Young Urban Zen SF

As the year comes to a close, Young Urban Zen invites you into The Gift of Nothing: a talk and experiential practice on generosity without striving. Eli Brown-Stevenson leads us together through an exploration on what it means to give, receive, and belong when we release the need to add, fix, or improve anything. The Gift of Nothing Young Urban Zen

When practice starts to feel frustrating, like why am I not feeling a certain way by now, or when we wonder if we’re “doing it right”—it can quietly turn into a kind of transaction. We’ll explore this train of thought with some lightness and curiosity, and look at how practice can become less about getting somewhere and more about meeting ourselves where we are with compassion. When...

Many of you may be traveling this year or at least experiencing a different schedule (some may take time off; some may work more due to the rest of the team taking time off... etc.) than how things usually unfold for you. How will you stay grounded in the midst of large meals, or extra time or family interactions, or increased solitude? In this talk, Michael discusses what Zen principles apply to...

Tim Wicks leads a talk looking at the many obstacles that we face on our path to awakening. By focusing on the hindrances and how we work with them, we see that there is a way forward to address the feelings of separation and isolation by cultivating wisdom through intimate practice that leads us to the truth of interconnection. Hindrances Young Urban Zen

Hiro Ikushima explores “Working with Subtle Frustrations”, the quiet sense that something is missing, and the low-level dissatisfaction that follows us through the day. In Zen, these small irritations become important teachers when we meet them directly rather than trying to fix or avoid them. Working with Subtle Frustrations Young Urban Zen

In this talk, Kōgetsu Mok ponders the idea of “not believing all your thoughts”. How can our zazen practice help us to quiet unrest, dis-ease, stress, and pain? How can we cultivate discernment in practice?  Not believing all your thoughts Young Urban Zen

Michael McCord prompts us with a few questions before diving into the concept of harboring ill will. What is forgiveness in the Buddhist practice? How do we work with long standing grievances and short term frustrations? Not Harboring Ill Will Young Urban Zen

Rev. Kristin Diggs discusses how in the Soto Zen tradition we emphasize careful attention to the details immediately at hand, and doing one thing at a time, doing one thing completely. What does it mean, and how is it relevant in our fast-paced digital age? It couldn't be more relevant. Being Complete in Each Moment Young Urban Zen

Ryushin Paul Haller, long-time resident senior teacher and former Abbot, discusses the deepening of awareness and noticing how it affects how we respond to self and others; as we learn to see how we respond to our experiences, we see how we cause suffering for ourselves and others. This talk was streamed live for this fall’s second EPP (Establishing the Path of Practice) course. Learn more about E...

There’s an obvious and vital reason why we humans are so attached to our convictions, and the evidence for this attachment is written all over our history, from the earliest written records to this morning's edition of whatever news media we happen to be consuming now. It is also is the subject of the very first chapter of the very first published koan collection. Referring to the exchange between...

We wouldn't enter into a romantic or business relationship without shared agreements, some established boundaries, and emphasis on acceptable communication; however, it is quite common for us to have entrenched relationships with technology that have never been examined as to their overall net effect on us. In this talk, Michael examines technology using some of the principles we use in Zen p...

Rev. Kristin Diggs speaks about meeting zen's "True Person" —an engagement that requires looking directly at what it is you are actually seeking. True Person Young Urban Zen

Impermanence is one of the Three Marks of Existence, yet often the most difficult to accept in our daily lives. Whether it’s the changing of the seasons, a shift in career, or the realities of aging, sickness, and death, change is constant. In this talk we’ll practice how to meet impermanence not as an abstract concept, but as a lived experience, through the simple, fleeting beauty of bubbles. Bub...

Tonight’s talk was about a chapter from the recently published book of Suzuki Roshi’s teachings, "Becoming Yourself". The chapter is titled “Do Not Be Angry.” Kōgetsu takes a look at how this fits with our practice of the Bodhisattva precepts and how we can live with more groundedness, connection, and clarity, even when we're angry. Do Not Be Angry Young Urban Zen

In this episode, Michael discusses the precept, “I Vow to Refrain from Intoxicants”.  This vow is one that is often misunderstood in its scope and purpose. How is this core vow in Buddhism practiced in our everyday lives? I Vow to Refrain from Intoxicants Young Urban Zen

Hiro offers a short talk on Letting Go of Resistance. Often what weighs on us most is not the situation itself, but our resistance to it. Resistance is not something we need to fight, but something we can meet with awareness and compassion. The aim is not to manipulate experience, but to access a dimension of being where resistance is already absent. Letting Go of Resistance Young Urban Zen

The theme for this talk is Liberative Constraints.  This is a topic Eli brought up at this year’s Young Urban Zen retreat at Tassajara. In a world shaped by constant choice and digital customization, Zen practice offers a radically different kind of freedom, the kind that arises from structure, rhythm, and restraint. We discuss the liberating power of intentional constraints, and how forms li...

The theme for this talk is Taking the Monastery Home.  First, what brings us to the temple and to practice? What kind of experiences can we have at the temple that can help us in our lives? If we get the opportunity to visit and stay at a monastery, what do we take with us? If not, can we build a sacred space within ourselves and in our homes? Kōgetsu Mok discusses the various ancient fo...

Michael McCord discusses ‘taking what is not given’, essentially, the precept around stealing. However, just like all the precepts, this one goes quite deep in regards to relationships and our expectations/ demands for how we want others to show up for us and the capacities we expect. And like all the precepts, the antidote is what we focus on most of the time. For not stealing, the antidote is ge...

Hiro Ikushima explores Becoming Yourself , a newly published book of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s talks. He reads and reflects on a few selections that center on themes such as zazen, self and no-self, and how Zen meets everyday life. These timeless teachings offer both clarity and encouragement for practice in the midst of our busy modern lives. On Becoming Yourself Young Urban Zen

Zach discusses the long-standing debate about the utility of the written and spoken Dharma in the context of a practice that claims to go beyond words and concepts. People have literally been arguing about this for millennia; we take it up as well. No More Words Young Urban Zen

It sometimes seems like the world is falling apart and we can feel overwhelmed and isolated and sapped of energy. In this talk, Tim discusses strategies for building energy, Virya in Sanskrit, and how to work with it as one of the central elements in our Zen practice. Virya Young Urban Zen

What if there’s nothing to fix, improve, or figure out? What if this moment, just as it is, is enough? In the preceeding session, Hiro explored the conceptual foundation of self and no-self—how our sense of “I” is formed and sustained. Building on that understanding, we shift into direct, experiential practice, allowing presence to reveal itself through shikantaza and mindfulness-based meditation....

Hiro speaks about the notion of awakening from the dream of self. Much of our suffering arises from clinging to a fixed sense of self—a mental construct shaped by memory, identity, and striving. When we begin to see through this illusion, we may discover a quiet, open presence that has always been here. Awakening From the Dream of Self pt 1 Young Urban Zen

It sure seems like I have a self—an agent of action, one who makes choices, does work, gives gifts, harms others, apologizes... So what do we make of this teaching of No Self of not-self? If Zen says I don't have a self, how could my life possibly work out? Kodo takes a clear-eyed look at some teachings on not-self to bring this liberating view to life, without the confusion. Self, One Self, Not-S...