September 2023 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
Working With Obstructions in Our Zazen
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.   Automated Transcript

Reading from Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana.

Day 1:
Meditation: Why Bother?
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.   Automated Transcript

Meditation: Why Bother? Developing the Right Attitude. Reading from Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana.

July 2023 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Mumonkan #11, “Joshu and Two Hermits”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
“Zen Essence” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

A commentary on Zen Essence, translated and edited by Thomas Cleary.

Day 4:
“Zen Essence” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

A commentary on Zen Essence, translated and edited by Thomas Cleary.

Day 3:
Ta Hui and “Swampland Flowers” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

A commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui. (translated by J.C. Cleary).

Day 2:
Ta Hui and “Swampland Flowers” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

A commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui. (translated by J.C. Cleary).

Day 1:
Ta Hui and “Swampland Flowers” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Roshi Kjolhede begins this teisho with biographical highlights of Zen Master Ta Hui, based on Andy Ferguson’s Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Master’s and Their Teachings.   He then continues with a commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui. (translated by J.C. Cleary).

June 2023 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #6
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on dialogues between Bankei and students (Part 2). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

Day 5:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #5
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on dialogues between Bankei and students (Part 1). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

Day 4:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #4
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on Bankei’s public talk delivered during a training period at Ryumon-ji (Part 2). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

Day 3:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #3
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on Bankei’s public talk delivered during a training period at Ryumon-ji (Part 1). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

Day 2:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #2
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on the life of 17th-century Japanese Zen Master Bankei Yotaku (Part 2). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

Day 1:
Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei #1
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Transcript

Commentary on the life of 17th-century Japanese Zen Master Bankei Yotaku (Part 1). Source: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693. Revised edition translated with an introduction by Norman Waddell. North Point Press, 2000.

May 2023 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
Not Too Hard, Not Too Soft: Finding the Sweet Spot in Practice
Dharma Talk by Ven. Jissai Prince-Cherry.   Automated Transcript

Question:  Should I try or should I not try? Do I apply effort in practice or do I surrender? Ought there be discipline or should it come naturally? Answer: Yes! Sources: Awakening to Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart by Christina Feldman and Jack Kornfield.

Day 1:
Making the Most of Each Moment of Sesshin
Dharma Talk by Ven. Jissai Prince-Cherry.   Automated Transcript

How to make the most of chanting, talks, and personalized instruction during sesshin. Sharing the teachings of Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of Rochester Zen Center, on the 19th anniversary of his death. Source: Zen: Merging of East and West by Roshi Philip Kapleau.

March 2023 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Mumonkan #13, Tokusan Carries His Bowls
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Mumonkan #13, Tokusan Carries His Bowls.

Day 5:
Illuminating Silence #5
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Illuminating Silence: Insights on the Path of Chinese Zen by Master Sheng-Yen and John Crook.

Day 4:
Illuminating Silence #4
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Illuminating Silence: Insights on the Path of Chinese Zen by Master Sheng-Yen and John Crook.

Day 3:
Illuminating Silence #3
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Illuminating Silence: Insights on the Path of Chinese Zen by Master Sheng-Yen and John Crook.

Day 2:
Illuminating Silence #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Illuminating Silence: Insights on the Path of Chinese Zen by Master Sheng-Yen and John Crook.

Day 1:
Illuminating Silence #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Illuminating Silence: Insights on the Path of Chinese Zen by Master Sheng-Yen and John Crook.

February 2023 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
Blue Cliff Record #21 “Chimon and the Lotus.”
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Blue Cliff Record #21 “Chimon and the Lotus.”

Day 3:
“Attaining the Way” by Master Sheng Yen
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism” by Master Sheng Yen.

Day 2:
“Subtle Wisdom” by Master Sheng Yen #2
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Subtle Wisdom: Understanding Suffering, Cultivating Compassion Through Chan Buddhism” by Master Sheng Yen

Day 1:
“Subtle Wisdom” by Master Sheng Yen #1
Teisho by Sensei Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Subtle Wisdom: Understanding Suffering, Cultivating Compassion Through Chan Buddhism” by Master Sheng Yen.

January 2023 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
“Song of Mind” by Sheng Yen, Part 2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
“Song of Mind” by Sheng Yen, Part 1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” by Ajahn Chah #4
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering” by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 3:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” by Ajahn Chah #3
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering” by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 2:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” by Ajahn Chah #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering” by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 1:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” by Ajahn Chah #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on “Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering” by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Paul Breiter).

November 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Hekiganroku #86, Ummon’s “Everybody has their own light”
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: What is my light? Why can’t I see it? How do I stop objectifying myself and those around me?

Source(s): The Golden Age of Zen by John C.H. Wu, Doubleday 1996.

Day 5:
The Teachings of Maurine Stuart-roshi 5
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: Zen practice is experiential — we each have to find our way to the truth, giving up our egoistic striving.

Source(s): Subtle Sound by Roko Sherry Chayat, Shambhala 1996.

Day 4:
The Teachings of Maurine Stuart-roshi 4
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: Pride in our good deeds reinforces our sense of self-importance, and therefore works at cross-purposes to our efforts to free ourselves from the delusion of separation.

Source(s): Subtle Sound by Roko Sherry Chayat, Shambhala 1996.

Day 3:
The Teachings of Maurine Stuart-roshi 3
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: A master once said, “The taste of Zen is pain in the knees.” How do we work creatively with pain and weariness in these early days of sesshin?

Source(s): Subtle Sound by Roko Sherry Chayat, Shambhala 1996.

Day 2:
The Teachings of Maurine Stuart-roshi 2
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: Practising right where we are.

Source(s): Meetings with Remarkable Women by Lenore Friedman, Shambhala 1987; Subtle Sound by Roko Sherry Chayat, Shambhala 1996.

Day 1:
The Teachings of Maurine Stuart-roshi 1
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Description: Biographical material

Source(s): Meetings with Remarkable Women by Lenore Friedman, Shambhala 1987; Subtle Sound by Roko Sherry Chayat, Shambhala 1996.

September 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Blue Cliff Record #53, “Hyakujo and the Wild Duck”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
Zen Master Bassui from Mud and Water (trans. by Arthur Braverman) #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
Zen Master Bassui from Mud and Water (trans. by Arthur Braverman) #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
Zen Master Bassui from The Three Pillars of Zen
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
Zen Master Foyan from Instant Zen: Waking Up In the Present (trans. by Thomas Cleary) #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
Zen Master Foyan from Instant Zen: Waking Up In the Present (trans. by Thomas Cleary) #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

September 2022 2-Day Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
Faith: Passages from “And There Was Light” by Jacques Lusseran
Dharma Talk by Eryl Kubicka.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
The Teachings of Empty Cloud (Xu Yun) followed by Q & A
Dharma Talk by Eryl Kubicka.   Automated Transcript

July 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 6:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen: Kokushi, Muso (trans. by Thomas Cleary) #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen: Kokushi, Muso (trans. by Thomas Cleary) #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen: Kokushi, Muso (trans. by Thomas Cleary) #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

June 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Shoyoroku # 14, “Attendent Huo Serves Tea”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
Mumonkan # 9, “Daitsu Chisho Buddha”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
The Practice of Zen by C.C. Chang #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
The Practice of Zen by C.C. Chang #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary) #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

March 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
“Nothing Special: Living Zen” by Joko Beck #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
“Nothing Special: Living Zen” by Joko Beck #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 5:
“Ordinary Wonder: Zen Life and Practice” by Joko Beck
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
“Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening” by Guo Gu #4
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
“Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening” by Guo Gu #3
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
“Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening” by Guo Gu #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening” by Guo Gu #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

February 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
“Faith in Mind: A Commentary on Seng Ts’an’s Classic” by Master Sheng Yen #4
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
“Faith in Mind: A Commentary on Seng Ts’an’s Classic” by Master Sheng Yen #3
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
“Faith in Mind: A Commentary on Seng Ts’an’s Classic” by Master Sheng Yen #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Faith in Mind: A Commentary on Seng Ts’an’s Classic” by Master Sheng Yen #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

January 2022 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

On Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui, (trans. by J.C.Cleary).

Day 6:
Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

On Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui, (trans. by J.C.Cleary).

Day 5:
“Being Dharma” by Ajahn Chah #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

On Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha’s Teachings by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Peter Breiter).

Day 4:
“Being Dharma” by Ajahn Chah #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

On Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha’s Teachings by Ajahn Chah (trans. by Peter Breiter).

Day 3:
“Everyday Zen: Love and Work” by Charlotte Joko Beck
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
“Nothing Special: Living Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Nothing Special: Living Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Transcript

December 2021 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
“Opening the Hand of Thought” by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi #2
Dharma Talk by Trueman Taylor.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Opening the Hand of Thought” by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi #1
Dharma Talk by Trueman Taylor.   Automated Transcript

November 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Mumonkan #16, “The Sound of the Bell”
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui”
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui, translated by J.C. Cleary.

Day 5:
“Everyday Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck #3
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 4:
“Everyday Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
“Everyday Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 2:
“Attaining the Way” by Master Sheng Yen #2
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Attaining the Way” by Master Sheng Yen #1
Teisho by Sensei John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

September 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Mumonkan # 17, “The National Teacher Calls Three Times”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
“Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary)

Day 5:
“Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. by J.C. Cleary and Thomas Cleary)

Day 4:
“The Practice of Zen” by Garma C.C. Chang #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 3:
“The Practice of Zen” by Garma C.C. Chang #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 1:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

July 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Blue Cliff Record #4, “Tokusan Carries His Bundle”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #6
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

Day 5:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #5
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

Day 4:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #4
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

Day 3:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

Day 2:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

Day 1:
“The Way of Korean Zen” by Kusan Sunim #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Commentary on The Way of Korean Zen by Kusan Sunim (trans. by Martine Batchelor)

June 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 5:
Mumonkan #10, Sozan and Poor Seizei
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Working with spiritual poverty.

Day 4:
“An Experience of Enlightenment” by Flora Courtois #4
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Arrival, loss and return — the universe changes on its axis, but how to share this amazing experience with others? Searching for a context for 20 years and finally finding one.

Day 3:
“An Experience of Enlightenment” by Flora Courtois #3
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

A turning point — no need to look further than the mind itself.

Day 2:
“An Experience of Enlightenment” by Flora Courtois #2
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Flora Courtois’ search for Reality, or the ground of being.
Text: An Experience of Enlightenment by Flora Courtois. Quest Books, 1986.

Day 1:
“An Experience of Enlightenment” by Flora Courtois #1
Teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson.   Automated Transcript

Introduction to the text by Yasutani-roshi
Text: An Experience of Enlightenment by Flora Courtois. Quest Books, 1986.

May 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 2:
“The Third Turning of the Wheel: A Conversation with Joanna Macy”
Dharma Talk by Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Reading and commentary on excerpts from an interview with Joanna Macy that explores the Buddha’s teaching of dependent co-arising, nothing exists apart from anything else. (Source: Dharma Rain, edited by Stephanie Kaza and Kenneth Kraft, Shambhala Publications, 2000)

Day 1:
“World as Lover, World as Self” by Joanna Macy
Dharma Talk by Donna Kowal.   Automated Transcript

Reading and commentary on excerpts from Chapter One.

April 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 5:
“Zen Dawn, Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Dawn, Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 4:
“Zen Dawn, Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Dawn, Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 3:
“The Practice of Zen” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Practice of Zen, by Garma C. C. Chang.

Day 2:
“The Practice of Zen” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Practice of Zen, by Garma C. C. Chang.

Day 1:
“The Practice of Zen” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Practice of Zen, by Garma C. C. Chang.

February/March 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
“Catching a Feather on a Fan” #4
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Source Quoted

  • Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen. Edited by by John Crook. Element Books Ltd, 1991.
Day 3:
“Catching a Feather on a Fan” #3
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Source Quoted

  • Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen. Edited by by John Crook. Element Books Ltd, 1991.
Day 2:
“Catching a Feather on a Fan” #2
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Source Quoted

  • Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen. Edited by by John Crook. Element Books Ltd, 1991.
Day 1:
“Catching a Feather on a Fan” #1
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.   Automated Transcript

Source Quoted

  • Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen. Edited by by John Crook. Element Books Ltd, 1991.

January 2021 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
“Ummon’s Teaching in Reference to Oneness”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript
Day 6:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #6
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction), The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin (both translated by Norman Waddell) and The Zen Master Hakuin, translated by Philip Yampolsky.

Day 5:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #5
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction) and The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin. Both translated by Norman Waddell.

Day 4:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #4
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction) and The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, both translated by Norman Waddell.

Day 3:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction) and The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, both translated by Norman Waddell.

Day 2:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction) and The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, both translated by Norman Waddell.

Day 1:
Teachings and Life of Zen Master Hakuin #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.   Automated Transcript

Readings from Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin (mostly the Introduction) and The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin, both translated by Norman Waddell.

December 2020 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
“Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom” by Joseph Goldstein
Dharma Talk by Eryl Kubicka.

Commentary on  Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom by Joseph Goldstein

November 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 5:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #5
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on  Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 4:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #4
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on  Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 3:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on  Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 2:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on  Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 1:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on  Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

October 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 5:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 4:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 3:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary). Text from Zen Master Lanxi Daolong (Jap.: Daikaku)

Day 2:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary). Text from Zen Master Lanxi Daolong (Jap.: Daikaku)

Day 1:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary). Text from Zen Master Lanxi Daolong (Jap.: Daikaku)

September 2020 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
“Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity” #2
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.

Commentary on Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity by Soko Morinaga.

Day 1:
“Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity” #1
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.

Commentary on Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity by Soko Morinaga.

July 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Field” #4
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

“With total trust, roam and play in samadhi”.
Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco, 1991.

Day 3:
Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Field” #3
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

“You must be broadminded, whole, without relying on others.”
Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco, 1991.

Day 2:
Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Field” #2
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

The bright, boundless field — what is it? “Degrading situations” and how to avoid pursuing them.
Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco, 1991.

Day 1:
Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Field” #1
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

The life of Master Hongzhi
Main Text: Cultivating the Empty Field, The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi by Taigen Daniel Leighton with Yi Wu, North Point Press San Francisco, 1991.

June 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
Blue Cliff Record #29, “It Goes Along with Everything Else”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 3:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary)

Day 2:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary)

Day 1:
“The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Original Face: An Anthology of Rinzai Zen (trans. T. Cleary)

February 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” #4
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering by Ajahn Chan (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 3:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away#3
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering by Ajahn Chan (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 2:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” #2
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering by Ajahn Chan (trans. by Paul Breiter)

Day 1:
“Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away” #1
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Everything Arises, Everything Falls Away: Teachings on Impermanence and the End of Suffering by Ajahn Chan (trans. by Paul Breiter)

January 2020 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Blue Cliff Record #23, “Hofuku Points to Myohocho”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 6:
“The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei (trans. by T. Cleary)

Day 5:
“The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei (trans. by T. Cleary)

Day 4:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #4
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 3:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 2:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 1:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

December 2019 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
“How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment” #2
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.

Commentary on Dogen’s How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment (trans. by Thomas Wright, with commentary by Uchiyama Roshi)

Day 1:
“How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment” #1
Dharma Talk by Ven. Trueman Taylor.

Commentary on Dogen’s How to Cook Your Life: From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment (trans. by Thomas Wright, with commentary by Uchiyama Roshi)

November 2019 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Shoyoroku #32, “Yangshan’s ‘Mind and Environment’”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 6:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 5:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 4:
“Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui (trans. by J.C. Cleary)

Day 3:
“Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen (trans. by Robert Buswell)

Day 2:
“Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen (trans. by Robert Buswell)

Day 1:
“Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Tracing Back the Radiance: Chinul’s Korean Way of Zen (trans. by Robert Buswell)

October 2019 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
“Ziyong’s Ship of Compassion”
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

A commentary on “Ziyong’s Ship of Compassion,” from The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women by Zenshin Florence Caplow, Reigetsu Susan Moon.

Day 6:
“Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart” #4
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart, edited by Roko Sherry Chayat

Day 5:
“Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart” #3
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart, edited by Roko Sherry Chayat

Day 4:
“Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart” #2
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart, edited by Roko Sherry Chayat

Day 3:
“Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart” #1
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart, edited by Roko Sherry Chayat

Day 2:
On Maurine Stuart, from “Meetings with Remarkable Women” #2
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on the teachings of Maurine Stuart, from Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America, by Lenore Friedman

Day 1:
On Maurine Stuart, from “Meetings with Remarkable Women” #1
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on the teachings of Maurine Stuart, from Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America, by Lenore Friedman

September 2019 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 1:
“Encouraging Words: Zen Buddhist Teachings for Western Students”
Dharma Talk by Eryl Kubicka.

Commentary on Encouraging Words: Zen Buddhist Teachings for Western Students, by Robert Aitken

July 2019 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Blue Cliff Record #80, “Joshu’s ‘A Newborn Baby'”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 6:
Mumonkan #10, “Sozan and Poor Seizei”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 4:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 3:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 2:
“Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Essence: The Science of Freedom (trans. by Thomas Cleary)

Day 1:
Chanting as Zen Practice
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

June 2019 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Blue Cliff Record #44, “Kasan’s ‘Beating the Drum'”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 6:
Mumonkan #7, “Joshu’s ‘Wash Your Bowl'”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 5:
“Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui” #4
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

A commentary on Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui (trans. by Arthur Braverman)

Day 4:
“Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui” #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

A commentary on Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui (trans. by Arthur Braverman)

Day 3:
“Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui” #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

A commentary on Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui (trans. by Arthur Braverman)

Day 1:
“Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui” #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

A commentary on Mud and Water: The Teachings of Zen Master Bassui (trans. by Arthur Braverman)

December 2018 Sesshin Teisho

Day 4:
Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen, by John Crook

Day 3:
Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Catching a Feather on a Fan: A Zen Retreat With Master Sheng Yen, by John Crook

Day 1:
Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha’s Teachings
Dharma Talk by John Pulleyn.

Commentary on Being Dharma: The Essence of the Buddha’s Teachings, by Ajahn Chah

November 2018 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Mumonkan #48, “Kempo’s One Road”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 6:
Shoyoroku #20, “Dizang’s ‘Most Intimate’”
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Day 5:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu #3
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. J.C. & T. Cleary)

Day 4:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. J.C. & T. Cleary)

Day 3:
Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu (trans. J.C. & T. Cleary)

Day 2:
Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang #2
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

Commentary on Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang (trans. J.C. Cleary)

Day 1:
Zen Dawn: Early Zen Texts from Tun Huang #1
Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.

 Commentary on texts from the first Zen Masters, Zen Dawn: Early ZenTexts from Tun Huang (trans. J.C. Cleary)

October 2018 Sesshin Teisho

Day 7:
Satsujo Overcomes Hakuin
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

”Before the tongue has moved the teaching has finished” — but take care — short of full awakening there is still work to do.  A commentary on “Satsujo Overcomes Hakuin,” from The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women by Zenshin Florence Caplow, Reigetsu Susan Moon.

Day 6:
Chiyono’s No Water No Moon
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Being willing to let things fall apart. A commentary on “Chiyono’s No Water No Moon,” from The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women by Zenshin Florence Caplow, Reigetsu Susan Moon.

Day 5:
Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism #5
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on  Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, by Master Sheng Yen & Others.

Day 4:
Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism #4
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, by Master Sheng Yen & Others/

Day 3:
Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism #3
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, by Master Sheng Yen & Others.

Day 2:
Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism #2
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, by Master Sheng Yen & Others.

Day 1:
Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism #1
Teisho by Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Commentary on Attaining the Way: A Guide to the Practice of Chan Buddhism, by Master Sheng Yen & Others.

September 2018 Sesshin Dharma Talks

Day 2:
Integrating Life and Practice: Women’s Voices
Dharma Talk by Eryl Kubicka.