The OzZen Podcast

In this guided meditation by OzZEN Facilitator Phil Genkai, we are introduced to the metaphor of “cooking” to describe the process of just sitting in zazen. The meditation is based upon the text by Master Dogen, translated as How to Cook your Life, with a commentary by Kosho Uchiyama. Genkai invites us into this process of cooking our lives with minimal instructions, leaving plenty of silence to c...

The Place of Sangha in Post-Monastic Zen Practice, by Andrew Sono Tootell by

In this dharma talk Kodo gives a very accessible summary of Zen Master Dogen’s "Bendowa" ("On the Endeavor of the Way"). The Bendowa is a seminal essay that articulates the heart of Soto Zen practice as brought from China to Japan in the early 13th century. In this work, Dogen emphasizes the supreme importance of zazen, or seated meditation, asserting it as the very embodiment of enlightenment rat...

In this talk I discuss the principle of the middle way. In particular, the middle way between self and no-self and the middle way through the absolute and the relative. After establishing that our self, just as it is, is already Buddha nature, I discuss how difficult it can be to recognise this. The talk reflects on the preciousness of our impermanent and interdependent, self which arises in relat...

In this guided meditation Shinsho takes us through the various steps of labelling thoughts and emotions and mental states with kindness, patience and curiosity leading to an great sense of freedom from reactive states of mind.

In this talk I will show how our practice principles can be translated into our core practices that I have inherited from Joko Beck, and in particular, from my teacher Barry Magid. The core practices to be covered in this talk are: 1. Just-Sitting. 2. Becoming aware of our curative fantasies and core beliefs and at the same time, cultivating an increasing capacity for self-acceptance.

In this Guided Meditation I invite you to contemplate the following five remembrances: I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change There is no way to escape being se...

Denial is the biggest threat to our survival. We need to acknowledge and build our resources of love, gratitude and connection so we can recognise and accept our emotions and move into action. Survival is dependent not on competition but on nurturing and cooperating. Peace and Joy are still possible in a chaotic world, when we live in awareness.

This meditation is about allowing whatever arises in awareness. Through this practice you are encouraged to observe your breathing, thinking, feeling, and sensations with non-judgmental, non-reactive and curious awareness. That is, not pushing away, or not clinging to specific experiences, you are encouraged to observe "whatever is known", as it arises and passes into your direct experience of the...

This talk is an example of the ongoing project, initiated by my teacher, Barry Magid, of integrating a Relational Self Psychology approach into Zen practice – in this case – integrating Heinz Kohut’s concept of the “selfobject experience” with Buddhism’s Three Refuges. I will first make a crucial distinction between “dialogue-narrative” and “experience” before introducing what Kohut meant by “self...

In this student talk Ryan Eno gives a spiritual autobiography of his journey towards finding his spiritual home in Zen Buddhism. He begins with his parents and then explores his young adulthood and his marriage to Bec, the love of his life. This includes both reflections on his experience of being both a practicing Catholic as a child and as a young man, Evangelical Christianity, before finding hi...

In this final talk on the theme of spiritual autobiography, Sono discusses the theme of home and homelessness by sharing some more stories from his own life and also discusses the memoir The Salt Path (2018) written by Raynor Winn and released as a movie in May, 2025.

In this dharma talk Sono focuses on Lou Norstrom’s Memoirs of an American Zen Pioneer published in 2023. This memoir is a courageous exploration of how zen practice can at times collude with forms of “self-alienation” and “self-abandonment” caused by early attachment trauma.

In this dharma talk Sono introduces the important place of spiritual autobiographies in Zen Practice, inspired by Lou Norstrom’s Memoirs of an American Zen Pioneer published in 2023. Since Saint Augustine (354-430) famous Confessions, spiritual autobiographies often have a “confessional” theme. This is also the case in the spiritual autobiography Wild Ivory, written by the Zen Rinzai Master, Hakui...

This is a dharma talk on. It's one of the eight noble truths, usually translated as concentration. I will to talk about the different approaches/interpretations of Samadhi you'll find in Rinzai practice and Soto practice. I will then discuss how we might talk about Samadhi from an Ordinary Mind Zen point of view, based on the teachings of Joko Beck and Barry Magid. We emphasise no-gain and you can...

When an unusual gift is bestowed on a dying monastery, it begins to flourish and thrive. Perhaps this gift which we can also give each other, will make us thrive and flourish too.

In this talk Larry Kodo gives his first of a series of three talks on the founder of Japanese Soto Zen Eihei Dogen (1200-1253). In this talk, Kodo presents his life story in the wider context of 13th century Japan and China, the motivations for his life decisions and a simple look at some of his core teachings and why he is still relevant to our practice today.

Why do we need refuge? In Zen Buddhism the Three Refuges are like a life-raft on the sea of life. We face many storms of different conditions and circumstances. We face natural disasters, floods and fires; the storms of relationships, loss and disappointment; we face wars and financial anxiety. We can summarise these as: Fear Uncertainty Vulnerability Greed, hatred and ignorance People may take re...

In this dharma talk I share my latest understanding of the Practice Principles, originally formulated by Joko Beck and as interpreted by my teacher Barry Magid. The practice principles give us a condensed way of understanding ordinary mind zen practice. However, they do miss out some important aspects of practice, such as the importance of supportive relationships and mutual recognition. This talk...

These days I like to think that “life as it is” is the ultimate teacher, but not of course, the only teacher. There are many teachers: relationships with nature; works of art and of course, relationships with significant people in our lives. Zen is a relational practice. Even when you are sitting alone, you are sitting with a long line of ancestors going all the way back to Shakymuni Buddha. Durin...

Coping with the loss of a loved one is always difficult. In this Dharma Talk Lousie Shinsho explores how different people cope in different ways. The Buddha's teachings of impermanence are tempered by teachings of our deep interconnectedness. This can help in developing an ongoing relationship with our loved ones who are not really lost to us.

This guided meditation is based on Case 1 from the collection of Koans called The Gateless Gate. The case: "A monk asked Joshu in all earnestness, does a dog have Buddha nature or not? Joshu said “Mu!". The koan question is "What is Mu?" Ryan Eno has been working with Mu since May last year and will explore oceanic or open awareness of Mu. That is, Mu as direct experience of life as it is. It is a...

This guided meditation uses the imagery of sitting at railway stations and waiting for trains to explore how thoughts arrive during zazen. It takes the meditator on a journey from a busy mind (the subway) to a calm mind (no station, no trains). It poses a key question throughout - is your mind busy or is your mind calm - from moment to moment? Please sit and enjoy. Note: Phil chose to prioritise l...

Talk from OzZEN Zazenkai in Sawtell 2nd March 2025. Intimacy in Zen is discussed in terms of the two aspects of 1. presence with all of life, and 2. emotional availability and vulnerability. A complete offering of ourselves, unmasked. This brings forth the character of the Bodhisattva as: simple, joyful, and open to life’s possibilities. We mention “Intimacy and Commitment” from Ordinary Mind Zen...

This dharma talk focuses on exploring the concept of the self-centered dream and suffering, with discussions on practice principles and their potential modifications. Participants shared personal experiences and insights related to self-centeredness, dreams, and the nature of reality. The conversation also touched on the importance of shifting from a self-centered to a life-centered perspective, d...