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, skillful means, wisdom, meditation, effort, patience, ethical conduct, and generosity. Shinzan clarifies that paramitas aren’t about Western-style perfection but wholeness…

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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, if you take this pill, you’re going to be free of suffering… But if you take the other pill, you are going to go back and suffer a lot to help others to be free.

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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 remember what brought us here, what is our deep intention that keeps us aligned with ourselves? This invitation is woven into Monshin’s musing on the “Bodhisattva ideal”, quoting Norman Fischer: “We…

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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 not distant celestial beings but expressions of our own natural selves waiting to be cultivated. The text examines archetypal figures including Manjushri (wisdom)…

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In this opening session of Spring Practice Period, Senseis Monshin, Shinzan, and Ryotan warmly welcome participants to explore “Living in the Embrace of the Bodhisattva Path.” Sensei Monshin begins by speaking to the ancient tradition of Ango as a container for transformation, inviting participants to “relax into our schedule… breathe, listen… and slowly accord with the schedule and with others.”…

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In this session of the Awareness in Action series, Valerie Brown passionately meets us at the crossroads of spiritual practice and social action. As democracy trembles and DEI programs face systematic dismantling, Brown draws us in close to presence and practice. Sharing stories from her transformation as Capitol Hill lobbyist into spiritual teacher, Brown describes how she moved from an…

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In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk during Spring Practice Period, Sensei Monshin explores the archetypal energies of two bodhisattvas – Samantabhadra and Jizo. She begins by asking what sustains our practice and effort, answering simply: “because of our love for the world, why else? Because of our love for beings.” This same boundless love is precisely what drives these bodhisattvas…

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In this week’s Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, during the Spring Practice Period, Sensei Ryotan Cynthia Kear draws our attention to the foundational importance of vows, urging us to “Trust yourself and your dedication to your practice.” Cultivating a deep confidence in our commitment to practice, knowing we are not perfect, creates the necessary ground for wisdom to emerge.

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In this Wednesday Night concluding talk of the Prajnaparamita series, Kodo explores how these ancient teachings can be brought into everyday life through the practice of deep attention and appreciation. He frames the slow, careful reading of sutras as “a radical act of defiance” against the attention economy, describing how this practice creates a different relationship with time and presence than…

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In this dharma talk, Fushin discusses the Empty Bowl Sutra and its relationship to the Diamond Sutra, presenting them as complementary teachings about emptiness or boundlessness, and the bodhisattva path. Fushin explains that the Empty Bowl Sutra features Manjushri teaching about emptiness/boundlessness while the Diamond Sutra shows how this understanding leads to the bodhisattva vow to liberate…

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