AZC Weekly talks

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. Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/GhhPGXNPUsVKWTO7NeA1l2ouCtc?utm_source=copy_url

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. Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/i1VtTlKwka3sxU8laG1HHMLnhIM?utm_source=copy_url

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. Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/d0xcqtvpkDy-FPwD3nrxvO--6fs?utm_source=copy_url

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...

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...

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 forgive...

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 Muir Dogen's 'Mountains and Waters Sutra' from Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen Classic 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 Roshi This 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 Waddell Passing Through the Gateles...

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 Gee Earth: An Intimate History by Richard Fortey Pilgrim 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): T...

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 A...

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 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 transcript https://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 transcript...

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 2021 Automated transcript https://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 2021 Automated transcript https://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 Sha...

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with suffering. In this talk Roshi explores delusive strategies for getting off the wheel that just make things worse. Sources: Turning Suffering Inside Out -- a Zen approach to living with physical and emotional pain by Darlene Cohen Shambhala 2002 Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/2mNdeFQEqJOb2REwEE-s5wLK_No

Roshi Amala Wrightson on how to work with suffering. In this talk Roshi explores the ever-turning wheel of grasping and aversion, and the nature of dukkha (unsatisfactoriness) in the ups and downs of our everyday lives. Sources: Turning Suffering Inside Out -- a Zen approach to living with physical and emotional pain by Darlene Cohen Shambhala 2002 Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/ezQ7u6x6G...

An exploration of happiness by Roshi Amala Wrightson, touching on some aspects of the psychology of Alfred Adler, who is considered one of the three fathers of depth psychology, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Source(s): The Courage to Be Happy: True contentment is within your power, by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, Allen and Unwin 2016 Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/jHe5q-QrD...

An exploration of happiness by Roshi Amala Wrightson, touching on some aspects of the psychology of Alfred Adler, who is considered one of the three fathers of depth psychology, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Source(s): The Courage to Be Happy: True contentment is within your power, by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, Allen and Unwin 2016 Automated Transcript https://otter.ai/u/T41TDJKC1...

A teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson. When people hear of the 9th precept, "Not to indulge in anger but to practice forbearance" they often ask, "But what about injustice? There is so much to be angry about." The late Rita Gross, feminist scholar and activist, writes about how her response to injustice became clearer and more skilful after she took up meditation. Source(s): article "Meditation and An...

A teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson. Comments on an introductory lecture to a group of lay practitioners by Rindo Fujimoto (1894-1974), a Sōtō Zen teacher who trained under Sogaku Harada (Rōshi Kapleau's first main teacher) and Tōin Iida. Source: The Way of Zazen by Rindo Fujimoto, translated by Tetsuya Inoue and Joshihiku Tanigawa, Cambridge Buddhist Association, 1961. Automated transcript https://...

A teisho by Roshi Amala Wrightson. Comments on an introductory lecture to a group of lay practitioners by Rindo Fujimoto (1894-1974), a Sōtō Zen teacher who trained under Sogaku Harada (Rōshi Kapleau's first main teacher) and Tōin Iida. Source: The Way of Zazen by Rindo Fujimoto, translated by Tetsuya Inoue and Joshihiku Tanigawa, Cambridge Buddhist Association, 1961. Automated transcript https://...

Each year AZC joins the global Earth Day celebrations, often marking the day with a one-day-sit. In this teisho Roshi Amala Wrightson introduces some prompts for sangha discussion of our thoughts and feelings about the state of the Earth in the light of the latest IPCC report, the wars in Ukraine and elsewhere, and other crises. (Discussion not recorded). Automated transcript https://otter.ai/u/V3...