The OzZen Podcast

In this talk we investigate our experience of emotional hurt, ranging from traumatic experience to feeling let down or disappointed. This includes seeing how the identification with a separate self from childhood onwards is necessary precursor to the experience of emotional hurt. During our investigation we come to realise that our self-as-awareness cannot be hurt because awareness is always prior...

Continuing from last week’s talk we explore human development from the perspective of growing up and waking up. In the same way as the mother communicates security to the child the teacher communicates the True Self to the student. Once the student recognises their own True Self (which is the same True Self) they see the path of freedom from the limitations of the separate self. The True Self prov...

A commentary on the Pali Chant Attha dipa which identifies the True Self using the metaphor of Light. This is interpreted in the light of the zen tradition and the Heart Sutra: form is boundlessness. In zen we return our attention inwards – resting attention in the source of awareness itself and realising our True Self as that awareness.

A commentary on the koan which is often shortened to read, “what is your original face before your parents were born?” It gives the background story to the sixth founding teacher and relates the koan to the three steps of zen and the foundation this creates for deep self-acceptance.

The three steps to Zen awakening are (1) to study the self; (2) to forget the self; and (3) to integrate our awakening to reality into our everyday life.

The four Bodhisattva vows are regularly chanted at most Zen centres. We discuss the language and interpretation of the vows and how to make them relevant to our practice. Each of the vows is a perspective on the call to awaken from the self-centred dream to the Reality of just this moment.

Discussion of the duhkha or suffering. This focuses in particular on psychological suffering, the suffering of the separate self and the suffering that is maintained through the actions of the separate self. This includes examining suffering on a personal, interpersonal and social level.

The Buddha taught suffering and the ending of suffering. This talk focuses on the psychological suffering generated by the separate self. It starts with a commentary on the four practice principles and then discusses what we mean by “inquiry” practice.

This cycle of talks takes both the universal myth of the Hero’s Journey from the work of Joseph Campbell and the ten traditional Ox-Herding pictures from Japanese Zen to talk of the stages of Zen Practice.

This cycle of talks takes both the universal myth of the Hero’s Journey from the work of Joseph Campbell and the ten traditional Ox-Herding pictures from Japanese Zen to talk of the stages of Zen Practice.

This cycle of talks takes both the universal myth of the Hero’s Journey from the work of Joseph Campbell and the ten traditional Ox-Herding pictures from Japanese Zen to talk of the stages of Zen Practice.

Three Pillars of Practice by

In this talk I discuss the 7th precept – “I take up the way of meeting others on equal ground”. This includes meetings ourselves with acceptance and compassion. It explores how we can embrace our own “inner critic” with compassion and gradually transform the critic into an inner mentor or teacher.

Focuses on the importance of embodiment and spontaneity in Zen practice.

Depression is understood as a self-state and is related to the first precept – I take up the way of supporting life. How depression could be understood as a form of “killing” the self, either literally through suicide, or metaphorically, in that it closes down our ability to enjoy life.

Integration is about the transformation from self-as-person to awareness-as-self. To study the way of enlightenment is to study the self. When we study our experience of “I”, we realise we are composed of many different “I”’s or “self-states” or “parts”. We identify with these different states. The path of integration begins with firstly distinguishing body sensations from our thoughts and emotion...

Continues the focus on the importance of compassionate witnessing and maintaining and responding from awareness to the various situations we meet in everyday life. It takes up the precept of letting go of anger when we feel we have been unjustly injured by what someone has done or said.

This guided meditation gently introduces the listener to the experience of being awareness. Being awareness is meditation, being awareness is our inherent nature, who we truly are. When we are being awareness we can meet and welcome all our sensations, feelings and thoughts and accept them just as they are. This includes the unpleasant or even painful sensations, feelings and thoughts that go toge...

Starts with a discussion of Case 45 from the Blue Cliff Record: “Myriad things return to the One. Where does the One return to?” And discusses three stages of practice. The first stage is realising oneness. The source or The Absolute. In our practice of “open awareness” we come back to our experience of this moment. The second stage of practice is when we respond to the world of everyday life from...

This guided meditation begins the same as part one, but then explores our experience of anger and the process of letting go of that anger. If you found Andrew’s talks or meditations helpful, please consider donating to Ordinary Mind Zen Mid North Coast at https://www.ordinarymind.com.au/donate

There are many problems with the Koan Zen style of teaching that places emphasis on kensho or satori experiences. Firstly, it can mistake colourful experiences for the recognition of our essential nature; secondly, it can set students up to feel like they haven’t had that experience and that somehow, they are a failure; thirdly, these experiences can elevate the self and then the self is always ch...

This talk is based on the story found in Case 41 of the Gateless Barrier titled “Bodhidharma Pacifies the Mind”. Is pain always necessary to realise our True Self?

This Christmas talk tells the story of the Bodhisattva figure found in Japan known as Hotei. Hotei has the bodily appearance of Santa Claus, often known as the laughing Buddha or the Buddha with the big belly who carries a sackcloth on his back.

To be a human being is to be attached. That’s the natural order of things. There is nothing wrong with that. But what is our ego-self attached to? What are our self-centred requirements?

This is a commentary on case 37 from the Gateless Barrier collection of Koans.