Dharma Talks | Ocean Gate Zen Center - Santa Cruz, Capitola, Aptos
148 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★ - 11 ratings“Those who are Buddhas are always in samadhi, the state like the ocean.” ~ Dogen Zenji
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Episodes
All Recorded Dharma Talks on YouTube
June 13, 2023 22:05For ALL recorded Dharma talks by our teachers, please see the Ocean Gate YouTube Channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKOFG-_XCenToA559VDXqKQ (the YouTube tab or Audio Talk tabs on this website are no longer be updated weekly as all talks can be found on the YouTube channel)
More on Zazen from Bendowa
April 20, 2023 01:29 - 16.2 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst continues the lecture series on Zazen, discussing a passage from Dogen Zenji’s Bendowa. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jaku-April-15-More-on-Zazen-from-Bendowa-MP3-Audio.mp3
Spirit of Foolishness
April 04, 2023 14:50 - 23.3 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst gives a talk on April Fool’s Day about how Zen practice can help upend our usual ideas and show us where we get caught. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Zazen-Jaku-CAYA-April-1st-2023-MP3.mp3
More on Zazen
March 28, 2023 17:29 - 26.4 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts continues the discussion started last week by Daijaku Roshi about Zazen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Shinshu-March-25-More-on-Zazen-Zoom-Audio.mp3
Zazen
March 19, 2023 16:37 - 15.7 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst suggests Zazen is life-giving, discussing how it can serve as refuge for us in our difficulties and challenges. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jaku-March-18-Zazen-Zoom-Audio.mp3
Shoji
February 25, 2023 16:12 - 17.8 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dogen’s fascicle Shoji (Birth-Death) -which we chant weekly at Ocean Gate Zen Center – a primary Zen Buddhist teaching about being fully engaged in this moment. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Shinshu-Feb-18-Shoji-MP3-Audio.mp3
Three Minds in Transition
February 14, 2023 23:50 - 24 MBDiscussing how we practice in times of transition, Rev. Daijaku Kinst reflects on James Baldwin, then the “three minds” teaching of Dogen’s from the TenzoKyokun. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jaku-Feb-11-Three-Minds-of-Transition-MP3Audio.mp3
Climbing the Mountain
February 04, 2023 21:00 - 29.3 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts shares her response to the eulogy delivered by Rev. Al Sharpton at the funeral of Tyre Nichols last week, discussing the Zen teaching of putting effort into our practice for the benefit of the greater good. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Shinshu-Feb-4-Climbing-the-Mountain-MP3-Audio.mp3
Life of Dogen Part 3
January 23, 2023 03:42 - 25.2 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst continues teaching about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Jaku-Jan-22-Dogen-Part-3-Audio-MP3.mp3
Life of Dogen Part 2
January 15, 2023 02:24 - 26 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts continues teaching about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Shinshu-Jan-14-Life-of-Dogen-Part-2-mp3-Audio.mp3
Life of Dogen Part 1
January 10, 2023 21:34 - 24.6 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst tells us about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Jaku-Jan-7-Life-of-Dogen-Audio-MP3.mp3
Life of Dogen
January 10, 2023 21:34 - 24.6 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst tells us about the life of our Soto lineage holder from Japan, Zen Master Eihei Dogen. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Jaku-Jan-7-Life-of-Dogen-Audio-MP3.mp3
Solstice
December 31, 2022 17:59 - 26.2 MBUsing a teaching of Dogen’s from the Eiheikoroku, Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Solstice as a time for reflection, transformation and renewal. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Shinshu-Dec-24-Solstice-MP3-Audio.mp3
Transition
December 20, 2022 22:58 - 23.6 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst recounts one of her favorite Buddhist stories of the monk Nanda to help us consider how times of transition can call us to our inmost request. Jaku Dec 17 Transition
Inmo (Suchness) Part 5
December 05, 2022 19:02 - 19.7 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this fifth part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen’s ShoboGenzo. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Shinshu-Dec-3-Inmo-Suchness-Part-5-MP3.mp3
Inmo (Suchness) Part 4
November 07, 2022 17:08 - 19.1 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this fourth part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen’s ShoboGenzo (there is almost 30 seconds of silence before talk begins). https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shinshu-Nov-5-Inmo-Suchness-Part-4-MP3Audio.mp3
Sejiki (Segaki)
October 30, 2022 16:51 - 19.6 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst teaches about the annual ceremony for Sejiki (Segaki) – acknowledging, nourishing and honoring the hungry ghosts. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct-29-Segaki-Audio-MP3.mp3
Inmo (Suchness) Part 3
October 24, 2022 02:55 - 24.2 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts continues her lecture series in this third part on “Inmo” (Suchness) from Eihei Dogen’s ShoboGenzo. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Shinshu-Oct-22-Immo-Part-3-Audio-MP3.mp3
The Self & Friendship with Practice
October 24, 2022 02:54 - 19.6 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst talks about the self and emptiness in relation to having a deep friendship with our practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct-15-Self-and-Friendship-with-Practice-Audio-MP3.mp3
Inmo (Suchness) Part 2
October 10, 2022 14:16 - 22.5 MBhttps://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Inmo-talk-2-audio.mp3 Shinshu is continuing her discussion of Inmo (Suchness). This talk discusses the paragraph beginning, “My body is not I: my life is carried along by the years and months, hard to stop even for a moment. Where have those rosy cheeks gone?”
Dogen’s Shobogenzo Inmo talk 2 October 8th 2022
October 10, 2022 14:16 - 22.5 MBhttps://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Inmo-talk-2-audio.mp3 Shinshu is continuing her discussion of Inmo (Suchness). This talk discusses the paragraph beginning, “My body is not I: my life is carried along by the years and months, hard to stop even for a moment. Where have those rosy cheeks gone?”
Awareness and Bodhichitta
October 02, 2022 20:17 - 22.4 MBIn this lecture about Awareness, Rev. Daijaku Kinst encourages us to use this practice to cultivate open, curious and caring awareness, the mind of Bodhichitta. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jaku-Oct1-Awareness-COMPRESSED-Audio.mp3
The Three Bodies of Buddha
September 26, 2022 16:17 - 29.5 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts teaches on the Three Bodies of the Buddha, referencing the koan of Dongshan’s Dharma Bodies from Dogen’s 300 Koans; also found as Case 98 “Dongshan’s ‘Always Close’” in the Book Of Serenity. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shinshu-Sept-2-Three-Bodies-of-Buddha-Audio-COMPRESSED.mp3
Ohigon (Equinox) and the Paramitas
September 19, 2022 16:34 - 32 MBIn this talk, Rev. Daijaku Kinst talks about Japanese Ohigon and the time of the fall equinox as an opportunity to consider how we want to enter the season of darkness, suggesting the Paramitas as a path of practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Jaku-Sept-17-Ohigon-Audio-COMPRESSED.mp3
Inmo (Suchness) Part 1
September 03, 2022 18:38 - 38.3 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen’s fascicle “Immo” (Suchness) encouraging us to fully engage with each moment of our lives, including our suffering… reality as it is (Nyoze). https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shinshu-Sept-3-Immo-COMPRESSED-Audio.mp3
Immo (Suchness)
September 03, 2022 18:38 - 38.3 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen’s fascicle “Immo” (Suchness) encouraging us to fully engage with each moment of our lives, including our suffering… reality as it is (Nyoze). https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Shinshu-Sept-3-Immo-COMPRESSED-Audio.mp3
Tokudo (Novice Priest) Ordination
August 01, 2022 02:33 - 35.9 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst discusses the ordination path for a Soto Zen Priest. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jaku-July-30-Tokudo-Ordination-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3
Dogen’s Zuimonki
July 24, 2022 23:59 - 38.7 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst speaks about the passage from Dogen’s ShoboGenzo Zuimonki that the sangha studied this past week, emphasizing the teaching that our behavior tells us who we are. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Jaku-July-23-Dogens-SG-Zuimonki-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3
The Four Noble Truths
July 18, 2022 00:52 - 40.6 MBIn this talk about the Four Noble Truths, the foundational teaching of the Buddha, Rev. Shinshu Roberts encourages us to look closely at our minds, our suffering and how we practice with both. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Shinshu-July-16-4NTs-Compressed-audio.mp3
Landslide
July 13, 2022 01:29 - 33.4 MBListening with the sangha and discussing the lyrics of Stevie Nick’s evocative 1974 song, “Landslide”, Rev Shinshu Roberts weaves in teachings from Dogen in this reflection about how we engage with transitions and transform our lives. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Landslide-July-9-2022-audio-MP3-2.mp3
Dōgen’s Zuimonki
May 22, 2022 21:30 - 27.4 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen’s Zuimonki 1-13. In this Soto Zen teaching, Dogen encourages us to go beyond our discriminative thinking and Shinshu expresses how this practice helps cultivate gratitude for that which we don’t understand. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Shinshu-May-21-Dogens-Zuimonki-Compressed-audio.mp3
Family Recipes
May 15, 2022 23:07 - 27.5 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst uses the analogy of “family recipes” to help us consider how our practice nourishes and sustains us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Jaku-May-14-Family-Recipes-Compressed-Audio.mp3
Gyoji
May 09, 2022 15:39 - 27 MBIn this lecture, Rev. Shinshu Roberts discusses Dōgen’s fascicle, Gyōji (Sustained Practice), in which he teaches that unsurpassed sustained practice is the way, encouraging us to respond to the totality of what surrounds us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Shinshu-May-7-Gyoji-Compressed-Audio.mp3
Faith
May 02, 2022 01:28 - 33.3 MBIn this lecture on faith, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses belief, trust and doubt –encouraging us that faith (shin) is where gladness and deep hunger meet. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/JAku-April-30-Faith-COMPRESSED-audio.mp3
What is Soto Zen Practice?
April 25, 2022 14:56 - 38.5 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts gives a talk about what our “practice” is as students of Soto Zen Buddhism. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shinshu-April-23-What-is-Soto-Zen-Practice-Compressed-Audio.mp3
Discernment and Our Path of Practice
April 18, 2022 15:11 - 33.6 MBSuggesting three clarifying questions we might ask ourselves, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses discernment and how we can flourish in our lives of practice. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jaku-April-16-Discernment-and-Our-Path-of-Practice-Compressed-audio.mp3
Seeing the Buddha Right Now
April 10, 2022 23:39 - 33.7 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses this text that will be chanted for Buddha’s Birthday as the sangha prepares to celebrate together. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shinshu-April-9-Buddhas-Birthday-Compressed-audio.mp3
Ananda and the 1,000 Robes
April 03, 2022 16:45 - 28.9 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst tells an early Buddhist story about giving fully, discarding nothing and responding creatively, demonstrating what can unfold when we are not attached to a certain view. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jaku-April-2-Ananda-and-1000-Robes-Compressed-audio.mp3
Spring and Gathas
March 27, 2022 22:42 - 42.2 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst uses the arrival of Spring to talk about Gathas (Sanskrit for “verses”) which when used to punctuate our day, recall us to an awareness of interconnectedness and enable us to cut through what deludes us. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Jaku-March-26-Spring-and-Gathas-audio-Compressed.mp3
Passage
March 13, 2022 01:36 - 32.6 MBDiscussing the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Rev. Shinshu Roberts shares teachings from Dogen to help us reflect on how to live each moment as if there is no past or future, grounding ourselves in our current experience, even though it may be quite complicated. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Shinshu-March-12-Passage-audio-compressed.mp3
Calm Mind, See Virtue
February 28, 2022 19:57 - 28.7 MBReferencing a teaching of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses the direct relationship between our calmness and our capacity to see virtue, and how this serves us in seeing reality with greater clarity. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jaku-Feb-26-Calm-Mind-See-Virtue-Compressed-Audio.mp3
Change Makes Things Happen
February 21, 2022 02:47 - 39.8 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts gives a talk about change, reminding us that there is no aspect of life that is not dependent on impermanence. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Shinshu-Feb-19-Change-audio-compressed.mp3
Zazen and Failure
February 13, 2022 21:25 - 26.8 MBPosing the question, “Are we willing to sit down and engage with our lives as they are?”, Rev. Daijaku Kinst discusses zazen and failure – the willingness to have what we think we know challenged. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jaku-Feb-12-Zazen-and-Failure-audio-compressed.mp3
Gassho Part 3
February 07, 2022 00:28 - 31.5 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts gives her third and final talk on Gassho, reflecting that in following Soto Zen forms, we make our best effort, as forms are an expression of our vow and our inmost request. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Shinshu-Feb-5-Gassho-Part-3-Audio-Compressed.mp3
Gassho Part 2
January 31, 2022 19:29 - 34.9 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts gives her second talk on Gassho and form in Soto Zen practice, sharing Suzuki Roshi’s teaching that “the reasons why we observe such formal practice is to acquire absolute freedom.” https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Jan-29-Shinshu-Gassho-Part-2-Audio-Compressed.mp3
Turning the Light Inward
January 24, 2022 17:41 - 37.3 MBRev. Daijaku Kinst discusses three aspects of tending to our awareness of self, reminding us that “who you are is not what you think”. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Jaku-Jan-22-Audio-compressed.mp3
Gassho Part 1
January 17, 2022 05:15 - 32.2 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses the Zen form and practice of Gassho, bringing in Dogen’s teaching that our every encounter is an opportunity to express the dignified activity of a Buddha. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Shinshu-Jan-15-Gassho-Audio-compressed.mp3
Gassho, Part 1
January 17, 2022 05:15 - 32.2 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses the Zen form and practice of Gassho, bringing in Dogen’s teaching that our every encounter is an opportunity to express the dignified activity of a Buddha. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Shinshu-Jan-15-Gassho-Audio-compressed.mp3
Gassho
January 17, 2022 05:15 - 32.2 MBRev. Shinshu Roberts discusses the Zen form and practice of Gassho, bringing in Dogen’s teaching that our every encounter is an opportunity to express the dignified activity of a Buddha. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Shinshu-Jan-15-Gassho-Audio-compressed.mp3
Ordination Reflections
January 11, 2022 07:55 - 31.3 MBOn the 34th anniversary of her ordination as a Soto Zen Priest, Rev. Daijaku Kinst notes that sharing the truth or our lives in community is liberative, and she reflects on the importance of finding a path of practice that meets us individually. https://www.oceangatezen.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Jaku-Jan-8-Ordination-Reflection-Audio-compressed.mp3