The Living Zen Podcast

The Three Pure Precepts

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:00:00 -0700

From the March 2025 7-Day Sesshin at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center

A Thousand Buddhas Don’t Know

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:34:26 -0700

From the October 2022 Long Beach Meditation “Mountain Refuge Retreat”

Awareness is the Root Experience of All

Fri, 29 May 2026 14:54:59 -0700

The Blue Cliff Record, Case 40, from Insight Community of the Desert’s Tuesday Meditation As Refuge class.

As You Are. Here. Now.

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:11:23 -0700

Case 1 of the Gateless Gate: “Ordinary Mind is the Way” from Insight Community of the Desert’s Tuesday Meditation As Refuge class.

The Essential Practice of Just Sitting

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:18:54 -0800

Case 1 from the Book of Equanimity “The World Honored One Ascends the Platform” from the May 2025 sesshin at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center

Pointing to the Human Mind

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 15:49:15 -0700

From the September 2024 7-Day Sesshin at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center

Trust Your Heart

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:52:34 -0700

Return to What is Most Vital

The Heart of the Matter

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:16:00 -0700

From the Summer 2023 Beginner’s Mind Sesshin at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center

This Mysterious Life

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 11:25:32 -0700

From Beginner’s Mind Sesshin, January 2023

The One Behind the Name

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 17:02:36 -0800

You have to break through to this.

The Three Essentials

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 12:05:18 -0700

Great faith, great doubt, and great determination are considered to be three essentials for Zen practice. If any of these essentials are absent, we may not accomplish our aim.

Call and Response

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 08:49:04 -0800

Yes!

The Meaning Finds You

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 10:51:30 -0700

How can it be understood?

How to do Nothing

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 11:51:37 -0800

Doing nothing can be surprisingly difficult.

Feeling the Heat

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 11:52:14 -0700

The Practice of Active Acceptance.

Searching for the Mind

Sat, 16 May 2020 16:24:41 -0700

Exploring the island.

The Exploration of Self Nature

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 14:44:23 -0800

Leaping Clear of the Many and the One.

The Role of a Lifetime

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 16:11:31 -0800

Are we really who we think we are?

The Oak Tree

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:10:24 -0700

What is the Essential meaning?

Who Is That One?

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 13:55:15 -0700

Who is taking care of who?

The Great Silence

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 17:30:51 -0700

The non-dual principle.

Who’s Understanding is it?

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 20:27:12 -0700

Another person can’t enlighten you.

How To Sit

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 11:54:28 -0700

Sitting all the way down

The True Person Of No Rank

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:24:23 -0700

When identities are dissolved, who speaks?

The Most Important Question

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 17:26:18 -0800

Realization beyond words or no words.

Without Deluded Thought

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:02:10 -0800

The Sutra of Complete Awakening.

Taking the Backward Step

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:47:53 -0700

Going Beyond the Witness.

The Three Pure Precepts

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 18:24:48 -0700

Simple, profound instructions for an upright life.

Where are you going?

Tue, 29 May 2018 17:39:04 -0700

Iron Grindstone Lu shatters the bamboo ceiling.

Breathing In, Breathing Out

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 10:12:41 -0700

How do we bring the ancient teachings to life?

Not Knowing

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 10:19:04 -0800

Not-knowing, being intimate with the intrinsic principle

Going Beyond the Witness

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:05:18 -0800

The art of just sitting goes beyond all method.

Encouraging Words

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 13:22:14 -0700

Applying skillful effort we find our true nature in every expression.

Everyday Mind

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 09:12:47 -0700

Zen Master Dogen’s skillful words point directly at the true reality of self.

Call and Response

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 11:53:38 -0700

How do we avoid being deceived, even by ourselves? A talk on Case 12 of the Gateless Gate.

Neither Good Nor Evil

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 15:08:10 -0700

The 6th Ancestor of zen points to our original nature and helps his pursuer realize it. Talk based on Case 23 of the Gateless Gate.

Bodhidharma Pacifies the mind

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 15:00:06 -0700

A talk on the first Ancestor of Zen's strong medicine for his student and eventual successor. Taken from Case 41 of the Gateless Gate.