Many Zenadeptshave kept a teabowl close to their cushion and are adamant that zen and tea are of one taste. Peter Bursky, Apprentice Zen teacher and Tea Master, invites everyone todive into this delicious truth for yourselves.In this Dharma talk he gives us the fascinating history of the Way of tea, it’s many shifts and changes and it’s relationship to
Jane Andino, roshi explores our ignorance of our true nature, and the path of practice through which we can realise for ourselves that hidden jewel of Buddha nature. The talk begins with an excerpt from the commentary on Case 37 of the Book of Serenity where Master Yunan asks, ‘What is your Buddha nature?’ This talk was given at the Zazenkai
Seven sisters forego the option of going to a garden with beautiful flowers and instead set out to visit a charnel ground where dead bodies are strewn. This turns out to be an interesting choice to have made. The Buddhadharma reveals itself in unexpected ways! This teisho, which explores a story from 9th century China, was given by Maggie Gluek
How does it look to have “no notions of self to contest?” Who was Vimalakirti? And how does George Clooney make his way into a Dharma talk anyway? Such questions are explored in this teisho by Maggie Gluek, roshi on day 1 of Rohatsu sesshin 2025 at Annandale. This Rinzai koan is from Entangling Vines, Case 108 – ‘Vimalakirti, The
Dongshan’s question is ‘How will you take your activity of seeing into self-nature into the ups and downs of the grassy world?’ Jane looks at the Way of practice, setting off on the pilgrimage of each day to reach the place of no grass. This teisho by Jane Andino was given on day 4 of Winter sesshin 2025 and explores
In ‘seeing the reflection’ and ‘seeing the portrait’, we find that which we can’t put into words. This teisho looks at Case 98, The Book of Serenity, and also explores the Soto ancestor side of our Zen lineage, Dongshan. This teisho was given by Jane Andino, roshi on day 3 of Winter sesshin 2024 at Annandale
Senior student, Alladin Jones, gives us instructions about how to sit with a koan. Aitken roshi described them this way: “Koans are tiny doors that open to great vistas inviting us to wander through endless gardens. And they are the folk stories of Zen and like folk stories their expression is presentational rather than discursive. And they are poetic and
Who is the one not sick? Who is the one sick? Jane Andino reflects on these questions related to two cases of the Book of Serenity, Cases 83 and 94. She also talks about deepening our practice in this time of lockdown, and touches on Zen and the Art of Listening. This dharma talk was given at the August zazenkai
Rohatsu means the 8thday of December, the date traditionally commemorated as the day of the Budhha’s awakening. In this talk, Jane Andino looks at different versions of the enlightenment story, the sight of the Morning Star, and the significance for our practice. This talk was given on Day 1 of the Rohatsu sesshin 2019
Gillian Coote, roshi tells the stories of some of our ancestors who appear in the dedications we chant in our sutra service, including Choro Nyogen and his internment poems (written in the USA during WWII). She offers the koan ‘Mu’, and reflects on this monk’s – and our – doubt that, though all beings by nature are Buddha, this can’t
