Case 37: Isan asked Kyôzan, “Suppose a man asks you, saying, ‘All living beings are tossed in a vast karma-consciousness. Does this karma-consciousness have any origin from which it arises?’ How would you check him?” Kyôzan said, “If such a monk appears, I call out to him, ‘Mr. So-and-so!’ When he turns his head, instantly […]

Description: Yamada Ryoun Roshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Zen lineage from Kamakura, Japan, gives his first teisho of the North American Sanbo Zen (NASZ) sesshin for 2016, on Joshu’s Dog. In his introduction, Roshi stresses the primary purpose for practicing Zen. Settling the mind and many other fruits of practice are not the primary purpose. They […]

Description: Abbot of Sanbo Zen, Yamada Ryoun Roshi from Kamakura, Japan, gives this talk to an overflowing zendo in honor of Mountain Cloud’s rededication ceremony.  With over a hundred people somehow crowded into the zendo and the lobby, the Roshi recognizes Mountain Cloud founder Philip Kapleau, and expresses his personal aspiration, as Abbot of the Sanbo […]

“Love is the opposite of separation.” Description: In this short Valentines Day, Sunday morning talk, Henry explores love: our love for the practice and the abiding love practice has for us. In this latter love, we are gently led to intrinsic, non-separate true nature. Henry shows how the nature of love is embedded in the three […]

“Pick up a speck of dust, and nation prospers, and the villagers knit their brows in anxiety. Put down a speck of dust, and the nation perishes, and everyone lives in peace.” Description: Henry talks about paradox, using a few koans from Fuketsu to show how Zen’s many paradoxical teachings can lead to peace, love and […]

Description: Henry explores the challenging koan, Case  29 from the Book of Equanimity, Fuketsu’s Iron Ox, unravelling the matter of the “iron ox” and the “heart seal.” Are these metaphors? Listen to find out what they refer to.  We learn that our true nature resembles the iron ox, the absolute stillness through which all activity runs. […]

Description: In this powerful and compelling talk, Ruben Habito Roshi imagines that he is giving his last teisho, and encourages us to appreciate every moment as our very first and very last moment. He gives us the “ABC of Zen” —  first, Awareness; then discovery of our universal Belonging, along with all things; and finally our […]

Description: Henry continues his exploration of Bodhidharma’s core teaching, Outline of Practice, the Two Gates.  He opens the teisho with an inspiring quote from the novel Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams that captures an essence of what we seek in Zen practice. Then we learn that our tradition of facing the wall comes from Bodhidharma, (the […]

Description: In this talk, Henry explores the origins of zen as it moved from India, to China and finally Japan.  This penetrating teisho grounds us in Bodhidharma’s view of zen which is rooted in four simple but profound characteristics: a special mind to mind transmission outside scripture; not relying on words and letters; directly pointing to […]

Description: Case 21, Book of Equanimity: Ungan Sweeps the Ground When Ungan was sweeping the ground, Dôgo said, “You are working hard, aren’t you.” Ungan said, “You should know there is one who does not work hard.” Dôgo said, “Is that so? You mean there is a second moon?” Ungan raised his bamboo broom and said, “What […]