Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

By Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

Society & Culture Education Philosophy Religion & Spirituality Buddhism

What's Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast about?

A Santa Fe, NM Zen center and community with retreats, daily meditation, weekly Dharma talks on Buddhist teachings

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Al Kaszniak: Reality is Bou...

05.20.2019

As a prelude to this year’s Varela Symposium, Sensei Al Kaszniak discusses interrelated themes from science, Buddhism, complexity, boundlessness, and reality. Do our sense organs actually represent reality as it really is? What is the interaction between our mind and ...

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast episodes:

05.20.2019 Al Kaszniak: Reality is Boundless: Interdependence in Zen and Science As a prelude to this year’s Varela Symposium, Sensei Al Kaszniak discusses interrelated themes from science, Buddhism, complexity, boundlessness, and reality. Do our sense organs actually represent reality as it really is? What is the interaction between our mind and ...
05.13.2019 Cynda Hylton Rushton & Anthony Back: Transcending Burnout: New Narratives for Caregivers As a complement to the coincident professional training program for clinicians, Being With Dying, Cynda Hylton Rushton and Anthony Back discuss healthy narratives for caregivers. What is burnout and how is it increasingly affecting so many caregivers and by extension ...
05.06.2019 Seigen Chuck Overley: Showing Up for Your Life Seigen Chuck Overley discusses his journey through Zen Buddhist practice and emphasizes the importance of “just showing up” to whatever he’s engaged in. Chuck talks about how some of the large themes in his practice—his time in the military, his ...
04.29.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra Part IV Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell provide a very intimate talk on love, and the power of right speech. The talk is inspired by a parable from the Lotus Sutra called, “The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.” The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was ...
04.27.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Sesshin: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Part 5 – Final) Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell discuss two different versions of the three vehicles, as well as the importance of spiritual friendship to our practice. Sensei Genzan explains that The Three Great Vehicles, the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana respectively emphasize ...
04.26.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Sesshin: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Part 4) Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell talk about how important selflessness is to the Bodhisattva path. Sensei Joshin emphasizes the importance of not clinging to fame, profit, body, mind, or enlightenment. He tells a story of generosity from the Lotus ...
04.25.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Sesshin: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Part 3) Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell continue the conversation around sound and dharma with some poems composed by Zen Master Dogen. Dogen explicitly refers to the Lotus Sutra in a poem, or, “Waka,” that he wrote about Dharma and sound. ...
04.24.2019 Joshin Byrnes: Sesshin: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Part 2) As an homage to the recent burning of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Sensei Joshin Byrnes talks about the role of beautiful architecture in lifting people out of the mundane, and the role of music and sound to the mystical ...
04.23.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Sesshin: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra (Part 1) As a continuation of the “Dharma Rain” theme from the Dharma Talk on the preceding day, Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell begin with another passage from The Lotus Sutra. Genzan reads, “I bring fullness and satisfaction to the world, ...
04.22.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra Part III Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell explore some of the insights found in “The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs,” also known as “Dharma Rain.” Sensei Joshin reads a passage which describes the infinite variety of plants, trees, thickets, groves, and ...
04.18.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Zazenkai: The Parable of the Hidden Jewel Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell tell The Parable of the Hidden Jewel, and discuss its insights by relating them to their own personal stories. The parable is the story of a poor man who discovers that a wealthy friend ...
04.15.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra Part II Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell relay the stories of Devadatta and the Dragon Girl, two stories which both make the inclusive point that everyone will become a Buddha someday. Devadatta is the story of a disciple who attains Buddhahood ...
04.11.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: Zazenkai: The Parable of the Burning House In acknowledgment of global warming, Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell briefly describe a “world on fire.” Genzan uses this description to relate a different story, the Parable of the Burning House, to our current lives. The story has to ...
04.08.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Genzan Quennell: The Continuing Stories of the Lotus Sutra Part I As a welcome and introduction to Spring Practice Period, Senseis Joshin Byrnes and Genzan Quennell invite practitioners to step out of the hustle and bustle of everyday, conventional life and to practice deepening their spiritual practice by being together in ...
04.01.2019 Matthew Kozan Palevsky: Only a Buddha and a Buddha Matthew Kozan Palevsky invites us to look at the relationship between samu, or work practice, and the experience of being a Buddha. He says, “Only a Buddha and a Buddha is a practice of being in the world as things ...
03.25.2019 Hozan Alan Senauke: The Three Treasures—Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Radical Buddhism and Beloved Community Sensei Alan Senauke explores the Three Treasures through the life and work of an Indian activist, Dr. Ambekar, and particularly through the context of a politically motivated Buddhist conversion movement that he founded meant to dismantle the country’s caste system. ...
03.18.2019 Monshin Nannette Overley: Not Turning Away In the spirit of not turning away from our history, Monshin Nannette Overley invites us to pause before she begins her talk and acknowledge that we are guests on Tewa ancestral homelands, and to remember, respect, and recognize the beautiful ...
03.11.2019 Kigaku Noah Rossetter: Riding the Waves of Birth and Death In acknowledgement of Ash Wednesday, Kigaku Noah Rossetter’s talk begins with a heartwarming look at atonement (at-onement) and its relationship to gratitude, inviting us to remember our role in receiving and causing karma, which can help deepen our experience of ...
03.05.2019 Kaz Tanahashi & Shinzan Palma: SESSHIN: Bodhisattva Perspectives on the Heart Sutra (Part 3 of 3) Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about the Heart Sutra in more detail and the importance of community. Sensei Kaz discusses the Four Noble Truths and how the Heart Sutra prescribes a freedom from craving. He also explains ...
03.04.2019 Natalie Goldberg: Between Two Pines Natalie Goldberg asks a fundamental question in this talk: what does it mean to realize ourselves? In answer, she explains, “Realizing ourselves is not what we think realizing ourselves is. It’s not one thing that will do it. If you ...
03.03.2019 Kaz Tanahashi & Shinzan Palma: SESSHIN: Bodhisattva Perspectives on the Heart Sutra (Part 2 of 3) Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about how zazen is an opportunity for us to deal with the issues that accumulate when we try to avoid them in our day-to day-lives. They also discuss the 16 precepts, and ...
03.02.2019 Kaz Tanahashi & Shinzan Palma: SESSHIN: Bodhisattva Perspectives on the Heart Sutra (Part 1 of 3) Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma explore one of the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, the Heart Sutra. This is also known as Prajna Paramita Hridaya, or Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom. This series addresses many questions: What ...
03.01.2019 Clark Strand & Kaz Tanahashi & Natalie Goldberg & Joan Halifax: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 6 of 6) As we finish our Haiku weekend, Clark Strand, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Natalie Goldberg share their own haiku and some haiku that they love. Clark reads several of author Richard Wright’s haiku including: In the falling snow, ...
02.28.2019 Clark Strand: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 5 of 6) Clark Strand reads examples of noted modern haiku and speaks about some of the ways in which modern haiku differ from traditional poetry. From Shōwa period female poet Mitsuhashi Takajo: Climb this tree and you’ll be a she-devil, red leaves ...
02.27.2019 Natalie Goldberg & Clark Strand: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 4 of 6) Natalie Goldberg and Clark Strand speak about the beginnings of haiku. Clark talks about the collaborative nature of haiku, some of its implicit rules, and the reason for its popularity. For Series description, please visit Part 1. To access the ...
02.27.2019 Natalie Goldberg: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 3 of 6) “When you’re a beginning haiku writer,” says Natalie Goldberg, “it’s better to keep practicing and don’t edit too much.” In her years of studying haiku and writing poetry, Natalie found haiku, “gave me a little refreshment. It allowed me to ...
02.25.2019 Wendy Johnson & Robert Wilder: Way Seeking Mind Wendy Johnson and Rob Wilder discuss the early experiences which led Wendy to gardening and to Zen Buddhism, and they discuss her book, “Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate.” One of the central themes of the talk was the metaphor of ...
02.24.2019 Kaz Tanahashi: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 2 of 6) Our first talk in the morning is from Sensei Kaz Tanahashi who explains some elements of Japanese grammar and explores Basho and haiku pre-dating Basho. Kaz says, “Japanese is a highly grammatical language…negative is negative, future is future, past is ...
02.24.2019 Natalie Goldberg & Kaz Tanahashi & Clark Strand & Joan Halifax: Five Hundred Years of Haiku (Part 1 of 6) In Upaya’s 5th year of our Haiku program Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Natalie Goldberg, and Clark Strand explore this centuries-old art form. Our six-part series includes stories from the speakers which describe their personal experiences with writing haiku, ...
02.18.2019 Kaz Tanahashi & Shinzan Palma: Bodhisattva Perspectives on the Heart Sutra Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma discuss the contents of the Heart Sutra, the notion of emptiness, different types of wisdom, and the notion of awakening. The Heart Sutra is regarded as the most ...
02.12.2019 Joshin Byrnes: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows (Part 4 of 4) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Joshin Byrnes talks about the final Vow, which is about embodying the awakened way. What is it to live life in an awakened way? Joshin quotes Roshi Bernie Glassman, saying, “The purpose of Buddhist ...
02.11.2019 Clark Strand: HAIKU: The Art of Writing “Playful” Verse Episode Description: In this talk, Clark Strand speaks about the history of Haiku, how we might define it, and how he came to practice it. The word Haiku translates to “playful verse.” The best Haiuku, Clark says, “demonstrate what I ...
02.10.2019 Matthew Kozan Palevsky: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows (Part 3 of 4) Episode Description: In this episode, Matthew Kozan Palevsky discusses boundlessness and reality. “Reality is all things as they are,” he says. In boundlessness, nothing is excluded. Kozan also reads a fascicle by Zen Master Dogen called, “Reality of All Things.” ...
02.09.2019 Joshin Byrnes: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows (Part 2 of 4) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Joshin Byrnes lists and speaks about the six factors of delusion. These include karmic inheritance, objects or things, the influence of people and culture around us, the following of false teachings, habits, and mistaken ...
02.09.2019 Matthew Kozan Palevsky: SESSHIN: Four Great Vows (Part 1 of 4) Series Description:In this series, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky discuss the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows as they relate to the Four Noble Truths, to teachings from the Pali Canon, and to stories from day to day life. The ...
02.04.2019 Joshin Byrnes: The Embrace of the Bodhisattva (Zazenkai 3) Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes first notes how Zen has historically flourished as a result of sociopolitical upheaval. In today’s world, current events such as the Women’s March raise important questions. Joshin asks, “How do ...
01.28.2019 Matthew Kozan Palevsky: The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows: Gifts of a Bodhisattva Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky discusses the characteristics of the Bodhisattva archetype. Kozan says, “A Bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to relieving the suffering of the world.” Avalokitesvara and Manjusri are two of the most ...
01.28.2019 Matthew Kozan Palevsky: The Great Bodhisattva Vows Embedded in the Four Noble Truths (Zazenkai 2) Episode Description: In this talk, Matthew Kozan Palevsky takes a closer look at The Four Great Vows. He notes some of the similarities between the Four Great Vows and the Four Noble Truths, and he discusses potential ways ...
01.21.2019 Joshin Byrnes: A Really Big Vow Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes speaks about Practice Period and The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows. Joshin asks some fundamental questions: what is it like to step into the mind of vow, and what is the process of ...
01.14.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Matthew Kozan Palevsky: Living by Vow (Zazenkai 1) Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky ask the question, what is vow and how does it show up in our lives? The talk explores the difference between living by vow and by ...
01.12.2019 Joshin Byrnes & Matthew Kozan Palevsky: Introduction to Winter Practice Period: The Four Great Bodhisattva Vows Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Joshin Byrnes and Matthew Kozan Palevsky introduce practice period by explaining some of the history behind it, and what it might mean for practitioners now. They also emphasize the theme of this practice period, ...
01.07.2019 Lama Tsultrim Allione: Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine Episode Description: In this talk, Lama Tsultrim Allione leads a unique combination of discussion, visualization, and chanting which stems from the Tibetan Mandala of the Five Dakinis. Lama Tsultrim introduces the five feminine Dakini archetypes, as well as their associated ...
01.05.2019 Enkyo O'Hara & Kaz Tanahashi & Joan Halifax: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 6 of 6) Episode Description: In this episode, Roshis Joan Halifax and Enkyo O’Hara, and Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discuss such notions as dissatisfaction with ourselves and our lives, the role of anger, the “four reliances,” being versus practicing the four noble truths, and ...
01.04.2019 Enkyo O'Hara & Kaz Tanahashi: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 5 of 6) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, and Roshi Enkyo O’Hara talk about Roshi Bernie Glassman’s life’s work, as well as the Lotus Sutra. Sensei Kaz elaborates on Bernie’s work in Yonkers, New York, his street retreats, and his ...
01.04.2019 Kaz Tanahashi & Joan Halifax: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 4 of 6) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax explore such notions as the paradox of particularity, being plain and simple, being a great fool, the intimacy of awakening, and the characterization of transformation. For Series description, ...
01.03.2019 Enkyo O'Hara & Kaz Tanahashi: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 3 of 6) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Enkyo O’Hara discuss lessons learned from the potential for death. Sensei Kaz asserts, “How you want to die is how you should want to live.” Roshi Enkyo talks about the ...
12.31.2018 Natalie Goldberg & Katie Arnold: The Zen of Running Episode Description: In this talk, Natalie Goldberg and Katie Arnold discuss their friendship, the influence of Zen practice in their lives, and Katie’s powerful story about winning the Leadville 100, an ultramarathon race. Katie discusses how Zen practice and philosophy ...
12.31.2018 Kaz Tanahashi & Joan Halifax: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 2 of 6) Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax discuss what continuous practice means and how enlightenment is not separate from practice. Roshi Joan emphasizes the cultivation of bodhicitta and the power of bearing witness. For Series ...
12.30.2018 Enkyo O'Hara & Kaz Tanahashi: ROHATSU: Four Noble Truths (Part 1 of 6) Series Description: In this series, Roshis Joan Halifax and Enkyo O’Hara, and Sensei Kaz Tanahashi discuss the fundamental Buddhist teachings, “the four noble truths.” Rohatsu is a special time which annually commemorates the enlightenment of the historical Buddha. These talks ...
12.17.2018 Monshin Nannette Overley: Finding Your Place Where You Are Episode Description: In this talk, Monshin Nannette Overley discusses a passage from Zen Master Dogen’s Genjōkōan about how and when real practice occurs. Dogen writes, “When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.” Nannette ...

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