Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks

 In this talk Jomon dicusses the practice of metta, Loving-Kindness. She uses the analogy of metta being like the sun. This talk was given as the 4th talk of the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin at Great Vow Zen Monastery. She also tells her story of doing metta for a difficult person and encourages us to do the same in our lives. ★ Support this podcast ★

Hogen dives into the Kalama Sutta, urging listeners to cultivate true faith through personal experience rather than blind belief. He emphasizes the importance of using critical thinking to explore teachings and discern truth. The discussion highlights practices like loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity as tools for reducing suffering and fostering peace. This ongoing inquiry keeps the spiritual journey vibrant and authentic, encouraging self-reflection and community engagement.

In this episode, Jogen explores the nature of karma as our participation in creating the world, moment by moment. Using vivid metaphors like sending postcards to our future selves, he illustrates how our past actions echo into the present. He invites us to contemplate how these echoes shape our experience, while reminding us that each moment holds the possibility for fresh, liberating choices. This talk balances deep insight with practical reflections on compassion, equanimity, and freedom from old patterns. This talk was given during the Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple Wednesday night program on June 18, 2025. ★ Support this podcast ★

This is the third talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM.  In this talk, jogen explores the boundless nature of the heart and its deep entanglement with mind, body, and world. Through poetic reflections and vivid metaphors, listeners are invited to question what shapes the heart and how love can continually be chosen. The talk reminds us that tenderness is indiscriminate, that our roots hold both nourishment and toxin, and that awakening is possible when we turn toward wholeness. Ultimately, this episode calls us to stay wholeheartedly engaged in the ever-renewing experiment of love and freedom. ★ Support this podcast ★

This is the second talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM. In this talk Jomon discusses love and appreciation. What do these words really mean, and how to they relate to our lives, right here and now? ★ Support this podcast ★

This talk was given during the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin at GVZM. This is the first talk of the sesshin. In this talk Jogen discusses Loving-Kindness in general and how we can view metta through a lens of universal friendless.  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this talk Jogen replies to a number of questions from practitioners during the Heart of Wisdom Wednesday night program on June 4 2025. Some questions include: Why is consciousness not the self? How to I balance striving, and relaxing and opening up? How do I balance enjoying pleasure and not attaching to it in my practice?  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this thought-provoking talk, the intricate physics of reality and impermanence are explored, reshaping our understanding of aliveness. The transformative power of suffering is highlighted, revealing its potential for spiritual growth and wisdom. Listeners are encouraged to embrace personal experiences as essential for evolving one's practice. The inseparability of self and experience is examined, urging introspection and emphasizing that inner peace is crucial for sharing kindness with the world.

This talk is the fourth talk in a series on Thich Naht Hanh's book The Art of Living. In this talk Hogen continues to discuss chapter 1 of the book. He talks about our assumptions of who we think we are and how we can open to a more spacious view in our everyday lives.  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this talk, Bansho Green, a Zen Teacher with the Zen Community of Oregon, delves into the essence of zazen during Ancestors Sesshin 2025. He explores the concept of individual luminosity, emphasizing the historical connection between the Buddha and Maha Kashapa. The metaphor of meditation as catching a feather underscores the need for patience and awareness. Bansho also discusses true enlightenment, which transcends mere physical practice, and encourages letting go of attachments to embrace intimacy and recognition within Zen.