Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Jimon Lorene Flaming, a novice priest and longtime resident at Upaya Zen Center, shares her inspiring journey influenced by her Mennonite roots and international service. She discusses pivotal moments from her father's humanitarian missions to her transformation from medicine to environmental work. Jimon reflects on the importance of spiritual friendships, the challenges of development work, and the quest for deeper human connections. Her narrative highlights the power of embodied Zen practices, the impact of loss, and the enriching effects of rituals on spiritual life.

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Dainin shares deeply personal stories of accompanying her father and Roshi Joan through life-threatening medical crises, revealing how the Buddhist Five Remembrances transformed from abstract teachings […]

Discover what it truly means to be a peacemaker in today's divided world. Explore the concept of 'Interdependence Day' and how our connections shape our understanding of peace. Delve into the impact of self-centeredness on conflict and the importance of empathy and moral imagination in fostering harmony. Hear inspiring stories of community resilience and transformative initiatives that bridge divides. Join the call to collaborate for a more inclusive and peaceful future, highlighting our shared responsibility in promoting understanding and compassion.

In this session of Upaya’s Awareness in Action series, Father Gregory Boyle—Jesuit priest and founder of Homeboy Industries—offers a profound reflection on kinship, healing, and radical compassion. Father Boyle brings humor, depth, and […]

In this informative Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Zenshin Florence Caplow explores the meaning of “Buddha meets Buddha” in the context of how we might skillfully navigate our relationships with spiritual teachers. Zenshin […]

This is the 2nd half of the session on Planting Life, where participants explore indigenous food ways and decolonization through cultivated ancient wisdoms. Artist and cultural preservationist Roxanne Swentzell shares her […]

This is the 1st half of the session on Planting Life, where participants explore indigenous food ways and decolonization through cultivated ancient wisdoms. Artist and cultural preservationist Roxanne Swentzell shares her […]

In this session of Planting Life, we participate in the sacred planting ceremony that honors indigenous wisdom through the cultivation of ancestral crops—corn, beans, and squash—known as the Three Sisters. Led by […]

In this session of Planting Life, Mayan archaeoastronomer Alonso Méndez reveals the profound astronomical knowledge embedded in ancient Mesoamerican civilization. Drawing from his decades of research at Palenque, Méndez traces how corn […]

In this session, Roshi Joan Halifax, Troy Keido Fernandez, Sensei Wendy Johnson, and Alonso Mendez open the annual Planting Life program at Upaya Zen Center. Roshi welcomes in-person and online participants to this sacred gathering that […]