Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks

In this talk, Jomon Sensei continues the autumn Ango practice period by exploring passages from the ancient Zen poem Affirming Faith in Mind. Through multiple translations and reflections, she examines how striving—whether for worldly success or inner enlightenment—entangles us in duality. She invites us to rest in simplicity and let the “way be invisible,” seeing that stillness and motion, comfort and discomfort, are inseparable expressions of oneness. With warmth and humor, she shows how retreat practice and daily life both reveal the same truth: reality is not perfect, permanent, or personal.
This talk was given at the Vanc...

Jogen explores the Buddha’s teaching of right thought. Through vivid metaphors and down-to-earth humor, he invites us to notice what we hold onto that tethers us to unhappiness and how readiness to release can arise naturally, like ripe fruit. The talk moves from the monastic renunciate ideal to the subtler, everyday practice of relinquishment in relationships, habits, and self-images. Letting go, he says, is not moralistic or forced, but an alchemy of honesty, compassion, and faith in a deeper happiness.
This talk was given on October 1st 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

In this episode, Kisei explores the unique Zen practice of mirror meditation at Tokeji, a thirteenth-century Japanese convent. Practitioners sit before a mirror, asking, “Where is a single feeling, a single thought in the mirror image at which I gaze?” Through historical stories, personal experiences, and reflections from teachers like Zenju Earthlyn Manuel and Ruth Ozeki, we witness how this practice reveals habitual judgments, fear, grief, and ultimately compassion and equanimity. By sitting with the reflection, we learn to see ourselves as nature itself, discovering clarity, openness, and our original heart-mind.

In this talk, Jogen explores the Zen practice of embracing our darkness—not as something negative to overcome, but as the ungraspable, untamable side of human life. He reminds us that despite our efforts, relationships splinter, longings surface, and hurtful words escape; we never fully master life. Rather than rejecting sorrow, confusion, or anger, we can companion them, seeing them as expressions of our shared nature. Alongside cultivating brightness of mind, the path asks us to embrace the darkness too, recognizing it as belonging to the very heart of the world.
This talk was given on September 24 2025 during th...

In this talk, Jomon introduces the Japanese Buddhist holiday Ohigan, celebrated at the equinox as a time to honor the ancestors and reflect on the paramitas—the perfections of practice. From there, she explores karma not just as action and result, but as a living cycle of intentions, deeds, and the dispositions they leave behind. Drawing on Buddhist teachings, neuroscience, and personal stories, Jomon shows how our propensities shape the way we perceive the world, and how practicing generosity, patience, and wisdom can shift the very seeds we carry forward. She closes by asking: What kind of ancestor do yo...

In this talk, Hogen Roshi shares insights from a recent workshop at the monastery integrating Zen practice with Byron Katie’s method of inquiry. He explores how questioning our fixed beliefs—about ourselves, others, and the world—opens freedom and flexibility, and how this investigation aligns with the heart of Zen’s great inquiry: What is true? Drawing on examples from daily life, the teachings of Dao Wei, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s reflections on impermanence, Hogen shows how seeing from many perspectives helps loosen identification and cultivate vow. Ultimately, he reminds us that because all things are impermanent, we have th...

In this talk, Kisei shares Case 58 from The Hidden Lamp, drawn from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, where the goddess playfully transforms Shariputra to reveal the truth of nonduality beyond male and female. She explores the Mahayana roots of the story, its revolutionary challenge to purity doctrines, and its affirmation that awakening is not bound by gender, role, or condition. Through Rinzai’s “four positions” and a guided koan exercise, Kisei invites us to embody both Shariputra and the goddess, to see where our own identities and resistances arise, and to discover the freedom of dropping all positions. The talk clo...

In this talk, Jogen reflects on what it means to protect the innate brightness of the heart-mind. He describes this luminosity not as a metaphor for “choosing happiness,” but as a living reality that shines through when the shrouds of distraction, anxiety, resentment, and tribalized thinking are set aside. Drawing from personal stories, contemporary struggles, and the wisdom of Zen practice, Jogen explores how meditation, ethical behavior, and stepping outside the “flock” of busyness and opinion can safeguard this transcendent okayness. The invitation is to discover and continually uncover the bright mind that is already present, intimate, and sustaining.
This...

In this Jizō Sesshin talk, Jomon explores the poem Peaceful Life by Dainin Katagiri Roshi, opening it as a doorway into the mystery of vow. She reflects on how we often arrive at practice seeking peace, only to find ourselves meeting distraction, longing, or grief—and how vow becomes the ground on which true peace is found. Drawing on teachings from Chozen Roshi, Thich Nhat Hanh, and stories of resilience from Dōgen to living exemplars like Jimmy Carter, Jomon shows how vow functions not as a goal to accomplish, but as an orientation of the heart that fuels comp...

In this talk, Hogen weaves community life, way-seeking mind reflections, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living into a deep exploration of impermanence. He reminds us that nothing is stuck—everything is always transforming, whether in our lives, our relationships, or the world itself. By learning to meet each moment freshly, we discover freedom, appreciation, and the possibility of transformation rooted in our vows and intentions. Drawing on the Five Remembrances and the mystery of the present, Hogen points to impermanence not as loss, but as the very ground of practice and awakening.

In this talk, Kisei explores Case 15 from The Hidden Lamp, where a woman realizes awakening through the simple phrase “let it be.” She reflects on how this koan functions much like the classic Mu koan—serving as a sword to cut through discursive mind and habitual identification. With stories, metaphors, and practice instructions, Kisei shows how “let it be” invites us to meet fear, thought, and circumstance without grasping, and to discover the vast awareness in which everything arises. She also emphasizes the role of faith—not blind belief, but trust born of direct experience—in sustaining our practice and opening us...

In this talk, Banshō weaves together spiritual poems from across traditions—Christian, Sufi, Taoist, and Zen—to show how poetry can be a living expression of dharma. Beginning with reflections on the rarity of “radical presence,” he invites us to experience poetry as more than words: as truth, practice, heart, and shared human experience. Through poems like Joyce Rupp’s The Perfect Cup, David Whyte’s Everything is Waiting for You, Rumi’s The Guest House, and Dōgen’s timeless verses, he illustrates how beauty, impermanence, and the fullness of human emotions all belong to practice. The talk closes with select...

In this talk, Jogen reflects on a student’s feedback that Zen teachings sometimes seem to overlook compassion for oneself. From that spark, he explores how dharma practice can be both deeply compassionate and at times uncomfortable, emphasizing that releasing fixation and illusion often feels like suffering before it frees us. He distinguishes self-compassion from mere “bright-siding” or positive thinking, pointing instead to the steady cultivation of kindness, honesty, and acceptance through practice. Ultimately, he shows how true compassion arises when we release our fixed agendas—revealing love, service, and the deep transparency of self that allows us to live mor...

Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living, this talk explores the teaching of aimlessness—the practice of arriving fully in the present rather than chasing completion in the future. Hogen reflects on how our restless striving to become more or fix what feels lacking separates us from the miracle of being alive right now. Through stories of loss, illness, mosquito-filled meditation, and everyday challenges, he shows how mindfulness and attention open the way to freedom, even in difficulty. The practice of aimlessness reveals that we are already enough, and that meeting each moment with confidence, kindness, and...

In this closing talk from sesshin, Kisei invokes Dōgen’s Mountains and Rivers Sutra and guides us into the practice of “mountain mind,” the spacious, steady awareness that has been the abode of sages from timeless past to timeless present. Through meditation instructions and vivid imagery, she shows how we can rest in awareness beyond self-identification, seeing our body, thoughts, and life from the perspective of mountain’s stillness. From this ground, she explores how uniqueness and interdependence naturally shine through, how sangha mirrors Buddha-nature, and how bodhisattvas like Jizō express the fearless, compassionate qualities of mountain mind. Ultimately...

In this talk, Jogen reflects on Maezumi Roshi’s teaching that the greatest gift we can give or receive is freedom from fear. He explores how so much of our striving—whether for health, wealth, status, or security—is rooted in fear, and offers three simple but profound practices to reduce its grip. By cultivating the willingness to fully experience life, learning to see thoughts as just thoughts, and embodying a kind and respectful heart, we loosen fear’s hold and open to trust in mind and heart. These teachings invite us into greater freedom, self-respect, and the joy of being...

This talk weaves together the joy of smiling in meditation, the vow of Jizo Bodhisattva, and a timeless folk story about learning patience. Through the tale of Little Rabbit and her journey of sitting still with Jizo, we’re reminded that patience is not given from outside but grown from within. Reflections on impatience, practice, and the flow of dharma show how slowing down opens us to presence and timelessness. Ultimately, we are invited to discover patience as both a personal gift and a path into boundless awareness. This talk was given during the 2025 Jizo Sesshin in September 2025 at Gr...

In this talk, Jomon introduces the Three Pure Precepts—vows to refrain from harm, to cultivate goodness, and to benefit others—as the foundation of Buddhist ethics. Through stories of Zen ancestors, the work of the Sangha Harmony Committee, and contemporary reflections, he shows how these simple yet profound commitments guide both personal practice and community life. Drawing on Dogen, Thich Nhat Hanh, and modern Chan teachers, we see how these precepts foster compassion, stability, and the recognition of interconnection. Rather than rigid rules, they are living vows that orient us toward wisdom, responsibility, and the well-being of all bein...

In this talk, Jogen explores the intimate relationship between Zen practice and creativity, drawing on Dogen’s teaching that practice, realization, and expression form a complete circle. He shows how every moment of experience is a creative act—whether in the stories we tell ourselves, the identities we shape, or the way culture and attention sculpt who we become. Mind itself is a boundless, neutral space of possibility, able to generate beauty, delusion, and freedom alike. By illuminating this creative power and infusing it with compassion, we discover how to use the twenty-four hours of each day, rather than be u...

In this talk, Hogen draws on Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living to explore the practice of aimlessness—the invitation to rest in the present moment rather than chase after a future that never arrives. Through reflections on loss, illness, mosquito bites, and the everyday struggles of sangha members, he shows how freedom is found not by solving problems with thought but by anchoring attention in direct experience. To live without a subtle sense of inadequacy is to recognize that this very life, with all its imperfections, is already a miracle. The practice of aimlessness reminds us that...

In this talk, Kisei reflects on the rare gift of meeting in practice and the simple, yet profound, invitation of the Buddha: “try it out for yourself.” From the experience of sesshin and mountain practice, to Dogen’s teaching that enlightened and deluded beings share the same boat, we are reminded of the stillness and stability always present within us. Through the story of the Zen ancestor Fa Chung, who devoted thirty years to practice in the mountains, we explore what it means to have faith, to make vows, and to let the way be endless. This is a call t...

In this talk, we explore the meaning of vow and how it shapes the direction of our lives. From the Buddhist teaching of bodhichitta—the awakened heart-mind of compassion and wisdom—to personal stories of exemplars and inherited vows, we reflect on how intention becomes the fuel for practice. Through poetry, lived experience, and the reminder that even life itself carries a vow to endure and transform, we discover that vows are not rigid goals but guiding stars. This conversation invites us to discern our own vows and orient our lives with clarity, humility, and openness.
This talk was...

In this talk, Jogen explores the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh on signlessness and interbeing, reminding us that calmness alone is not true liberation. Through vivid examples and guided contemplations, he invites us to look beyond labels like life and death, self and other, to experience reality more directly. Weaving together insights from zazen, koans, and daily life, Jogen emphasizes the importance of inquiry and wonder in practice. Ultimately, he shows how these explorations open us to a deeper flow with existence and a more boundless sense of being. This talk was given during the Sunday Night Program at...

This talk explores how boredom and fear of missing out often derail meditation practice and how facing them directly can deepen our path. Jogen emphasizes the unique value of sustained practice in bringing clarity of mind, calming the nervous system, and reshaping our habitual patterns. Through stories, reflections, and humor, he shows how boredom may actually signal progress rather than failure. We are invited to stay steady, embrace stillness, and rediscover the diamond-like clarity hidden beneath busyness and distraction.
This talk was given by Jogen during the Wednesday night program at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland...

In this talk Bansho discusses many different aspects of the famous poem Affirming Faith in Mind. This talk was given by Bansho as the 3rd talk of 2025 July Sesshin. 

In this talk, we explore how disappointment, though often unwelcome, can be a profound teacher. By meeting life’s letdowns with openness, we discover the tender ground of vulnerability that reveals our interconnectedness. The stories and reflections point to a shift from resisting what is to receiving it as part of the path. In the space where expectations dissolve, something truer and more spacious can quietly emerge.

This talk was given on the Wednesday night program at HoW Zen Temple on July 23rd 2025.

In this episode, we reflect on the Beginner’s Mind retreat, exploring the courage it takes to meet each moment without clinging to certainty. Through a Rilke poem, a timeless Zen story, and the shared experiences of retreat participants, we discover the power of “not knowing” as a doorway to intimacy with life. The talk invites us to let go of our assumptions, soften our habits of mind, and return to the freshness of direct experience. Coming home, we find, is not a destination but the living presence of this moment.

This talk was given on July 13th 202...

This talk invites us to rest in the still point where the breath begins, letting the mind settle into spacious awareness. Through stories of mountain walks, quiet gardens, and the tender bonds between beings, we explore how the world lives within us as much as we live within it. The reflections point toward a deep intimacy with life — one that does not separate self from earth, or heart from sky. In returning to this quiet knowing, we discover a home that has always been here.

This talk was given on July 6th at the Heart of Wisdom Ze...

 Exploring interconnection, our desire to be right and mind-stopping moments through the story of Bhadda Kundalakesa.

In this talk Bansho discusses vow and aspiration on the spiritual path. What is it that brings us to practice? It's less about what we want to be, but instead how we are being called to be in the world. He also discusses his personal vows and the bodhisattva vows, in particular, the vows of Jizo Bodhisattva. 
This is the 5th talk of the 2025 July Sesshin at GVZM.

In this episode, we explore the difference between concern and worry, and how spiritual practice can free us from the endless cycle of anxious thoughts. Through stories of daily life, karmic cause and effect, and the power of our mental states, we consider how inner clarity seeds future change. The talk reflects on spiritual activism, the “fragrance of love,” and how even small acts of awareness can ripple outward. Listeners are invited to discover their own quiet influence in a world full of noise and fear.
This talk was given on July 16, 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

This talk explores the koan “The Old Woman of Mount Wutai,” a story that opens up questions about pilgrimage, practice, and how wisdom often appears in ordinary forms. We reflect on what it means to be a pilgrim rather than a wanderer, and how sacredness and devotion can show up in everyday life. Along the way, we meet Jizo Bodhisattva—the guardian of travelers—and consider what it means to go “straight ahead” even when the road curves.

This episode explores the Zen teaching that “not knowing is most intimate.” Through story, reflection, and real-life retreat experience, we look at how beginner’s mind helps us meet life directly—without relying on old assumptions. From the discomfort of not knowing to the clarity it can bring, this talk points to intimacy not as closeness with others, but as deep presence with what is. The path home, it turns out, is always right here. This talk was given during the Great Vow Sunday Morning Program on July 13 2025.

This episode explores metta, the practice of lovingkindness, as a way of meeting life with warmth and care. Through stories, teachings, and reflection, we look at how metta softens the grip of resentment, reconnects us with our shared humanity, and creates space for healing. Like sunlight, metta radiates outward—touching ourselves, those we love, and even those we find difficult. It’s not about forcing a feeling, but about remembering our capacity to wish well. This talk was given during Kisei's online monday night program.

In this talk we explore the Buddhist heart practice of metta—a boundless, radiant wish for the well-being of all beings, including ourselves. Through meditation, reflection, and real-life stories, we examine how lovingkindness can soften resentment, humanize strangers, and even transform our relationship with those we struggle to forgive. Like the sun offering light without discrimination, metta invites us to live with generosity of spirit and openhearted presence. This episode is both a guided practice and a call to remember: what we shine our attention on, we help ripen and release. This talk was given during the Tuesday night pr...

This episode explores how moments of beauty can interrupt our mental habits and reconnect us with presence. Whether it’s light through leaves, a piece of music, or the sound of wind chimes, beauty can cut through the trance of constant thought. We reflect on how to become more available to those moments, to linger in them, and to let them open space in our busy minds. Beauty, in this sense, becomes a gateway to awareness and a form of real practice. This talk was given on July 2, 2025 at the Heart of Wisdom Temple Wednesday night program. 

This talk explores the Buddhist teaching of signlessness, including the fact that who we are cannot be reduced to fixed categories or identities. Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh’s insights, we look at how everything—including ourselves—is in constant transformation. Through mindfulness and embodied awareness, we can step outside rigid definitions and experience life as fluid and creative. This shift opens the door to compassion, integrity, and a deeper sense of freedom. This talk was given at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, OR on June 22, 2025.

This episode explores how we can live from a place of love, even when we don’t feel like we’ve earned it. We talk about the pressure to be perfect, the feeling of not being enough, and how choosing love—toward ourselves and others—can shift everything. With reflections from Adrienne Maree Brown, Rumi, and other voices, this is an honest look at what it means to let love lead. This talk was given as the fifth talk of the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin.

 In this talk Jomon dicusses the practice of metta, Loving-Kindness. She uses the analogy of metta being like the sun. This talk was given as the 4th talk of the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin at Great Vow Zen Monastery. She also tells her story of doing metta for a difficult person and encourages us to do the same in our lives.

In this talk Hogen continues his talks from Thich Naht Hanh's Art of Living book. In this talk, Hogen explores the Kalama Sutta and Thich Nhat Hanh’s reflections on how to cultivate true faith through direct experience rather than blind belief. We look deeply at how the Buddha encouraged the use of our own critical mind to investigate teachings for ourselves. Through practices like loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity, we learn to discern what reduces suffering and brings peace. This living, ongoing inquiry keeps our spiritual path alive, fresh, and deeply authentic.

In this episode, Jogen explores the nature of karma as our participation in creating the world, moment by moment. Using vivid metaphors like sending postcards to our future selves, he illustrates how our past actions echo into the present. He invites us to contemplate how these echoes shape our experience, while reminding us that each moment holds the possibility for fresh, liberating choices. This talk balances deep insight with practical reflections on compassion, equanimity, and freedom from old patterns. This talk was given during the Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple Wednesday night program on June 18, 2025.

This is the third talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM.  In this talk, jogen explores the boundless nature of the heart and its deep entanglement with mind, body, and world. Through poetic reflections and vivid metaphors, listeners are invited to question what shapes the heart and how love can continually be chosen. The talk reminds us that tenderness is indiscriminate, that our roots hold both nourishment and toxin, and that awakening is possible when we turn toward wholeness. Ultimately, this episode calls us to stay wholeheartedly engaged in the ever-renewing experiment of love and freedom.

This is the second talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM. In this talk Jomon discusses love and appreciation. What do these words really mean, and how to they relate to our lives, right here and now?

This talk was given during the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin at GVZM. This is the first talk of the sesshin. In this talk Jogen discusses Loving-Kindness in general and how we can view metta through a lens of universal friendless. 

In this talk Jogen replies to a number of questions from practitioners during the Heart of Wisdom Wednesday night program on June 4 2025. Some questions include: Why is consciousness not the self? How to I balance striving, and relaxing and opening up? How do I balance enjoying pleasure and not attaching to it in my practice? 

This is the fifth talk in a series on the Art of Living By Thich Naht Hanh. Hogen dicusses what he calls the physics of reality. He discusses impermanence and how it changes how we relate to our live and our sense of aliveness.

This talk is the fourth talk in a series on Thich Naht Hanh's book The Art of Living. In this talk Hogen continues to discuss chapter 1 of the book. He talks about our assumptions of who we think we are and how we can open to a more spacious view in our everyday lives. 

This talk was given by Bansho during Ancestors Sesshin 2025 on the fourth day. This talk is about "Yunmen's Light" Koan, and many other topics about practicing when deeper in sesshin. He discusses the essence of the practice of zazen, and what we are really doing when we sit.

How are we connected to the zen ancestors? To our biological ancestors? This practice is loving, and we are supported by all those who have come before us. This talk was given by Kisei on the last day of Ancestors Sesshin in May 2025 at GVZM.

This talk was given by Hogen on May 11 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. This is part three of a talk series on Thich Nhat Hahn's Art of Living Book. This talk is a discussion on the chapter titled Emptiness is the Door of Liberation. 

This talk was the fourth talk of the 2025 Ancestors Sesshi on May 15 2025.. In this talk Kisei discusses the Koan "Yun Men's Light". What is this light that all of us have?

In this talk Bansho discusses the vows of our ancestors and their continuation in our daily lives. This talk was given by Bansho during the 2025 Light of Our Ancestors sesshin at Great Vow Zen Monastery in May 2025.

This talk is about the koan "Zuigan Calls His Own Master". Jogen discusses this koan and its implications and nuances including the mind's tendency to stay in habitual pathways, excuses we use to avoid being wakeful and more. This talk was given by Jogen at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on May 28th 2025.

This talk was given as the opening talk of 2025 Ancestors Sesshin. In this talk Kisei discusses our practice of sesshin, our relationships to the zen ancestors, and the use of the phrase light in various spiritual contexts.

Looking into what is real and exploring the dream-like nature of reality. Are you dreaming? How does this simple question open the heart of compassion? This talk was given by Kisei in April 2025 during her Monday evening online program.

In this talk Hogen gives a recap/his version of the introduction of the book The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh. This talk was given by Hogen Roshi on May 4 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

We make a lot of assumptions about who we are and what is happening, the practice of regarding all dharmas as dreams awakens possibility, it invites us to question our assumptions and perhaps wake up from our self-centered dreams. This talk was given by Kisei in April of 2025.

In this talk Hogen Roshi discusses the four divine abidings, or the four Brahma Viharas. These include loving-kindness, equanimity, sympathetic joy and compassion. This talk was given by Hogen Roshi on March 30 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

In this talk Chozen Roshi discusses working with koans. She discusses the differences between koan study and formal koan training with a teacher. This talk was given on April 16th 2025 during Koan Sesshin.

This talk was given by Chozen Roshi on April 18th 2025 during Koan Sesshin at Great Vow Zen Monastery. In this talk Chozen talks about when barriers come up during practice and how they are a sign of progress. She also discusses koan practice in various ways, including the koan Joshu's Oak Tree in The Garden. 

In this talk Jogen discusses his view on three inherent "rawnesses" that humans have. The three rawnesses are uncertainty, sensory discomfort and lack of control. This talk was given by Jogen at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on April 30, 2025. 

In this talk Bansho discusses loving-kindness practice, and warm regard for our experience. This talk was given by Bansho during the 2025 Love and Spaciousness retreat at Great Vow Zen Monastery in May 2025.

In this talk Hogen gives a recap/his version of the first chapter of the Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh. This talk was given by Hogen Roshi on April 27 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

This talk was given by Jogen at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on April 9, 2025. In this talk Jogen gives us advice on five things we can do to make the spiritual path easier.

This talk was given by Hogen Roshi at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on Sunday April 20 2025. In this talk Hogen discusses what koans are, their value, and how to practice with them. 

This talk was given by Zen Teacher Jomon at Great Vow Zen Monastery Sunday Program on April 27 2025. In this talk she discusses emotions, social action and how spiritual practice relates to these things. 

This talk was given by Kisei, Sensei during her weekly online program in March of 2025. Spiritual practice involves sacrifice, we must give up all habits of separation to realize true intimacy with what is. In this talk we explore the many dimensions of sacrifice and letting go that occur on the spiritual path.

This talk was given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on March 26, 2025. This is the third talk of a three talk series about the precepts given by Jogen Sensei. In this talk Jogen discusses the precept of not withholding spiritual or material aid, but giving freely when needed.

This talk was given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on March 5 2025. This is the second talk of a 3 talk series about the precepts given by Jogen Sensei. In this talk Jogen discusses The Three Pure Precepts and their effect on our lives and others lives.

This talk was given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on March 5 2025. This is the first talk of a 4 talk series about the precepts given by Jogen Sensei. In this talk Jogen discusses the precepts in a broad manner, and discusses ethical and psychological aspects of the precepts.

This talk was given by Amy Kisei Sensei in March 2025.
 "We live in a crazy time, yet the teachings say

 samsara has always been this way. Here are the 8 practices I turn towards in moments of crisis. " - Amy Kisei

This talk was given by Hogen Roshi at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, OR on April 6, 2025. In this talk Hogen talks about the inclusive nature of the mind, and becoming aware of awareness itself.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on April 2, 2025. This talk is about cognitive errors and buddhist spiritual practice. 

This podcast was given by Amy Kisei Sensei in March of 2025. Exploring Zen's teachings for the end times, this dharma talk reminds us that courage is a practice with heart.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monastery During Sound Sesshin on March, 27th. In this talk Jogen discusses the gift of dharma practice in the midst of all of the things we are sold in our modern culture, and many more related topics to this.

This Dharma talk was given by Hogen, Roshi at Great Vow Zen Monastery during Sound Sesshin on March 21st, 2025. In this talk Hogen Roshi discusses when people experience crisis in their life and how it propels them into spiritual practice. He also discusses working with koans like the Mu Koan.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monastery During Sound Sesshin on March, 20th. In this talk Jogen discusses companioning our experience through tenderness and how we can take care of this life through practice.

This Dharma talk was given by Hogen, Roshi at Great Vow Zen Monastery during Sound Sesshin on March 18th, 2025. In this talk Hogen Roshi continues the discussion on The Platfrom Sutra and how meditation or Samadhi is in fact the same as wisdom or Prajna.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monastery During Sound Sesshin on March, 17th. In this talk Jogen discusses the Platform Sutra, the spaciousness of sound and how we can use it to practice before our mind evaluates reality. 

This Dharma talk was given by Hogen, Roshi at Great Vow Zen Monastery during Sound Sesshin on March 15th, 2025. In this talk Hogen Roshi discusses the foundation of Sesshin, The Platform Sutra and Bodhidharma.

An exploration of the archetype of Great Compassion and friendship on the spiritual path.

This talk was given by Kodo Conover on February 2nd, 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. In this talk Kodo shares her experience of being with those who are dying, our human fragility and examines our assumptions about death.

This talk was given by Dharma Holder Shonin at Great Vow Zen Monastery on February, 6th 2025. In this talk Shonin discusses the 4th precept or not lying but speaking and embodying the truth. 

This talk is given by Kosho Janet Ault at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on February 9th 2025, given by Assistant Temple Manager at Heart of Wisdom and Manager of Trillium Zen practice house. In this talk Kosho discusses the various facets of death in our culture and in the Mahayana Buddhist view on spiritual death. 

The Heart Sutra invites us to discover our true home, right here in our own being.

This is a guided mediation given by Lama Lekshe King Tamang on January, 13th 2025. In this talk Lama Lekshe discusses a poem she wrote about death and gratitude.

This guided meditation was given by Kodo Conover on January 28th, 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. Kodo helps us find stillness through her years of practice.

The Heart Sutra is a guide for discovering what is most true in the midst of chaos!

This Dharma talk was given by Hogen, Roshi at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January 26th, 2025. In this talk Hogen Roshi discusses the importance of having a direct experience of the fundamental nature of reality, our fixed beliefs and its importance in our spiritual practice.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January, 29th. In this talk Jogen Sensei continues his discussion on the Komyozo Zanmai a text by Koun Ejo who was a disciple of and received transmission from Dogen Zenji. 

This talk is given by Kosho Janet Ault at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January 19th 2025, given by Assistant Temple Manager at Heart of Wisdom and Manager of Trillium Zen practice house. In this talk Kosho discusses Vow and how it can help ground us in our lives and our practice.

This talk is given at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January 19th 2025, given by founder Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi. In this talk Chozen Roshi discusses power dynamics between teachers and students, ethical misconduct and healthy boundaries in spiritual communities.

This talk was given by Kisei Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monestary on February 8th, 2025 during Parinirvana Sesshin. In this talk Kisei goes into what arises into this ocean of awake awareness and how everything is being born or dying.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on February, 12th. In this talk Jogen Sensei discusses leaning into friendship and community as a support for times of crisis and how our practice supports that. He highlights that money and guns are what fear often turns to for security but that a network of people of integrity that we have developed strong fibers with through our virtue is probably a better investment.

This talk is from Great Vow Zen Monastery on February 7th 2025, given by resident Zen teacher, Jomon Martin. In this talk Jomon discusses separation, how our isolated separate view is an illusory and our direct experience.

This is a guided meditation was given by Patrick Bansho Green, Zen Teacher at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January, 17th. In this meditation Zen Teacher Bansho guides us through loving kindness practice or Metta.

This is a talk given by Jogen Sensei at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on January, 15th. In this talk Jogen Sensei continues his perspective on the Komyozo Zanmai a text by Koun Ejo who was a disciple of and received transmission from Dogen Zenji. 

This talk was given by Kisei Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monestary on February 6th, 2025 during Parinirvana Sesshin. In this talk Kisei discusses the many deaths that we experience encounter during Sesshin, in our lives and how we find freedom in this moment.

This talk is from Great Vow Zen Monastery on February 5th 2025, given by resident Zen teacher, Jomon Martin. In this talk Jomon discusses letting go and the surrender that happens as our human bodies decay.

This talk was given by Kisei Sensei at Great Vow Zen Monestary on February 4th, 2025 during Parinirvana Sesshin. In this talk Kisei discusses a Koan about death and the deathless as well as the story of Patacara and how great loss can bring us to practice.