Best Zazen Podcasts (2024)

1
What's the Point of Zazen? (What is Zen? - Chapters 1-2) 24:15

8d ago24:15

24:15

Shinmon Michael Newton presents the first in a series of seminars based on the lively Q&A book What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind by Norman Fischer and Susan Moon. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachi…

1
Fr. Ama Samy ~ The Practice of Zazen 16:31

18d ago16:31

16:31

Ama Samy (Arul Maria Arokiasamy), S.J., born in 1936, is an Indian Zen master and Jesuit priest. Ama Samy was born to Christian parents in Burma in 1936 and grew up in India. After becoming a Jesuit priest in 1972, he began visiting Hindu ashrams and Buddhist meditation centers. He was introduced to Ramana Maharshi's teachings by Swami Abhishiktana…

1
Treeleaf Zendo Podcast - Keizan Zenji's 'Zazen-Yojinki' (6) 45:40

11d ago45:40

45:40

We continue our study of master Keizan's Zazen-Yojinki, this time diving into the physicality of zazen and some useful techniques to keep ourselves awake and alert when sitting. Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum: August 2024, monthly Zazenkai»By Treeleaf Zendo

1
Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani ~ The Frenzied Ones ~ Sufi Mystics 16:03

2h ago16:03

16:03

A selection of excerpts from the texts Tamhidát and Laváyeh by Ayn-al-Qużāt Hamadānī .Translated by Ali Yansori - with thanks to Ali for gifting this beautiful translation.Ayn-al-Qużāt Hamadānī (1098–1131) (Persian: عین‌ القضات همدانی), was a Persian jurisconsult, mystic, philosopher, poet and mathematician who was executed by the Seljuk rulers at …

1
Awakening (What is Zen? Chapter 4) 30:04

1d ago30:04

30:04

Kakuko Kaye Simard explores Sue Moon and Zoketsu Norman Fischer's understanding of the promises and fruits of awakening. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consider supporting our work at mountainra…

1
Sangha Practice 31:39

3d ago31:39

31:39

Myoshin Kate McCandless offers various practices which can help us maintain and care for our sangha relationships. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consider supporting our work at mountainrainzen.…

1
Longchenpa ~ Spaciousness Meditation ~ Dzogchen 26:07

4h ago26:07

26:07

These are some key pointers and teachings of Longchenpa's on developing/recognising the natural state of enlightened mind - formatted as a guided meditation. This is mainly suitable for those who have a good grasp of Dzogchen practice and Longchenpa's concepts and languaging.Taken from the text: A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission. Translat…

1
Attention to Attention (Part 2) 47:27

2h ago47:27

47:27

This talk continues to explore bringing attention to how attention functions in our lives. The distinction between focused consciousness (contents of mind) and nonfocused awareness (field of mind) is discussed as two different kinds of concentration. Learning to rest in and trust this nonconscious field, which is marked by interdependence and imper…

1
Beliefs and Ethics (What is Zen? Chapter 6) 27:27

20h ago27:27

27:27

What do ritual and tradition evoke? How do the precepts help us commit to compassionate action? Can we understand religion as daily life? Myosen River offers the third talk in our dharma seminar on the book What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind by Norman Fischer and Susan Moon. _____________________________________________________________ T…

1
Right Livelihood and the Subversive Power of Volunteering 27:15

3d ago27:15

27:15

In this ZED Talk (Zen Engaged Dharma), Roshin Carmen Mills illuminates how volunteer work – "selfless service" – serves the self, while also serving the greater whole and cultivating a deeply held sense of inherent value and connection. All the while, taking a sly poke at consumer capitalism. ________________________________________________________…

1
Sukhasiddi ~ Peerless Awareness ~ Vajrayana Buddhism 9:08

43m ago9:08

9:08

Sukhasiddhi (flourished 11th Century) was an Indian teacher of Vajrayana Buddhism, a yogini and master of meditation. She was born in west Kashmir to a large, poor family. Sukhasiddhi arrived at tantric Buddhism late in life. She lived as an impoverished housewife and mother of six children until the age of fifty-nine. She was thrown out of her hom…

1
Forms and Rituals (What is Zen? - Chapter 3) 26:31

6d ago26:31

26:31

Myoshin Kate McCandless offers insight into how forms and rituals such as bowing and chanting bring us into our bodies and nurture community. Week two of our dharma seminar on the book What Is Zen: Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind by Norman Fischer and Susan Moon. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made po…

1
Meditation: A Path to Oneness by Shinsho 41:34

3d ago41:34

41:34

Shinsho directs us home in this beautifully crafted guided meditation: A magnificent round full moon is rising before you and the path ahead is well lit.You have arrived home.‘Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet’ says Thich.We have caused a lot of damage to the earth. Now is time to walk home with love. It is only possible if we do …

1
True Compassion 32:44

17d ago32:44

32:44

Shinmon Michael Newton offers insights into why Dogen venerated Avalokiteshvara, and how an act of true compassion, karuna, is an act of wisdom. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consider supportin…

1
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche ~ Undistracted Non-Meditation ~ Dzogchen 30:45

17d ago30:45

30:45

A selection of key pointers taken from the text, 'Vajra Speech: A Commentary on The Quintessence of Spiritual Practice, The Direct Instructions of the Great Compassionate One' by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Translated by Erik Pema Kunsang.Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920 - 1996) was a Buddhist master of the Kagyü and Nyingma lineages who lived at Nagi Gompa …

1
Attention to Attention (Part 1) 45:57

5d ago45:57

45:57

Attention is our most precious resource. Where our attention goes, our life goes. The cultivation of attention is at the center of Zen practice. This talk points out that this cultivation is extra challenging under the conditions of what social scientists and critics have come to call the ‘attention economy’ and ‘surveillance capitalism.’ We’re not…

1
How Much is Enough? 31:31

9d ago31:31

31:31

Myoshin Kate McCandless describes how the eight-fold path and the eight awakenings support us in knowing how much is enough, even as we are steeped in a culture of hyper-materialism. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in thes…

1
Opening the Hand of Thought (Chapter 7) 21:18

12d ago21:18

21:18

Nin-en Susan Elbe offers the final talk in our ten week dharma seminar on Kosho Uchiyama Roshi's book: Opening the Hand of Thought. We each live in the world as an individual self operating within the realm of desires, aversions, categorization and separation. In this chapter, Uchiyama Roshi explores how practicing goal-less zazen can bring us to m…

1
Master Shiwu 石屋 - Stonehouse ~ Entering the Mountains ~ Zen Buddhism (Chan) 25:24

14d ago25:24

25:24

The Zen master, Shiwu 石屋, or Stonehouse (1272–1352) was a Chinese Chan poet and hermit monk who lived during the Yuan Dynasty. He was considered one of the greatest Chinese Buddhist poets and used poetry as his medium of instruction for Dharma. In 1312 at the age of forty he moved to Xiamu Mountain near Huzhou to live as a hermit and it is here tha…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 6) 30:47

20d ago30:47

30:47

Shinmon Michael Newton shares teachings about mantra and suggests the Heart Sutra is chanted the better to drink it in, helping gather body and mind in times of distress, loss, and confusion. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find valu…

1
What Would A Buddha Do? 46:01

1M ago46:01

46:01

This talk is about habit change from a Buddhist perspective. In one sense, it is a preview of BZC‘s upcoming Practice Course “Transforming Habits” (Oct 4-Nov 9, 2024). However, it also stands on its own. It explores what happens when we bring the question “What would a Buddha do?” to every moment in which we feel a misalignment between our habituat…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 5) 41:32

25d ago41:32

41:32

Mysohin Kate McCandless discusses how to practice with hindrances. When we free ourselves from fear, that gift extends out through the world in ways that we may never know. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teaching…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 4 - evening) 25:13

1M ago25:13

25:13

Myoshin Kate McCandless asks if we can enter mountain time and invites us to explore the notion that we might all be wind-bells in the dharma wind, manifesting the particular song of our lives. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find va…

1
Mind as Open Sky ~ Guided Meditation ~ Samaneri Jayasara 22:44

1M ago22:44

22:44

This is a guided meditation on learning to relax in meditation, recognising the silence and stillness, and turning towards the open sky like nature of the mind. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: …

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 4 - morning) 36:12

1M ago36:12

36:12

Myoshin Kate McCandless describes the senses as dharma gates, through which we interact with our environment. The Heart Sutra suggests that this body - this life - is the medium, the gift we are given to help us fully awaken to the true nature of our being. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible …

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 3) 32:27

1M ago32:27

32:27

Shinmon Michael Newton gives an insightful overview of dependent origination - how everything affects everything. You and I are all part of a great dance, and are woven in to the process of causal relationships. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide communi…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 2 - morning) 37:14

1M ago37:14

37:14

Shinmon Michael Newton begins to examine in what way the Heart Sutra provokes, evokes, and points a finger at the boundless nature of our lives. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consider supportin…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 2 - evening) 15:11

1M ago15:11

15:11

Shinmon Michael Newton affirms the culture of mutual support and interdependence which makes sesshin a safe place for practicing being open to our non-separateness. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, pleas…

1
Living the Heart Sutra (M&W sesshin day 1) 34:10

1M ago34:10

34:10

Myoshin Kate McCandless opens the ninth annual MRZC Summer sesshin by introducing the theme for the week: The Heart Sutra - Great Wisdom Beyond Wisdom. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consider su…

1
Yogacara part one 41:22

25d ago41:22

41:22

In this lecture we sample the Yogacara teachings of Vasubandhu called the Treatise on the Three Natures, which form the philosophical backbone of Yogacara. So, what are the three natures? They are three interrelated aspects of our experience: the imaginary, dependent and complete or realised nature. In a nutshell they are:The imaginary nature of th…

1
St Teresa of Avila ~ The Interior Life 15:25

26d ago15:25

15:25

A selection of key points for prayer and meditation from St Teresa of Avila's teachings. Excerpts taken from numerous sources, including: "The Way of Perfection", "Collected Works" and "Interior Castle."St Teresa of Ávila (March 28, 1515 – October 4, 1582) was a prominent Carmelite nun and Spanish mystic. St Teresa had many mystical experiences she…

1
Opening the Hand of Thought (Chapter 8) 26:02

2M ago26:02

26:02

Shinmon Michael Newton helps unpack the final chapter of Kosho Uchiyama Roshi's book, Opening the Hand of Thought, in which there are seven clear instructions on how to orient our lives to practice. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you fi…

1
Meditation: Leave Everything Alone 36:42

1M ago36:42

36:42

Leave Everything Alone is a guided meditation on our core practice – the simple art of “just sitting”. I will leave lots of space and silence in-between my words. Just-sitting is the practice of non-doing – Wu Wei in Chinese. Effortless. No need to cultivate. If you are efforting you are straying away from the way. It is simply surrendering to the …

1
ZED talk - Relationship to Technology 28:54

2M ago28:54

28:54

In this ZED talk (Zen Engaged Dharma), Myokai Nik Bladey investigates artificial intelligence and dharma practice, asking us how we find union within the particularity of each moment of our lives, and challenging us to consider who is guiding our hands on the steering wheel. _____________________________________________________________ These talks …

1
Ajahn Chah ~ The Place of Coolness ~ Thai Forest Tradition 22:51

1M ago22:51

22:51

Ajahn Chah was a Thai Buddhist monk and meditation Master. He was an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition. He was reputed to be an Arahant. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options…

1
On Community (Part 2) 46:13

2M ago46:13

46:13

This talk continues the exploration of how to discover and develop a sense of community. It differentiates between intimacy as undividedness with all beings (the spiritual dimension of community) and intimacy as closeness (the conventional longing for being known and understood by others in our physicality, feelings, and thoughts). Regarding this l…

1
Opening the Hand of Thought (Chapter 6) 30:20

2M ago30:20

30:20

Joko Claire Talbot explores how, given human beings live in the flow of impermanence and suffer the burden of thought, in what way does zen help us learn to enjoy every sandwich and every bike ride?! _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you f…

1
Nisargadatta Maharaj ~ The Liberated One 24:58

2M ago24:58

24:58

This is a selection of key pointers from Nisargadatta formatted for guided meditation, taken from the text, 'I am That' - translated by Maurice Frydman.Nisargadatta Maharaj (17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981), born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navna…

1
Treeleaf Zendo Podcast - Keizan Zenji's 'Zazen-Yojinki' (5) 34:29

1M ago34:29

34:29

We continue with the fifth instalment of this series of talks based on master Keizan's 'Zazen-Yojinki'. In this episode, we are looking at what zazen is by understanding what zazen isn't. Further reading and discussion for this talk are available on the Treeleaf forum: July Monthly Zazenkai»By Treeleaf Zendo

1
Contemplating Ruins: Ireland and Impermanence 33:11

2M ago33:11

33:11

Myoshin Kate McCandless shares experiences from her recent pilgrimage to Ireland, and asks how we might reconcile human contradictions at the personal, national and global levels. How do we resolve the human koan in which we are all implicated? _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to don…

1
Opening the Hand of Thought (Chapter 5) 30:29

2M ago30:29

30:29

Is zazen selfish? What is the self? Are we belligerent squashes or are we all in this together? Myosen River Shannon explores these and other questions in her talk on Opening the Hand of Thought chapter 5. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If…

1
Vasubandhu's Six-Steps of Breathing Meditation 37:31

2M ago37:31

37:31

The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (Treasury of Metaphysics with Self-Commentary) is a pivotal treatise on early Buddhist thought composed around the 4th or 5th century by the Indian Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu. This work is a complete and systematic account of the Abhidharma, and is the peak of scholarship in the Fundamental Vehicle. It elucidates the B…

1
A Look at Dongshan's Five Ranks 33:25

2M ago33:25

33:25

Daikan John Green shares a few thoughts about what could be considered a true teaching, and what might be conveyed or created by something else in the past. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find value in these teachings, please consid…

1
Introduction to the Precepts 19:22

2M ago19:22

19:22

This is the first of a series of talks on precept practice given by OzZen teachers and facilitators. This talk focuses on how to practice a nondual psychologically minded approach to the precepts influenced by the teaching of Bernie Glassman, Nancy Mujo Baker and Barry Magid.By Andrew Tootell

1
Shantideva ~ The Way of the Bodhisattva - Chapter 10 ~ Dedication 6:24

2M ago6:24

6:24

Shantideva’s Dedication Prayer is one of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama’s favourite dedications, extracted from Chapter 10 of the Bodhicharyavatara of Master Shantideva.Treasured by Buddhists of all traditions, The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara) is a guide to cultivating the mind of enlightenment and to generating the qualities of love, compa…

1
Pause for the Pause 39:58

2M ago39:58

39:58

This talk was given as part of a Weekend Sitting at the Boulder Zen Center. It highlights the distinction between the contents of mind and the field of mind and its importance for practice. Dogen encouraged his students "to be continuously intimate with the field of mind." The talk presents two attentional practices to discover and establish onesel…

1
Perspectives on Zen in North America from Rev. Gyokei Yokoyama 48:36

2M ago48:36

48:36

Guest monk, Rev. Gyokei Yokohama, ponders what stays the same, what gets lost in translation, and what influences are shared back and forth between the way people practice in North America and the way people practice in Japan. _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our wo…

1
Sudden Illumination ~ Zen Master Baizhang Huaihai 百丈懷海 25:26

2M ago25:26

25:26

Baizhang Huaihai (720–814 AD) was a Zen master during the Tang dynasty. A native of Fuzhou, he was a dharma heir of Mazu Daoyi. Baizhang's students included Huangbo, Linji and Puhua. He has been venerated as one of the greatest Chan teachers of the Tang era and even today he remains one of the most recognized Chan teachers of all time. His Zen teac…

1
Celebrating Being an Elder 18:49

2M ago18:49

18:49

Jakushin Todd Slobogean tames the relentless meandering of his neuro-diverse mind to bring us thoughts on the Kalama Sutra and the Island Sutra (the Attadiipaa Sutta - The Buddha’s Last Teaching). _____________________________________________________________ These talks are made possible thanks to donations from our worldwide community. If you find…

1
Nagarjuna and the Two Truths 42:39

2M ago42:39

42:39

In this sixth episode in the series Indian Buddhist Philosophy: Progressive Stages of Insight into Emptiness, Sono discusses the Two Truths of Nagarjuna, the important insight into the “emptiness” of emptiness and how these philosophical insights shape how we practice.By Andrew Tootell

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