Subhana focuses on the healing capacity to be with, respond and alleviate the pain and suffering in our lives.Rather than turning away from the pain and disavowing the; hurt, shame, fear, anger, grief, we can turn towards these feelings with the healing power of compassion.We take up a wonderful Case 89 in the Blue Cliff Record of Kannon Bodhisattvas many
Emperor Su Tsung asked the National Teacher Hui Chung, “After you die, whatwill you need?” The National Teacher said, “Build a seamless tomb for me”. The Emperorasked, “please tell me master, what does this tomb look like?” The National teacher remained silent for a long time and then asked, “do you understand?” The Emperorsaid, “I dontunderstand”. The dialogue continues. The
Gillian Coote, roshi explores what we might have to do to practise as the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan Yin. Whether we’re sitting on our cushions in meditation or are functioning in the day to day world, many challenges are sure to emerge. This teisho was given at Spring sesshin in 2021
Chao Chou’s “Oak Tree in the Garden” is, like MU, a primary koan, a door that focusses into the world of Zen practice. It emerges as a response to perennial questions: “What is Zen?” “What is the one mind?” It would seem that all the richness of life is right here, back in your own backyard, as the old song put
Subhana gives meditation instructions, an introduction and guided meditation practice on Silent Illumination. Silent Illumination is a both a practice and the direct realisation of mind. It was developed by Chinese Zen master Hongzhi and has its roots in Shamata Vipassana practice of early Buddhism. It was later called Shikantaza in Japanese Zen &/or Just Sitting. This teisho was given by Subhana Barzaghi
The Dharma talk explores the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows and how they have their roots in the Four Noble Truths and hence the four great related tasks in walking the path of liberation from suffering. What does it mean to live by and embody these aspirational vows and noble intentions for the benefit of all being. This teisho was given by
It is as though a water buffalois passing through a lattice window.Its head, horns and four legs have all gone through. Why can’t its tail go through? Case 16 Wu’Men Kuan Koans can truly ring like the theatre of the absurd. Their playful logic challenges us. And vast dimensions revealed in practice resolve in the homely and concrete. This teisho
This phrase, “Snow in a silver bowl”, comes down to us via an interesting succession of teachings that begins with a most likely mythical Zen lineage history. Once a monk asked Ba-ling, “What is the Deva sect?” Ba-ling said, “Snow in a silver bowl”. Peter explores this short but nevertheless deep koan through many of the Zen characters that helped
This talk by Jane Andino deals with the question presented in many koans: ‘What is Buddha?’ What does it mean to be awake? What does it mean, in the words of Yuanwu’s pointer to Case 7 of the Blue Cliff Record, to ‘have personally heard the single word before sound?’ This teisho was given at the SZC Winter Sesshin 2022
Peter Bursky weaves his own discovery of Dogen’s Mountains and Waters Sutra into a wander through the opening paragraph of this beautiful and poetic text. Mountains and waters encompass much of what the form of Zen practice, art and language is, and it’s like this because they are the form of who we truly are. Offering us refuge, protection and
