just One Thing 43:00

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, resident priest Senko Perez reflects on the common trap of imagining that true practice lies elsewhere—in quieter places, calmer minds, or better circumstances. During a recent solo […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Awareness In Action: Equity with Konda Mason (Part 8 – August) 1:34:24

1M ago1:34:24

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In this session of Awareness in Action and speaking from her farm in Alexandria, Louisiana—unexpectedly located at the center of America’s deportation operations—dharma teacher and social justice activist Konda Mason explores the powerful connection […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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We Just Have to Get Quiet Enough 32:24

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Monshin explores the ancient Buddhist teaching of Kanno Doko — “responsive communion” or “mystical communion.” Drawing from a Wallace Stevens poem and the writings of Suzuki Roshi, she […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Silent Illumination and the Practice of Wonderment (Part 1) 50:09

1M ago50:09

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In the first part of this two-part Wednesday Night Dharma Talk mini-series, Zen teacher Guo Gu explores the deep relationship between silent illumination (or just sitting), and embodiment practice. He traces the historical roots of silent […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Becoming Yourself 40:51

2M ago40:51

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Jiryu affirms the central practice of Zen is to become truly ourselves. Reading from Suzuki Roshi’s teachings, and sharing quotes from Shohaku Okamura, Katagiri Roshi, and […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Ryokan Dances Dogen 43:39

2M ago43:39

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Genzan offers a unique exploration of true dharma expression – weaving together the teachings of 13th century Zen master Dogen with the poetry and life of […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Way Seeking Mind 49:26

2M ago49:26

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, longtime resident and novice priest Jimon Lorene Flaming tenderly offers her long and winding path to practice in her way-seeking mind talk. Inspired by overseas medical service […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Discovering the Reality of the Five Remembrances 39:13

2M ago39:13

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Dainin shares deeply personal stories of accompanying her father and Roshi Joan through life-threatening medical crises, revealing how the Buddhist Five Remembrances transformed from abstract teachings […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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To Be a Peacemaker 46:40

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Monshin explores what it means to be a peacemaker in our complicated world. Recalling a creative renaming of the 4th of July as “Interdependence Day,” Monshin […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Awareness In Action: Homeboys with Father Gregory Boyle (Part 7 – June) 1:22:45

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In this session of Upaya’s Awareness in Action series, Father Gregory Boyle—Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries—offers a profound reflection on kinship, healing, and radical compassion. Father Boyle brings humor, depth, and […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Buddha Meets Buddha: Teacher / No Teacher in Zen 38:27

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In this informative Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Zenshin Florence Caplow explores the meaning of “Buddha meets Buddha” in the context of how we might skillfully navigate our relationships with spiritual teachers. Zenshin […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Planting Life 2025: Corn And Culture (Part 4B) 1:19:07

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This is the 2nd half of the session on Planting Life, where participants explore indigenous food ways and decolonization through cultivated ancient wisdoms. Artist and cultural preservationist Roxanne Swentzell shares her […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Planting Life 2025: Corn And Culture (Part 4A) 1:09:08

3M ago1:09:08

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This is the 1st half of the session on Planting Life, where participants explore indigenous food ways and decolonization through cultivated ancient wisdoms. Artist and cultural preservationist Roxanne Swentzell shares her […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Planting Life 2025: Three Sisters Garden Planting Ceremony (Part 3) 1:12:43

3M ago1:12:43

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In this session of Planting Life, we participate in the sacred planting ceremony that honors indigenous wisdom through the cultivation of ancestral crops—corn, beans, and squash—known as the Three Sisters. Led by […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Planting Life 2025: Corn, Cosmos, and the Sacred Architecture of Time (Part 2) 1:35:02

3M ago1:35:02

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In this session of Planting Life, Mayan archaeoastronomer Alonso Méndez reveals the profound astronomical knowledge embedded in ancient Mesoamerican civilization. Drawing from his decades of research at Palenque, Méndez traces how corn […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Planting Life 2025 Kinship with the Earth: Bridging Worlds (Part 1) 1:13:11

3M ago1:13:11

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In this session, Roshi Joan Halifax, Troy Keido Fernandez, Sensei Wendy Johnson, and Alonso Mendez open the annual Planting Life program at Upaya Zen Center. Roshi welcomes in-person and online participants to this sacred gathering that […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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The Mind of Absolute Trust: Practicing with Preference 42:16

3M ago42:16

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Cynthia Ryotan explores the ancient Zen poem “The Mind of Absolute Trust” or “Xinxin Ming.” She unpacks how our preferences “chop up our lives and […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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AWARE: Opening to the Unhindered Mind 41:20

3M ago41:20

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Kodo explores the concept of impermanence as it relates to love, loss, and appreciation through the Portuguese word saudade – the inseparable feelings of sorrow and joy that […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Being Unborn: The Practice of Non-Objectification 29:06

4M ago29:06

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In this Wednesday Night Public Dharma Talk, resident practitioner Hunt Anshin Hoffman offers his first Dharma talk relating to his path and relationship with practice (way seeking mind talk). Anshin begins by invoking the […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Life Always Gives to Life: There Is Nothing to Fear 38:53

4M ago38:53

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Keido Troy Fernandez, a 13th generation native New Mexican and Zen priest at Upaya, tenderly weaves together ancestral wisdom, land-based practice, and Buddhist teachings. Drawing from […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Living with the Fundamental Truth of Impermanence 42:33

4M ago42:33

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Roshi Jan Chozen Bays provides a grounded and practical reflection on the teaching of impermanence. She explores impermanence (anicca) as one of Buddhism’s three fundamental marks of […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Becoming Intimate 48:51

4M ago48:51

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk coinciding with Upaya’s Being With Dying program, Frank Ostaseski breaks open the conversation of caring for those near death or in the dying process. Like curling up with a good […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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The Meaning of Life 37:54

5M ago37:54

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Buddhist philosopher David Loy traces humanity’s evolving quest for meaning through historical religious frameworks. Loy examines how humanity’s search for purpose has evolved through the ages – […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Awareness In Action: Solidarity with Joan Halifax (Part 6 – May) 1:30:23

5M ago1:30:23

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In this powerful talk from the Awakened Action series, Roshi Joan Halifax explores how solidarity can transform our shared and interwoven world during these critical times. After a warm introduction, Roshi begins, “From a […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Exploring Dharma Together 49:26

5M ago49:26

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In this unique and powerful Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Roshi Joan Halifax displays the poise and clarity of practice. Unexpectedly, she turns the talk into a dialogue with the audience as she reflects on […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP 2025 Sesshin Day 6: Living the Bodhisattva Way 1:07:27

5M ago1:07:27

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In this closing talk from the last day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, the faculty of the practice period weave together final reflections on the vows and actions of true bodhisattvas. Sensei […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP2025 Sesshin Day 5: Destiny of a Nation: The Bodhisattva Practice of Kind Speech 47:32

5M ago47:32

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In this talk during the fifth full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Cynthia Ryotan explores the fourth of the bodhisattva’s methods of guidance: kind speech. She fames the importance of […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP2025 Sesshin Day 3: The Four Methods of Guidance: Beneficial Action, Identity Action 50:14

5M ago50:14

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In this third full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Monshin explores the concepts of beneficial action and identity action from Dogen’s Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance. She identifies beneficial action as “skillfully […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP2025 Sesshin Day 2: The Four Bodhisattva Vows: The Nourishment of Endless Practice 48:40

5M ago48:40

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In this second full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Shinzan explores the Four Bodhisattva Vows as expressions of what Suzuki Roshi described as an “inflexible determination to carry out one’s will […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP2025 Sesshin Day 1: No Gift, No Giver: Dogen’s Method of Guidance on Generosity 36:44

5M ago36:44

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In this talk during the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Ryotan explores the first of Dogen’s Four Methods of Guidance: Dana (generosity). Dogen himself lived in a tumultuous era of social upheaval, war, […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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SPP 2025: Building the Container: Opening Remarks for Sesshin 59:06

5M ago59:06

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In this opening talk for the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Senseis Monshin, Ryotan, and Shinzan offer their remarks and suggestions to make the most of the deep quiet and practice of sesshin. Sensei Shinzan explains […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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The Ten Paramitas: Crossing to the Other Shore 48:57

5M ago48:57

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In this dharma talk during Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Shinzan thoroughly explores the Ten Paramitas (Perfections) of Mahayana Buddhism. He works backward from the tenth to the first, covering knowledge, powers, vow, […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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True Compassion on the Bodhisattva Path: SPP2025 (Part 5) 48:25

5M ago48:25

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In this second Zazenkai day talk of Spring Practice Period, Sensei Shinzan explores the essence of compassion in Buddhism. He begins with a Matrix-inspired question to illustrate the Bodhisattva vow: “Somebody tells you, […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Aspiration in the Fire of Our Times: SPP2025 (Part 3) 34:57

5M ago34:57

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In this first Zazenkai day of Spring Practice Period, Sensei Monshin delivers a poignant talk in her naturally calm and lighthearted way. Monshin reflects on this opportunity to practice and asks us to […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

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Opening the Text: Faces of Compassion: SPP2025 (Part 2) 50:32

5M ago50:32

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In this session of the Spring Practice Period, Senseis Monshin and Ryotan, introduce participants to Taigen Dan Leighton’s Faces of Compassion – the text of focus for the practice period. Sensei Ryotan emphasizes that bodhisattvas are […]By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot