Upaya Zen Center&#x27;s Dharma Podcast

In this closing talk from the last day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, the faculty of the practice period weave together final reflections on the vows and actions of true bodhisattvas. Sensei […]

Duration:01:07:27

SPP2025 Sesshin Day 5: Destiny of a Nation: The Bodhisattva Practice of Kind Speech

In this talk during the fifth full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Cynthia Ryotan explores the fourth of the bodhisattva’s methods of guidance: kind speech. She fames the importance of […]

Duration:00:47:32

SPP2025 Sesshin Day 3: The Four Methods of Guidance: Beneficial Action, Identity Action

In this third full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Monshin explores the concepts of beneficial action and identity action from Dogen’s Bodhisattva’s Four Methods of Guidance. She identifies beneficial action as “skillfully […]

Duration:00:50:14

SPP2025 Sesshin Day 2: The Four Bodhisattva Vows: The Nourishment of Endless Practice

In this second full day of Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Shinzan explores the Four Bodhisattva Vows as expressions of what Suzuki Roshi described as an “inflexible determination to carry out one’s will […]

Duration:00:48:40

SPP2025 Sesshin Day 1: No Gift, No Giver: Dogen’s Method of Guidance on Generosity

In this talk during the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Ryotan explores the first of Dogen’s Four Methods of Guidance: Dana (generosity). Dogen himself lived in a tumultuous era of social upheaval, war, […]

Duration:00:36:44

SPP 2025: Building the Container: Opening Remarks for Sesshin

In this opening talk for the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Senseis Monshin, Ryotan, and Shinzan offer their remarks and suggestions to make the most of the deep quiet and practice of sesshin. Sensei Shinzan explains […]

Duration:00:59:06

The Ten Paramitas: Crossing to the Other Shore

4/28/2025

In this dharma talk during Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Shinzan thoroughly explores the Ten Paramitas (Perfections) of Mahayana Buddhism. He works backward from the tenth to the first, covering knowledge, powers, vow, […]

Duration:00:48:57

True Compassion on the Bodhisattva Path: SPP2025 (Part 5)

In this second Zazenkai day talk of Spring Practice Period, Sensei Shinzan explores the essence of compassion in Buddhism. He begins with a Matrix-inspired question to illustrate the Bodhisattva vow: “Somebody tells you, […]

Duration:00:48:25

Aspiration in the Fire of Our Times: SPP2025 (Part 3)

In this first Zazenkai day of Spring Practice Period, Sensei Monshin delivers a poignant talk in her naturally calm and lighthearted way. Monshin reflects on this opportunity to practice and asks us to […]

Duration:00:34:57

Opening the Text: Faces of Compassion: SPP2025 (Part 2)

In this session of the Spring Practice Period, Senseis Monshin and Ryotan, introduce participants to Taigen Dan Leighton’s Faces of Compassion – the text of focus for the practice period. Sensei Ryotan emphasizes that bodhisattvas are […]

Duration:00:50:32

Entering the Bodhisattva’s Embrace: SPP2025 Living In The Embrace of The Bodhisattvas (Part 1)

In this opening session of Spring Practice Period, Senseis Monshin, Shinzan, and Ryotan warmly welcome participants to explore “Living in the Embrace of the Bodhisattva Path.” Sensei Monshin begins by speaking to the ancient tradition […]

Duration:01:15:59

Awareness In Action: Justice with Valerie Brown (Part 5 – April)

4/26/2025

In this session of the Awareness in Action series, Valerie Brown passionately meets us at the crossroads of spiritual practice and social action. As democracy trembles and DEI programs face systematic dismantling, […]

Duration:01:34:41

The Power of Great Vow: Samantabhadra and Jizo Bodhisattva

4/21/2025

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk during Spring Practice Period, Sensei Monshin explores the archetypal energies of two bodhisattvas – Samantabhadra and Jizo. She begins by asking what sustains our practice and effort, answering simply: […]

Duration:00:44:31

Bodhisattva Manjushri and Wisdom for Our Times

4/14/2025

In this week’s Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, during the Spring Practice Period, Sensei Ryotan Cynthia Kear draws our attention to the foundational importance of vows, urging us to “Trust yourself and your dedication to […]

Duration:00:41:13

The Heart of Boundlessness: Bringing Prajna Paramita Home

4/7/2025

In this Wednesday Night concluding talk of the Prajnaparamita series, Kodo explores how these ancient teachings can be brought into everyday life through the practice of deep attention and appreciation. […]

Duration:00:45:15

A Clearing Opens – Finding Our Way Through Boundlessness

3/31/2025

In this dharma talk, Fushin discusses the Empty Bowl Sutra and its relationship to the Diamond Sutra, presenting them as complementary teachings about emptiness or boundlessness, and the bodhisattva path. […]

Duration:00:41:29

Awareness In Action: Racism with Ruth King (Part 4 – March)

In this talk from the Awareness in Action series, Ruth King examines racism as “a heart disease that is curable,” exploring through a Buddhist lens how racial conditioning shapes our identities and […]

Duration:01:36:00

Haiku and Poetry 2025: Courageous Practice (Part 6)

In this concluding session of the Haiku and Poetry program, Roshi Joan Halifax facilitates a rich dialogue among faculty and participants about language, beauty, and creative courage in difficult times. Roshi creates space for […]

Duration:01:31:42

Haiku and Poetry 2025: Cause and Effect (Part 5)

In this Fourth full session of the Haiku and Poetry series, translator and artist Ian Boyden invites participants on a meditative journey through the landscape of Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei. Beginning with a […]

Duration:01:31:13

Haiku and Poetry 2025: Writing from Experience (Part 4B)