I will be sharing my thoughts and reflections on a poem The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi and how understanding the nature of duality can alleviate suffering

The topic is (yet another) Zen story, suitable for the late season and the promise of a New Year, that brings up the question of what actually happens when the world ends. For those who have a copy of the Blue Cliff Record lying around, the case number is 29.

Our topic for this talk is A True Companion: Zazen & Mortality. We will begin with embodiment and stay close to our resources as we take an honest, Dharmic look into the transformative power of this journey from here to the end of our life.

The topic is focused on an old Zen story (Case 4 of the Blue Cliff Record for those who are familiar with the literature), which discusses the apparently paradoxical relationship between what we might call “spiritual ambition”—i.e. wishing to benefit in some way from a spiritual practice like Zen—and the way in which ambition of any sort (aka “grasping”) is a barrier to fruitful practice.

What is the intersection of Zen and Politics?  What principles in Zen practice are most pertinent to engaging/not engaging/digesting the political discourses of our times?

When we're struggling or feeling lost, what do we have faith in? In other words, what do we believe will bring greater happiness? In this sense, we're all placing our faith in something-- whether that's the Dharma, a job promotion, romance, Netflix or cookies; we all seek happiness somewhere. Though faith isn't often associated with Buddhism, it's a fundamental part of the practice. During this session, we'll talk about the role of faith in our awakening, and how placing our faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, can provide a reliable refuge. For those that get the willies at the mere mention of faith, fear not-- we'll be exploring definitions of this term that go beyond the typical associations.

The topic is the koan of "Jumping Off the Hundred Foot Pole" (Case 79 Blue Cliff Record) and how we can find trust and faith in ourselves and our practice. How can we cultivate loving kindness and compassion within our zazen practice and how we spread that to the world around us?

We’ll talk, inspired by a Koan—Case 30 of the Blue Cliff Record—about what we’re actually “supposed" to be practicing with.

We have so many different types of work and yet, they are all governed by the same Zen principles:  what does this moment ask for? What is my body sensation and mental formation around what is happening?  How can I appropriately show up for "production" when Zen is about the "path" not necessarily the end result?

Each moment, the mind takes on an attitude, perspective, or way of seeing. These perspectives will often color our vision such that reality is missed and we see everything through me-colored glasses. We'll talk about what Zazen has to do with taking off distorted lenses and seeing the world anew.