Shows / Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma Talks
New podcasts every Tues, Thurs and Sat. Here you can find talks from various teachers involved with the Zen Community of Oregon. We share talks from our retreats, as well as our different weekly offerings between Great Vow Zen Monastery and Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. Zen Community of Oregon's purpose is to express and make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha’s teachings, as transmitted through an authentic, historical lineage. To support and maintain Zen Buddhist practice in…
Episodes
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksFreedom from the Disease of the Mind - Hogen, Roshi
In this talk, Hogen Roshi explores the Zen chant Affirming Faith in Mind, showing how its guidance is rooted in direct, present-moment experience. He…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksInscribing Trust in the Heart - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen Sensei explores the opening stanzas of Affirming Faith in Mind, illuminating what the poem calls “the Great Way”—life itself, unobscured by…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Great Way Is Easy If You Just Feel Your Toes - Hogen, Roshi
In this talk, Hogen Roshi explores the opening line of Affirming Faith in Mind—“The Great Way is easy”—and shows how quickly the mind complicates even the…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLonging That Cures - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen Sensei explores the paradox of longing—the pain and medicine of our deepest yearning. Drawing from Dōgen, the Faith in Mind poem, and…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Great Way and The Hundred Grass Tips - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In the second week of the Ango practice period, Jomon Sensei reflects on verses from Affirming Faith in Mind—“The Great Way is without limit, beyond the easy…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Desire to Go Beyond - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk Jogen Sensei introduces Affirming Faith in Mind as a mirror for practice and a reminder that the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult. Moving…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLonging for the Ancient Way - Hogen, Roshi
In this opening talk of 2025 Ancient Way Sesshin, Hogen Roshi introduces the Affirming Faith in Mind chant—an ancient poem pointing to non-dual awareness and…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Moon in the Bucket - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this episode, Kisei Sensei explores Koan 25, Nyozin’s Pale Moon of Dawn, and Koan 33, Bodhidharma’s Flesh, examining how Zen teaching passes through time…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLetting the Way Be Invisible - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk, Jomon Sensei continues the autumn Ango practice period by exploring passages from the ancient Zen poem Affirming Faith in Mind. Through multiple…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Right Thought of Letting Go - Jogen Salzeberg, Sensei
Jogen explores the Buddha’s teaching of right thought. Through vivid metaphors and down-to-earth humor, he invites us to notice what we hold onto that tethers…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksMirror Mind: Seeing the Self Clearly - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this episode, Kisei explores the unique Zen practice of mirror meditation at Tokeji, a thirteenth-century Japanese convent. Practitioners sit before a…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksEmbracing Your Darkness - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen explores the Zen practice of embracing our darkness—not as something negative to overcome, but as the ungraspable, untamable side of human…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksKarma, Intention, and the Seeds We Plant - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk, Jomon introduces the Japanese Buddhist holiday Ohigan, celebrated at the equinox as a time to honor the ancestors and reflect on the…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksWhat Is True? Inquiry and Impermanence - Hogen, Roshi
In this talk, Hogen Roshi shares insights from a recent workshop at the monastery integrating Zen practice with Byron Katie’s method of inquiry. He explores…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Godess' Transformations - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this talk, Kisei shares Case 58 from The Hidden Lamp, drawn from the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, where the goddess playfully transforms Shariputra to reveal the…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksProtecting Your Brightness - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen reflects on what it means to protect the innate brightness of the heart-mind. He describes this luminosity not as a metaphor for “choosing…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLiving in Vow, Finding Peace - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this Jizō Sesshin talk, Jomon explores the poem Peaceful Life by Dainin Katagiri Roshi, opening it as a doorway into the mystery of vow. She reflects on how…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksImpermanence and Transformation - Hogen Roshi
In this talk, Hogen weaves community life, way-seeking mind reflections, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living into a deep exploration of impermanence. He…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksAwakening Faith and Letting It Be - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this talk, Kisei explores Case 15 from The Hidden Lamp, where a woman realizes awakening through the simple phrase “let it be.” She reflects on how this…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksPoetry As Dharma Practice - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher
In this talk, Banshō weaves together spiritual poems from across traditions—Christian, Sufi, Taoist, and Zen—to show how poetry can be a living expression of…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Nuance of Self-Compassion - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen reflects on a student’s feedback that Zen teachings sometimes seem to overlook compassion for oneself. From that spark, he explores how…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Miracle of Aimlessness - Hogen, Roshi
Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living, this talk explores the teaching of aimlessness—the practice of arriving fully in the present rather than…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksWhat Would Mountain Do? - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this closing talk from sesshin, Kisei invokes Dōgen’s Mountains and Rivers Sutra and guides us into the practice of “mountain mind,” the spacious, steady…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThree Ways to Reduce Fear - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen reflects on Maezumi Roshi’s teaching that the greatest gift we can give or receive is freedom from fear. He explores how so much of our…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksPatience and Timeless Dharma - Chozen, Roshi
This talk weaves together the joy of smiling in meditation, the vow of Jizo Bodhisattva, and a timeless folk story about learning patience. Through the tale of…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Three Pure Precepts in Practice - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk, Jomon introduces the Three Pure Precepts—vows to refrain from harm, to cultivate goodness, and to benefit others—as the foundation of Buddhist…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Creative Space of The Mind - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen explores the intimate relationship between Zen practice and creativity, drawing on Dogen’s teaching that practice, realization, and…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksAimlessness and The Miracle of Life - Hogen, Roshi
In this talk, Hogen draws on Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living to explore the practice of aimlessness—the invitation to rest in the present moment rather…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksMountain Mind, Endless Way - Kisei Costenbader, Sensei
In this talk, Kisei reflects on the rare gift of meeting in practice and the simple, yet profound, invitation of the Buddha: “try it out for yourself.” From…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLife As The Original Vow - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk, we explore the meaning of vow and how it shapes the direction of our lives. From the Buddhist teaching of bodhichitta—the awakened heart-mind of…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksBeyond Calmness and Signs - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, Jogen explores the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh on signlessness and interbeing, reminding us that calmness alone is not true liberation. Through…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksBearing FOMO and Boredom So You Can Do More Practice - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
This talk explores how boredom and fear of missing out often derail meditation practice and how facing them directly can deepen our path. Jogen emphasizes the…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksFaith in Mind - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher
In this talk Bansho discusses many different aspects of the famous poem Affirming Faith in Mind. This talk was given by Bansho as the 3rd talk of 2025 July…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Gift of Disappointment - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this talk, we explore how disappointment, though often unwelcome, can be a profound teacher. By meeting life’s letdowns with openness, we discover the…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksClose-up, Afresh - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this episode, we reflect on the Beginner’s Mind retreat, exploring the courage it takes to meet each moment without clinging to certainty. Through a Rilke…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe World in The Heart - Hogen Roshi
This talk invites us to rest in the still point where the breath begins, letting the mind settle into spacious awareness. Through stories of mountain walks…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksOne--What is that? - Kisei Costenbader, Sesei
Exploring interconnection, our desire to be right and mind-stopping moments through the story of Bhadda Kundalakesa. ★ Support this podcast ★
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksMotivation and Aspiration on the Path to Awakening - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher
In this talk Bansho discusses vow and aspiration on the spiritual path. What is it that brings us to practice? It's less about what we want to be, but instead…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Quiet Power of Worrying Less - Jogen Salzberg, Sensei
In this episode, we explore the difference between concern and worry, and how spiritual practice can free us from the endless cycle of anxious thoughts…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLife As Pilgrimage: Old Woman of Mount Wutai - Kisei Sensei
This talk explores the koan “The Old Woman of Mount Wutai,” a story that opens up questions about pilgrimage, practice, and how wisdom often appears in…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksFamiliar Life, Fresh Eyes - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
This episode explores the Zen teaching that “not knowing is most intimate.” Through story, reflection, and real-life retreat experience, we look at how…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksLove 100K Times - Kisei Sensei
This episode explores metta, the practice of lovingkindness, as a way of meeting life with warmth and care. Through stories, teachings, and reflection, we look…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Radiance of Metta - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk we explore the Buddhist heart practice of metta—a boundless, radiant wish for the well-being of all beings, including ourselves. Through…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Beauty Gate - Jogen Sensei
This episode explores how moments of beauty can interrupt our mental habits and reconnect us with presence. Whether it’s light through leaves, a piece of…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksBeyond Labels - Hogen Roshi
This talk explores the Buddhist teaching of signlessness, including the fact that who we are cannot be reduced to fixed categories or identities. Drawing on…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksAs If Love Was the Point- Jogen Sensei
This episode explores how we can live from a place of love, even when we don’t feel like we’ve earned it. We talk about the pressure to be perfect, the feeling…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksMetta is Like the Sun - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
In this talk Jomon dicusses the practice of metta, Loving-Kindness. She uses the analogy of metta being like the sun. This talk was given as the 4th talk of…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksAre You a Soul Mate of the Buddha? - Hogen Roshi
In this talk Hogen continues his talks from Thich Naht Hanh's Art of Living book. In this talk, Hogen explores the Kalama Sutta and Thich Nhat Hanh’s…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksKarma, Time & Deep Self Respect - Jogen, Sensei
In this episode, Jogen explores the nature of karma as our participation in creating the world, moment by moment. Using vivid metaphors like sending postcards…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Labyrinth of Love - Jogen Sensei
This is the third talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM. In this talk, jogen explores the boundless nature of the heart and its deep entanglement with mind…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Mystery of Loving - Jomon Martin, Zen Teacher
This is the second talk of the 2025 Metta Sesshin at GVZM. In this talk Jomon discusses love and appreciation. What do these words really mean, and how to they…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksUniversal Friendliness - Jogen Sensei
This talk was given during the 2025 Loving-Kindness Sesshin at GVZM. This is the first talk of the sesshin. In this talk Jogen discusses Loving-Kindness in…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksIs Consciousness True Self? - Jogen Sensei
In this talk Jogen replies to a number of questions from practitioners during the Heart of Wisdom Wednesday night program on June 4 2025. Some questions…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Evolution of Something into Everything Else - Hogen Roshi
This is the fifth talk in a series on the Art of Living By Thich Naht Hanh. Hogen dicusses what he calls the physics of reality. He discusses impermanence and…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksCall Me By My True Name - Hogen Roshi
This talk is the fourth talk in a series on Thich Naht Hanh's book The Art of Living. In this talk Hogen continues to discuss chapter 1 of the book. He talks…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Light of Zazen - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher
This talk was given by Bansho during Ancestors Sesshin 2025 on the fourth day. This talk is about "Yunmen's Light" Koan, and many other topics about practicing…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksA Hug From The Ancestors - Kisei, Sensei
How are we connected to the zen ancestors? To our biological ancestors? This practice is loving, and we are supported by all those who have come before us…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksEmptiness Is The Door of Liberation - Hogen Roshi
This talk was given by Hogen on May 11 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. This is part three of a talk series on Thich Nhat Hahn's Art of Living Book. This…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksYun Men's Light - Kisei Sensei
This talk was the fourth talk of the 2025 Ancestors Sesshi on May 15 2025.. In this talk Kisei discusses the Koan "Yun Men's Light". What is this light that…
Zen Community of Oregon Dharma TalksThe Vows of Our Ancestors - Bansho Green, Zen Teacher
In this talk Bansho discusses the vows of our ancestors and their continuation in our daily lives. This talk was given by Bansho during the 2025 Light of Our…