Robina Courtin, a nun for the past 20 years in the Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist tradition speaks on the roots of suffering as manifested by the delusional mind.

Robina contributes to our understanding of the characteristics and functions of the mind, with an emphasis on identifying and transforming the disturbing emotions and perceptions arising as a result of the mind’s tendency to embellish fact with delusional overlay. Robina illustrates some concepts by drawing from her work with the Liberation Prison project.

Recorded December 5, 2007
Speakers: Kazuaki Tanahashi Sensei, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara & Roshi Joan Halifax

Tanahashi Sensei tells a story of Dogen’s response to his monks when asked about the Buddha’s enlightenment. Next Enkyo Roshi speaks the error of seeking “enlightening” as something outside ourselves or different from what we are and how we cut off and separate ourselves allowing the formation of “other” and “enemy”. Roshi Joan speaks about the Denkai ceremony, the central importance of relationship and mutuality in the practice, of coming to know one another in an uncommon way, of coming to know our own heart, and of the importance of not finding fault with the present moment.

Marty Peale, longtime environmentalist and the first Upaya Zen Center resident uses the Valles Caldera National Preserve to illustrate and explore the interplay between human and natural systems.

Marty reflects upon themes of individuality, independence, interdependence, and the ramifications of our cultural assumptions of these terms to the sentient world.

Recorded December 4, 2007
Kazuaki Tanahashi Sensei & Beate Seishin Stolte

Tanahashi Sensei continues on the theme of Buddha’s enlightenment with his gentle teasing and provocative questions. Next, Beate Seishin Stolte, the new Vice Abbot at Upaya asks us to reflect on what it means to have an enlightened mind. She relates a story from childhood to illustrate the concept of the ‘field of mind’ and speaks about finding stillness and ease both in our meditation and our lives.

Recorded December 3, 2007
Kazuaki Tanahashi Sensei and Roshi Enkyo Pat O’Hara

Tanahashi Sensei speaks on Buddha’s enlightenment leaving us with an vocative question for reflection. He is followed by Enkyo Roshi who uses koan stories and writings from Stephen Dunn, W.H. Auden, and Zen Master Dogen to illustrate the theme of Buddha’s enlightenment by asking the questions,” What really is the transformation known as enlightenment? What, exactly are we celebrating? “

Recorded December 2, 2007
Kazuaki Tanahashi Sensei & Roshi Joan

Tanhashi Sensei opens this first dharma talk of Rohatsu sesshin by speaking about ignorance and stupidity in relation to both violence and wisdom. Is meditation an escape for us or a way to see our own violence?

Roshi Joan Halifax speaks next about bringing everything into the practice. She quotes from Helen Keller, Arthur Miller, Viktor Frankl and others and includes recent experiences from a trip to Vietnam and Nanjing as she asks us to presence things just as they are.