Auckland Zen Centre: Weekly Podcasts

Koans, their purpose, how they work, and why the can be called vile.

fragment onlyText used: The Unborn; The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693, Translated and with an Introduction by Norman Waddell, North Point Press 1984.

Sickness and pain are inevitable but suffering is notText used: The Unborn; The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693, Translated and with an Introduction by Norman Waddell, North Point Press 1984.

Transforming the unborn Buddha Mind into the poisons.Text used: The Unborn; The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693, Translated and with an Introduction by Norman Waddell, North Point Press 1984.

Meeting his master, deeper insights and beginning to teach.Text used: The Unborn; The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693, Translated and with an Introduction by Norman Waddell, North Point Press 1984.

Childhood and early struggles to understand "bright virtue".Text used: The Unborn; The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693, Translated and with an Introduction by Norman Waddell, North Point Press 1984.

Roshi Amala Wrightson gives the first in her series of talks on the Sutra called "Knowing the better way to live alone". Roshi will be drawing on the translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book "Our Appointment with Life".In the context of the Sutra, “To live alone” doesn’t mean to isolate oneself from society-- it means to be present and steady, wherever you are, whatever your are doing. In this talk Roshi introduces the Sutra and the five skandhas. Source(s): Our Appointment with Life: The Buddha's Teaching on Living in the Present, by Thich Nhat Hanh (translated by Annabel Laity), Parallax Press 1990.Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/bHj9_MsoYg9DGIV5AB0hOuKWa7k

Roshi Amala Wrightson gives the second in her series of talks on the Sutra called "Knowing the better way to live alone". Roshi will be drawing on the translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book "Our Appointment with Life".In the context of the Sutra, “To live alone” doesn’t mean to isolate oneself from society-- it means to be present and steady, wherever you are, whatever your are doing. In this talk Roshi explores what it means to "live alone"-- not rejecting the world or society, but not attaching to what we experience either.Source(s): Our Appointment with Life: The Buddha's Teaching on Living in the Present, by Thich Nhat Hanh (translated by Annabel Laity), Parallax Press 1990.Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/nOFQ-IiuW9mN6CClqb2ix0b7HnM

Roshi Amala Wrightson gives the third in her series of talks on the Sutra called "Knowing the better way to live alone". Roshi will be drawing on the translation and commentary by Thich Nhat Hanh in his book "Our Appointment with Life".In this talk Roshi explores what it means to "live alone" when we understand "alone" as "all one" --wholehearted zen practice as love. Roshi also discusses forgiveness and letting go of the past. Source(s): Our Appointment with Life: The Buddha's Teaching on Living in the Present, by Thich Nhat Hanh (translated by Annabel Laity), Parallax Press 1990.Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/pqqDsGbFrPdceGo-MuqvzrU9sdQ

The third in a series of three dharma talks by Richard von Sturmer. In this talk The Richard takes up Dōgen’s writings on nature as well as exploring the wilderness poetry of Tang Dynasty China.Texts used:Our National Parks by John MuirDogen's 'Mountains and Waters Sutra' from Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master DogenClassic Chinese Poetry translated and edited by David Hinton

"Zazen is not sensory deprivation — anything but. Birds and geckos and bullfrogs guide us. Be open to these natural teachers, wherever you may be practicing." -Aitken RoshiThis is the second of three Dharma Talks on 'Zen and Nature' given by Richard at the Auckland Zen Centre.Texts used: Poetry and Zen: Letters and Uncollected Writings of R. H. Blyth by Norman WaddellPassing Through the Gateless Barrier by Guo GuThe Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon translated by Ivan Morris.

In this talk Richard explores interconnection on both vast and intimate scales. This is the first of three talks on 'Zen and Nature' given by Richard at the Auckland Zen Centre. Texts used: A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth by Henry GeeEarth: An Intimate History by Richard ForteyPilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard

In this talk Roshi Amala Wrightson continues to explore false views. The Diamond Sutra lists four mistaken notions we hold onto which distort our experience of the world; the views of "self", "human beings", "sentient beings" and "lifespan". Thich Nhat Hanh shows how throwing these false views away frees us to respond more effectively to the multiple crises we are facing in 2022.Main Source(s): Thich Nhat Hanh Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. Rider, 2021Brian Swimme, Canticle to the Cosmos. VHS Series.Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/PEVKgfoJ1Lxq7VDowIW7VBMSh_w

In this talk Roshi Amala Wrightson explores false views.The Diamond Sutra lists four mistaken notions we hold onto which distort our experience of the world; the views of "self", "human beings", "sentient beings" and "lifespan". Thich Nhat Hanh shows how throwing these false views away frees us to respond more effectively to the multiple crises we are facing in 2022.Main Source(s): Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. Rider, 2021Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/Oq1HPYq_ItYB4QMa9_ledoFT1fQ

In this talk Roshi Amala Wrightson explores the concept and practice of frugality from a Zen perspective. Frugality is shaped by the motives behind it, such as prudent management of our finances, or reducing our environmental footprint. In Zen, cherishing the absolute value of each and every thing we encounter is at the heart of frugality. As Zuigan Goto-roshi said, "From the first, in people and in things, there is no such thing as trash."Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/6ke-DnnJWa76P-7dH6itPKI04S4

In this talk Roshi Amala Wightson takes up the koan "Vimalakirti's Silence" from The Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku #84). The thundering silence of the layman bodhisattva, Vimalakirti -- can you hear it?Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/6kdOZX1XBRPyMYYjtr2NLyLbwSc

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with common hindrances to practice. In this episode Roshi explores ghost caves, and identifying different types of their opposite, wandering thoughts.Sources: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist path to natural awakening by Guo Gu Shambhala 2021, Shattering The Great Doubt, The Chan practice of Huatou by Master Sheng Yen, Shambhala 2009.Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/PvjaMnenvZoad-3y8EMvAPiNRlM

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with common hindrances to practice. In this episode she looks at working with physical pain, and various kinds of "ghost caves" to watch out for.Sources: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist path to natural awakening by Guo Gu Shambhala 2021Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/2SqT58-qz26zjM82zRFcARyyNJs

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with common hindrances that arise in our zazen.Sources: Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist path to natural awakening by Guo Gu Shambhala 2021Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/jbnu9g1YbRivwmjfipr_DMgo1mo

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with suffering. In this talk Roshi explores some highs and lows: Getting stuck in pleasant, "heavenly" states, and mistaking them for awakening -- and the pain of falling back to earth, plus some common misconceptions about spiritual practice.Sources: Turning Suffering Inside Out -- a Zen approach to living with physical and emotional pain by Darlene Cohen Shambhala 2002Automated transcripthttps://otter.ai/u/LxashxNPdSEiSV_eK_qEdoP-M4E