This talk is part of Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. In it Okumura Roshi continues his exploration of the meaning of the style of sesshin created by Uchiyama Roshi and practiced at Sanshinji. It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on October 31, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. In it Okumura Roshi explores the meaning of the style of sesshin created by Uchiyama Roshi. What does it mean to be "before time" and "before 'I' effort"?  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on October 24, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk is part of Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on Shobogenzo Zuimonki. Here he continues his discussion of the six points of wholesome speech and communication, focusing on "Not engaging in idle talk". It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on November 13, 2005.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk is part of Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on Shobogenzo Zuimonki. Here he continues his discussion of the six points of wholesome speech and communication, focusing on "Not speaking words which cause enmity between people". It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on October 30, 2005.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. In it Okumura Roshi explores Uchiyama Roshi's description of what we encounter in zazen practice as the scenery of our lives, and explains that the process of sleeping or thinking and then returning to sitting is itself zazen.  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on September 26, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. In it Okumura Roshi explores the ways we encounter, react to, and deal with our thoughts in our daily lives and our zazen practice.  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on September 12, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

Shohaku Okumura Roshi discusses Dogen Zenji's dharma talk on the occasion of the traditional celebration of Buddha's enlightenment (December 8th each year). In this piece, Dogen describes Buddha's enlightenment in the context of his zazen practice. It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on December 11, 2011.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi.  Okumura Roshi discusses how we are carried away by the three poisonous minds (desire, hatred, and delusion).  Through our zazen practice we can find a peaceful foundation for our lives without running around chasing our desires.  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on July 25, 2010. Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi.  Okumura Roshi discusses how we wake up in our zazen practice. An excerpt: "We simply repeat waking up from thinking or sleeping.  That’s all we do.  So there’s no goal.  The point is just to be, right now, right here.  Right now right here is just sitting.  So whenever we find we deviate from just sitting we return to here and now and just sit.  There’s no goal, nowhere to go."  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on July 18, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

Shohaku Okumura Roshi investigates section 2-20 of Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo Zuimonki. Okumura Roshi shares his thoughts (and relief!) on Dogen and Shakyamuni Buddha's assertion that so-called enlightenment is not dependent on having a superior intellect or knowledge, nor is it anywhere other than right at hand.

In this episode Shohaku Okumura Roshi discusses section 2-18 from Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo Zuimonki.  It centers on the very concrete questions found in the conversation between Dogen and his disciple Ejo in the text. This talk was originally given at Sanshinji on February 20, 2005.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk continues Shohaku Okumura Roshi's commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi.  Okumura Roshi explores the meaning of shikantaza and the origins of the expression "opening the hand of thought".  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on July 11, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

This talk is part of Shohaku Okumura Roshi's ongoing commentary on the modern classic Opening The Hand of Thought written by his teacher Kosho Uchiyama Roshi.  This talk focuses on what happens in our minds during zazen - how should we handle the unstopping flood of thoughts?  It was originally given at Sanshinji in Bloomington, IN on March 21, 2010.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

Shohaku Okumura Roshi discusses the poetry of Ryokan, the ways in which it is entangled with Dogen's teaching, and the practice of takuhatsu. This talk was originally given at the Berkeley Zen Center on February 4th, 2006 and is part 2 of 2.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)

Why does Ryokan say his poems aren't poems? What does it mean for words to turn themselves into poems? Do we really need to express our experience of the world in words at all? Shohaku Okumura Roshi discusses his reading of and thoughts on some poems of the great Ryokan. This talk was originally given at the Berkeley Zen Center on February 4th, 2006 and is part 1 of 2.

Please consider supporting Okumura Roshi's teachings and the activities of Sanshin Zen Community by making a contribution on this podcast's page (http://sanshin.podomatic.com) or at Sanshin's home page (http://sanshinji.org/home/)