Dharma Talks

Our bowls are a deep teaching. They are the bowls of receptivity, of accepting whatever is coming, moment after moment after moment—bitter, sweet, salty, sour—yes, yes, yes and yes. In this koan (Mumonkon Case 13 and Book of Serenity Case 55), a student publicly chides his master for prematurely appearing for the meal. The master receives his student’s correction without complaint, turning and taking his empty bowls back to his room. A beautiful teaching of acceptance. Yet th

Guest teacher, Abby Mushin Terris, from Sangha Jewel Zen Center unfolds a number of salient passages from Dogen’s Tenzo Kyokun including...

Seido talks about the secret ingredient in the soup of practice of joy. While Dogen talks about finding joy in the service of others for...

Seido talks about Dogen’s advice to his cook to raise up “Roshin,” the mind of a loving parent that brings a affectionate care and...

Seido continues with Uchiyama Roshi’s commentary on the Tenzo Kyokun where he says that Big Mind, or Daishin, this attitude of...

Seido introduces Kosho Uchiyama’s commentary on Dogen’s Tenzo Kyokun calling attention to the “relentless devotion to zazen” that...

Seido comments on the theme of hunger coming up as the sangha anticipates Sejiki and studies Dogen’s the instructions to the cook. During...

Seido introduces Dogen Zenji’s “Instructions to the Cook” and how the Zen training of working in the kitchen expresses the wholehearted...