Teachings
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A Work of HeArt
October 20, 20181 min read
I would like my work to be the poetry of silence. Each work, whatever form it takes, is a 'trace' of a journey within, of an inner alchemy, a quest for identity, a drawing, a calligraphy, that reveals who we are at that particular moment, like a mark on the canvas called life. The brush dances on the paper, the words sing in the ear, each movement, unrepeatable, captures and is captive to a rhythm - a ballet in time and space of an odyssey which, at...
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Teisho: Many Doors
October 18, 20181 min read
"... The door of every house leads to Chang’an .... every aspect of our experience is a door to oneness, to emptiness ..." Description: This talk begins with a reading from Bodhisattva of Compassion: The Mystical Tradition of Kuan Yin by John Blofeld, which highlights various perspectives on practice. Every sect of Buddhism, every phenomenon and every aspect of our experience is a door to oneness, to emptiness. Henry discusses the current cross-fertilization between different traditions and...
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Meeting Crisis with Zen & Practice, Video Clip with Henry Shukman
October 13, 20182 min read
Zen was born in a time of Crisis … This practice is, in itself, taking a stand against forces of divisiveness. It appears that a “crisis of unity” is unfolding in our times as national populism seems to be rising around the world. So it seems apropos to consider how Zen– a tradition that “… is always immediately situational {and} has no overarching ontology or philosophy …” might address this matter. In Stillness Speaks’ upcoming documentary, Zen Awakening: Finding Peace in Troubled...
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Teisho: Learning to Be
October 11, 20181 min read
"... The present moment is shot through with rays of the infinite ..." Description: In this talk, Henry reviews the basics of mindfulness, beginning with Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which apply to the entirety of experience and demonstrate that the roots of mindfulness run deep in Zen. These foundations can be seen as the basis of the practice of shikantaza, or just sitting. The diligent practice of mindfulness can lead to a state of deep samadhi...
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Teisho: Case 72, Book of Equanimity: Chûyû’s “Monkey”
October 4, 20181 min read
"... a six-windowed room represents our life, or our experience of the world through the six senses ..." Description: This talk begins with a reading from The Lost Books of the Odyssey, which aptly describes what a koan is. Agamemnon has commissioned his wisest counselors to write a book that will explain the whole world. Dissatisfied with the result, he then asks them to bring him a single word that contains everything. In the koan discussed tonight, young...
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One Bright Pearl: Conversation on Zen with Henry Shukman and Chris Hebard
September 28, 20181 min read
In One Bright Pearl, Henry and Chris Hebard take us on an intimate journey about Zen. This wide ranging conversation explores many core questions, including... What does awakened mean? What is happiness? What causes our suffering? What is Zen? Is Zen a religion? What is practice? and why do we practice? How do we meet personal or social crisis from a zen perspective? What differentiates me from everything else? Settle back and enjoy this 77 minute video with Henry and Chris. https://youtu.be/cnbJ_Z9WwOs One...
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Teisho: One Love
September 27, 20181 min read
"... It is possible to see through our lives to a great wonder that is without form but is infinitely loving and deeply personal ..." Description: This talk was given the day after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Henry had planned on presenting a koan but, instead, decided to tell us a story about an experience he had while at Esalen in Big Sur, California. It is possible to see through our lives to a great wonder that...
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Unfiltered Perception
September 22, 20181 min read
Once perception occurs unfiltered, stripped of the habitual veil of automatic preconception, it is inherently fulfilling. ~ Henry Shukman **** Photo and creation by Rosa Bellino. Text from The Unfamiliar Familiar, originally published in Tricycle Magazine, Fall 2014
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Teisho: Case 71, Book of Equanimity: Suigan’s “Eyebrows”
September 20, 20181 min read
"... Zen does not impart anything to us, but rather allows us to let go of everything ..." Koans are able to untie things we didn’t know were tied and to open things we didn’t know were closed. Description: This talk begins with a discussion of the power of koans to work on us -- “they are little love bombs.” These stories provide us with a glimpse into the world of the great masters, showing us how they moved and spoke...
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