Resentment

Resentment often lingers quietly, heavy, unspoken, and rooted in pain. But it can be your teacher, showing you where you are still holding on. In this talk, Hiro explores how Zen practice invites us to meet resentment with tenderness and curiosity. By turning toward it, we may uncover the hurt beneath and open the way to healing, compassion, and freedom. Even our hardest emotions can become gateways on the path of practice.

Patience

As children, many of us were raised by parents who told us to “be patient—and yet, few of us learned exactly what patience is or how to cultivate it. Mei Elliott explores what patience looks like, and how we can manifest it in our life and practice. If we're experiencing any form of suffering—large or small—patience can provide a doorway to freedom amidst difficulty.

Affinity

Eli Brown-Stevenson talks about the transformative power of ‘affinity’—that natural resonance of being seen and welcomed—and how zazen practice can help us meet ourselves and others with openness, trust, and compassion.

Mental Posture

Zachary Smith reflects on a talk given by Zentatsu Richard Baker, SFZC’s second Abbot, in 2012 about the idea of “mental posture”. Zach discusses how this idea can help us both with sitting and with bringing practice to our daily activity outside the Zendo.

Hearing 'Others'

Michael discusses taking refuge in sangha, from the standpoint of Buddhist training for being with not only the sangha and the world, but clues to our own mystery of suffering. How good is our hearing for those with whom we do not agree?  How do we cultivate being present with people whom we find oppressive or askew with our views, especially if we are trying to find our voice?  

Case 4 of the Blue Cliff Record

The topic is focused on an old Zen story (Case 4 of the Blue Cliff Record for those who are familiar with the literature), which discusses the apparently paradoxical relationship between what we might call “spiritual ambition”—i.e. wishing to benefit in some way from a spiritual practice like Zen—and the way in which ambition of any sort (aka “grasping”) is a barrier to fruitful practice.

Faith and Refuge

When we're struggling or feeling lost, what do we have faith in? In other words, what do we believe will bring greater happiness? In this sense, we're all placing our faith in something-- whether that's the Dharma, a job promotion, romance, Netflix or cookies; we all seek happiness somewhere. Though faith isn't often associated with Buddhism, it's a fundamental part of the practice. During this session, we'll talk about the role of faith in our awakening, and how placing our faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, can provide a reliable refuge. For those that get the willies at the mere mention of faith, fear not-- we'll be exploring definitions of this term that go beyond the typical associations.

Jumping Off the Hundred Foot Pole

The topic is the koan of "Jumping Off the Hundred Foot Pole" (Case 79 Blue Cliff Record) and how we can find trust and faith in ourselves and our practice. How can we cultivate loving kindness and compassion within our zazen practice and how we spread that to the world around us?