Medicine and sickness cure each other, all the earth is medicine, where do you find your self? Gillian Coote, roshi, examines Yun-men’s words about our own sickness and suffering – as individuals, as family members, in relationships at work or in the sangha, and as members of this society and this vast interdependent mahasangha – the sickness of the air,
The Buddha points to the ground and declares “Here would be a good place to erect a temple.” In this talk, Jane Andino looks at this case from the Book of Serenity and reflects on what that temple might be for us. She also investigates the traditions of our lay practice. This Dharma talk was given at a zazenkai in September 2018
Reading from his book ‘Zen Leopard’ Brendon Stewart reflects upon a recent trip to Japan. Brendon uses the metaphor of a bridge, a very common image in many Japanese wood block prints. His Zen Buddhist practice has been made richer by ideas passing back and forth over the many bridges of history and between his country of birth, Australia and Japan. This
“If there is even a bit of difference, it is the remote distance between heaven and earth.” This is a famous Zen saying that has been used many times by the masters of the past and present, but what does it mean? Difference between what and what? Allan Marett, roshi explores a famous exchange between Fayan and his pilgrimage companion Hiushan
Not knowing is central to Zen practice. When Fayan and his companions were on pilgrimage, they ran into a snowstorm and took shelter at the temple of Dizang. Dizang asked him why he was wandering around on pilgrimage (a question that pilgrims frequently encounter) and Fayan replied, “I don’t know.” This story is from the Book of Serenity, Case 20,
Maggie Gluek, roshi, describes how old Chao Chou offers us a key to the gateless barrier, a word that is no word that opens the door to everything. And in which Wu Men with his long comment shines a light on the practice of Zen. Don’t go thinking you’ve heard this all before! This teisho was given on Day 1
Paul Maloney, roshi, examines the question of what, if anything, is to be attained through the practice of Zen. While we may feel that we know WHY we are here in sesshin, the answer as to what are we actually DOING, now that we are, may not be so clear. This is a commentary on Case 28 of The Iron
Fear of death is the fundamental human fear, fear of the loss of self its corollary. What does it mean to face this fear, as opposed to running away from it? Where does one find true refuge from fear? How does the Dharma invite the practice of no-fear? These are some of the questions Maggie Gluek, roshi, addresses in this
Gillian Coote, roshi explores ‘Beginner’s Mind’ including Suzuki Roshi’s thoughts on the matter, and how this mind is the heart of our practice, whether we’ve been practising for two weeks or a hundred years. This talk was given at the zazenkai in April, 2018
Now more than ever before we need a genuine greening of the mind. We are facing climate change and an environmental crisis that affects all beings. This requires an inner and outer transformation to meet the challenges of our time. In this Dharma talk Subhana Barzaghi roshi, helps us recognise that to hear the earth’s cry, is to realise there is no separation between
