meditation

Having Problems?

Will explores our relationship between our problems and our practice, and our attitude to our problems. This teisho draws upon several koan examples that involve problems and our approach to our practice. This includes… The Iron Flute case 33: ‘Yueh Shan solves the monk’s problem’ Blue Cliff Record case 6: ‘Every day is a good day’ Gateless Barrier, case 30:

Read More

Silent Illumination

Subhana gives meditation instructions for Silent Illumination, also known as Just Sitting or Shikantaza.  Zen master’s Hongzhi illuminated Silent Illumination as both method and realisation of mind.  She gives a guided meditation of 15 mins, sitting in open expansive spacious awareness and letting go of identification with body and mind.  This talk was given by Subhana Barzaghi at Autumn sesshin

Read More

Silent Illumination

 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

Read More

Where are you going?

In a couple millennia’s worth of meditation instruction we find a wealth of shared experience that has allowed teachers to craft useful teachings that help point students in the right direction. In our inherited traditions of Buddhism, Taoism and Ch’an, various approaches to guidance arose out of the insights these traditions collectively experienced. The most obvious approach, which resonates most

Read More

Save a Star

Jane Andino discusses Torei Zenji’s Bodhisattva’s Vow in the context of climate change and space junk. How do we realise for ourselves that all forms are the ‘sacred forms of the Tathagata’s never-failing essence’? This talk was given on day 3 at Rohatsu sesshin 2019

Read More

The Buddha Way

Jane Andino explores the term ‘The Buddha Way’ and what it means to embody it. She also looks at koan study as a practice method. This talk was given on day 2 of the Rohatsu sesshin 2019

Read More

Requiem

No doubt many of you are feeling a range of emotions in the face of the long summer drought and devastating fires that have scorched and ravaged our beautiful vast and wide sunburnt home. Our house is indeed on fire, these are the biggest out of control fires any country in the world has ever known.Our large semi-arid country is

Read More

The Star

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

Read More

Ordinary Mind – Nothing in the Way

Settling into samadhi on the zafu at sesshin 
on the first day is often attended by a jungle of thoughts, fleeting or solid – daydreams, schemes – 
and here lies our greatest challenge. In this teisho, Gillian talks about different ways to gather focus by using koans, breath counting or shikantaza. This talk was given on Day 1 at SZC’s

Read More

Old age, sickness & death

“In all of the worlds, what is most wondrous? That no man, no woman, though they see people dying all around them, believes it will happen to them” King Yudhisthira, Mahabharata, Hindu epic poem. Jill Steverson talks about the privilege and challenges she experienced being with her mother through her journey of frail age and recent death. Also how sharing

Read More

post categories

Popular Class