The OzZen Podcast

This is the first of a series of talks on precept practice given by OzZen teachers and facilitators. This talk focuses on how to practice a nondual psychologically minded approach to the precepts influenced by the teaching of Bernie Glassman, Nancy Mujo Baker and Barry Magid.

In this sixth episode in the series Indian Buddhist Philosophy: Progressive Stages of Insight into Emptiness, Sono discusses the Two Truths of Nagarjuna, the important insight into the “emptiness” of emptiness and how these philosophical insights shape how we practice.

Meditation: A Still Forest Pool, by Shinsho by

Zen Buddhism can be understood as a form of performance art.

In this recording, Sono performs the song by the 17th century monk Hakuin, called “Song of Zazen”.

How does our practice help with this work?

When we come from love rather than anger and fear, without creating enemies, we avoid anxiety and burnout. We can rely on our zazen practice to step back and see clearly with a compassionate lens. Together with the fundamental truths of Buddhism, this allows us then to step up and into wise action as is required in any given moment.

In this talk I discuss socially engaged Buddhism and how the paths of personal and social transformation are interdependent.

As David Loy states: ‘Engagement in the world is how our individual awakening blossoms, and how contemplative practices such as meditation ground our activism, transforming it into a spiritual path”.

In this meditation we contemplate the question: Why do you sit?

Like a Koan there is no right answer. Are we “Performing our vows”?

“Renewing our commitment”? “Embodying the practice principles?”

What kind of engagement with life is Zazen? The practice of nonseparation?

The practice of leaving everything alone? Nonthinking is a kind of letting be – letting

thinking be, letting everything be. Forget yourself. No gain. Just this is it.

In this lecture/discussion, Sono explains the concept of dependent arising in Buddhism, emphasizing that things only exist conventionally and do not have inherent existence. This idea, also known as emptiness, was clarified as the absence of something rather than the presence of something else. Sono further discussed how this concept relates to the impermanence of all things, as nothing truly exists independently. The group also discussed the confusion that can arise from this concept, particularly in relation to the concept of non-separation. Ultimately, Sono argued that this philosophy aims to liberate individuals from the habit of imputing independent existence to everything and to live with the perspective of non-separation.

In our Indian Buddhist Philosophy course, we have been discussing various ways of understanding the Buddhist concept of anatman, “no-self” using philosophical analysis. According to this analysis emptiness is defined as the lack of an inherent, independently existing permanent self. Even though we may understand intellectually that the self does not have a permanent, indivisible, and independent existence, it feels as if it does. In this guided meditation, we explore the self-illusion by turning towards our direct experience – that is we explore emptiness experientially.

From the Buddhist perspective, the understanding and realisation of emptiness is the key to liberation from suffering – because the roots of suffering stem from primordial confusion as to the nature of reality – to be free from suffering we need to eliminate ignorance – to eliminate ignorance is to understand emptiness – hence the realisation of emptiness is the ultimate medicine.

In this lecture series we are exploring some of the different ways of understanding emptiness found in Buddhism – today we will go into what is called the Madhymaka School or The Middle Way School which interprets the prajnaparamita sutras – such as the Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra. Prajnaparamita meaning the perfection of wisdom – where wisdom realises emptiness. Nagarjuna is the founder of the Madhymaka school and he is the first and most influential Buddhist philosopher - later in the series we will move to exploring the Yogacara view on emptiness and explore the question as to whether or not the Madhyamaka and Yogacara Schools are allies or rivals.