Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei James Fushin explores vulnerability as a profound gateway to awakening. Drawing from the Vimalakirti Sutra and physicist Brian Cox’s question—”How do we live a finite, fragile life in an infinite, eternal universe?”—Fushin reflects on illness, silence, and the dissolution of self and other as pathways to true healing. From Vimalakirti’s teaching… Source

Guo Gu, a Zen teacher known for guiding the embodiment of silent illumination, leads listeners through a transformative experience focusing on posture and presence. He takes participants on a guided meditation that enhances body awareness and relaxation techniques, emphasizing the importance of mindful sitting. The conversation explores self-massage as a way to deepen mindfulness and grounding in the moment. Guo Gu shares gratitude for community and the Bodhisattva vows, fostering a sense of connection within the practice.

In this session of Awareness in Action, Roshi Joan Halifax and Terry Tempest Williams guide participants to witness the world with care, presence, and courage. Roshi Joan opens with the Zen koan—“A monk asked Joshu, when great difficulties come upon us, can they be avoided?” Joshu replies, “Welcome.”—and, in the same spirit, notes the similarity in Chinese kanji between “crisis” and “opportunity”… Source

In this closing session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, faculty and participants reflect on how ancient teachings become living transmission through courage, friendship, and practice. Roshi Joan reminds us that discovery emerges not through resolution but through living fully within paradox, just as Dogen himself persisted amid loss and uncertainty. Steven Heine and Kazuaki Tanahashi illuminate Dogen’s… Source

In the seventh session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Sensei Genzan explores Dogen’s Eight Awakenings of Great Beings (Hachi Dainin Gaku), weaving scholarship with lived experience to reveal how Zen practice addresses the paradoxes of daily life. “It’s not that Dogen is paradoxical,” he notes, “our lives are paradoxical.” With humor and humility, Genzan shows how the Eight Awakenings form not a list… Source

In the sixth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, the faculty engage in a rich exploration of Dogen’s use of language, paradox, and poetry as spiritual communication. Heine highlights how paradox functions as a “turning word,” pushing beyond ordinary discourse to liberate us from fixed assumptions. The faculty respond with perspectives on authenticity, context, and translation… Source

In this fifth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Norman and Kathie Fischer explore Dogen’s Four Methods of Guidance (Bodaisatta Shishobo), one of the most accessible and transformative fascicles of the Shobogenzo. Building on reflections about paradox in Zen, Norman Fischer explains how paradox “extends the subtlety and the scope of what you mean,” allowing us to deepen our curiosity toward… Source

In this fourth session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, Sensei Jiryu explores the profound paradox at the heart of Zen practice: the essential teaching of non-separation. He highlights the famous line, “The great way is not difficult, only avoid picking and choosing,” echoed by Suzuki Roshi’s words: “The supreme way is not difficult. If you just avoid discrimination, then whatever you encounter… Source

In this third session of Upaya’s Dogen Seminar, renowned poet, translator, and peace activist Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi presents his analysis of paradox in Dogen’s writings, drawing from his monumental 33-year translation project of the Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye). Tanahashi offers a unique classification system organizing these teaching devices into three categories: freedom from… Source

In this second session of the Dogen Seminar, distinguished scholar Dr. Steven Heine explores the profound role of paradox in Zen Buddhism, examining how these seemingly contradictory teachings serve as liberating devices rather than confounding puzzles. As Professor of Religious Studies and History, Heine has dedicated his career to studying Zen master Dogen and has authored nearly three dozen… Source