Dharma Talks

Debra Seido Martin is Zen West's Guiding Teacher. She was transmitted in 2009 by Kyogen Carlson, late Abbott of Dharma Rain Zen Center. Seido is an organic farmer and psychotherapist devoted to the wild and giving space of practice and grace of the land. She carries forward her teacher’s directive to “ordain into your life.”

Liturgy: Heart Sutra

In the last of the liturgy talks, Seido explores how the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra is "the royal road to courage." Jizo...

Feb 27

Liturgy: Heart of the Matter

What does the Heart Sutra mean with all of those "No's"? Talk includes background on the Heart Sutra and the change in consciousness it...

Jan 16

Compassion for No-Self

In this talk, Seido speaks to the paradox of the profound acceptance required for deepening practice at the same time as one investigates...

Feb 24, 2023

Heart Sutra: The Meandering Nature of Practice

In this talk, Seido shares her own meander through the sixty days of the spring Ango period studying the Heart Sutra. Rather than a...

May 20, 2022

Heart Sutra: The Power of Disillusionment

Seido talks about the Heart Sutra as a process of “disillusionment” – a teaching that takes everything away to reveal something of great...

May 6, 2022

Heart Sutra: Fundamental Belonging

Seido talks about recent events that express the Heart Sutra. She recounts a story about a spiritual opening Buddhist Environmentalist...

Apr 22, 2022

Heart Sutra: Where’s the Heart?

In this talk, Seido suggests the Heart Sutra can be viewed as a way of teaching us how best to love the world by seeing it clearly, not...

Apr 1, 2022

Heart Sutra: Follow Your No’s

Seido talks about the no’s of the Heart Sutra – the no eye, no ears, no nose, no tongue, body, mind and so forth. She suggests a daily...

Mar 30, 2022

Heart Sutra: The Skandhas and Our Mistaken Identity

During the opening Spring Ango retreat, Seido talks about the first section of the Heart Sutra in which Avalokiteshvara is deeply...

Mar 25, 2022

Heart Sutra: Ways of Knowing

In preparation for the opening of Spring Ango, Seido introduces the Heart Sutra encouraging a whole body and mind study for participants....

Mar 18, 2022