The Baker Roshi Audio Archive

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Title Speaker Date

Cycles of Enlightenment in Judaism

Serial: RB-00988 Workshop_Zenith_Institute_Summer_Camp The talk explores the complex spiritual journey in Judaism, emphasizing the cyclical process of experiencing divine revelation, falling into materialistic habits, and striving for personal growth. It highlights the importance of...
Time, Practice, Ego
1997
Bosazio

Awakening Through Walking Together

Serial: RB-01020 Sesshin The talk explores the role of Buddhist practice in cultivating insight and transformation through moments of realization likened to divine intervention. Emphasis is placed on the significance of courage and imperturbability in...
Practice, Buddhism, Time
1997
Roseburg

Sesshin: Embracing Zen's Transformative Journey

Serial: RB-01019 Sesshin The talk discusses the transformative nature of Sesshin, highlighting its role as a break from everyday life that enables practitioners to explore deeper elements of Zen practice. Exploration focuses on key concepts of practice,...
Practice, Posture, Pain
1997
Roseburg

One-Pointed Focus in Mindfulness Practice

Serial: RB-01021A Sesshin The talk primarily explores the concept of "one-pointedness" in meditation, detailing its role as an antidote to distraction and dullness in the mind. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing valid cognition in Buddhism,...
Practice, Suffering, Pain
1997
Roseburg

Awakening Through Mindful Interconnection

Serial: RB-01021B Sesshin The talk discusses the essence of Buddhist practice, emphasizing the interconnectedness of body and mind and the importance of mindfulness. It delves into foundational Buddhist concepts such as dhatus, ayatanas, and vijnanas,...
Practice, Suffering, Pain
1997
Roseburg

Breath Bridges Spiritual Traditions

Serial: RB-00977A Practice-Period_Talks The talk addresses the relationship between Zen practice and elements of Catholic spirituality among Benedictine visitors, positing that Zen may fit within Catholic practice even though it is not a religion in the traditional...
Breath, Practice, Intention
1997
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Renewal through Ritual

Serial: RB-00981 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the philosophical underpinnings of Zen practice, comparing Western logos, or reason, with the Indian concept of dharma as universal order. It emphasizes the significance of maintaining order through daily...
Consciousness, Practice, Culture
1997
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Zen Time: Unveiling Present Consciousness

Serial: RB-00977B Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores Zen's perspective on time, order, and consciousness, focusing on the concept of "performative time" versus traditional linear time, and how rituals interact with these ideas. Emphasis is placed on "one-mark...
Time, Practice, Samadhi
1997
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Awaken to Jewel Mirror Consciousness

Serial: RB-01024A The talk explores the concept of merging with formless absorption, emphasizing a Zen practice of liberation rather than mere meditation. The discussion contrasts learned behavior with the natural discovery of a foundational state...
Meditation, Time, Buddha
1997
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Zen Harmony: Proportion Over Measure

Serial: RB-00973 Sesshin The talk primarily explores the concept of "proportion" within Zen practice, highlighting its significance in understanding one's experience. It compares proportion to measure and stresses the importance of maintaining connection...
Buddha, Practice, Time
Nov 1996
Johanneshof

Waking Up to Zen Transformation

Serial: RB-00972B Sesshin The talk primarily explores the significance of daily mindfulness practice in a contemporary context and emphasizes the transformational potential of the moment upon waking. It discusses the linkage between personal spiritual...
Practice, Buddha Mind, Zazen
Nov 1996
Johanneshof

Embodied Awareness in Zen Practice

Serial: RB-00974 Sesshin The talk explores the integration of physical practices in Zen Buddhism with the cultivation of awareness and mindfulness, emphasizing the embodiment of the Buddha mind through various postures and practices such as Kinhin and...
Buddha, Practice, Time
Nov 1996
Johanneshof

Mindful Alchemy: Transforming Ego's Functioning

Serial: RB-00975 Sesshin The talk explores the concepts of Tathagata, the treasure house of the mind, and the continuity of mind light through the Buddhas Akshobhya and Amitabha, emphasizing how these practices can shift one's awareness from conceptual...
Practice, Buddha, Consciousness
Nov 1996
Johanneshof

Zen Essence: Beyond Perception

Serial: RB-00972A Sesshin The talk explores the adaptation and integration of Buddhism, specifically Suzuki Roshi’s teachings, into Germany, emphasizing the existential questions posed by Zen practices. Through the structured simplicity of sesshin,...
Suzuki Roshi, Buddhism, Work
Nov 1996
Johanneshof

Beyond Vocation: Finding True Voice

Serial: RB-00971B Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The October 1996 talk explores how individuals find their place in the world beyond their profession or vocation, addressing a general sense of longing and desire for a better world. The discussion delves into decision-making...
Practice, Work, Time
Oct 27 1996
Berlin

Vocation, Reality, and Relational Presence

Serial: RB-00970 Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The talk delves into the distinction between vocation and profession within a German cultural context, exploring how mythological and practical professional attitudes interplay in shaping one's sense of purpose. The discussion...
Practice, Culture, Time
Oct 27 1996
Berlin

Mindful Chaos: Zen Beyond Thought

Serial: RB-00971A Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The talk explores the concept of "mindology" in Buddhism, distinguishing it from psychology by focusing on how the mind functions rather than personal narratives. It emphasizes non-linear, intuitive processes, akin to "think non-...
Buddhism, Breath, Practice
Oct 27 1996
Berlin

Questions as Keys to Awareness

Serial: RB-00966 Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation This talk explores the practice of deeply contemplating questions until they reveal core essentials and discusses how this process develops a mindful awareness or "background mind." This reflection is likened to being "pregnant...
Practice, Rinzai, Time
Oct 27 1996
Berlin

Mindfulness in a Relational World

Serial: RB-00969 Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The talk centers on understanding the use of "inner language" in Buddhism and its application to personal and professional life, emphasizing mindfulness and awareness. Key themes include the concept of relationships over physical...
Practice, Time, Bell
Oct 26 1996
Berlin

Unfolding Life's Mysteries Mindfully

Serial: RB-00968 Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The talk explores the integration of meditation into daily life, emphasizing regular practice to transcend ego and align with one's broader existence. It highlights the mystery of body, speech, and mind, urging an exploration of...
Practice, Time, Faith
Oct 26 1996
Berlin

Awake to Your True Calling

Serial: RB-00967 Seminar_Profession_and_Vocation The talk primarily explores the distinction between profession and vocation, emphasizing the latter as a calling that emerges when one learns to direct attention to the present moment. The discussion incorporates Zen meditation...
Posture, Practice, Meditation
Oct 26 1996
Berlin

Unlocking Zen's Critical Point

Serial: RB-00961 Sesshin The talk centers on the concept of the "critical point of potential" in Zen practice, explored as a pivotal teaching method by classical Zen masters such as Matsu. This critical point, comparable to pearls rolling in a dish or...
Practice, Culture, Time
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Rapture of Zen Mindfulness

Serial: RB-00964A Sesshin This talk discusses the distinction between consciousness and awareness, aiming to transcend the habitual spell of consciousness to experience the rapture of awareness. It explores the Zen practice of Sashin as a form of "mind...
Practice, Consciousness, Enlightenment
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Awakening Experience Beyond Concept

Serial: RB-00963B Sesshin The talk from September 1996 explores the creation of a Buddhist philosophy relevant to English and German speakers, emphasizing a practice called "critical point practice" that transcends explicit distinctions like awareness and...
Practice, Consciousness, Buddhism
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Awakening Beyond Self: Zen and Mindfulness

Serial: RB-00962 Sesshin This talk explores the practice of mindfulness and the concept of awareness within Zen Buddhism, highlighting the transformative effects of establishing oneself in awareness beyond conventional memory or identity. It examines how...
Practice, Consciousness, Buddhism
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Journey Beyond Half-Truths in Zen

Serial: RB-00965 Sesshin The talk centers on the philosophical journey of Dongshan, a young man in the Zen tradition, highlighting the idea that true understanding stems from engaging deeply and courageously in existential questions without settling for...
Consciousness, Practice, Wisdom
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Awareness Meets Emptiness in Zen

Serial: RB-00964B Sesshin The talk delves into the relationship between awareness and emptiness within Zen practice, emphasizing the experiential aspect of these concepts. The discussion incorporates Tsongkhapa's view of emptiness as an existent, aligning...
Consciousness, Practice, Emptiness
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Buddhist Self: Fluid Identity Unveiled

Serial: RB-00963A Sesshin The talk explores the concept of identity in Buddhism, contrasting it with Western notions of a permanent self. It references Thomas Merton's view on identity alignment through meditation and discusses the fluid, relational...
Practice, Japan, Consciousness
Sep 1996
Roseburg

Zen Consciousness: Living the Immediate

Serial: RB-00959 Seminar_Zen-Dharma,_Its_Teaching_and_Practice The talk primarily discusses the concept of consciousness in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing immediate, secondary, and borrowed consciousness. It highlights how Zen practice encourages living in immediate consciousness while...
Consciousness, Practice, Suffering
Jun 30 1996

Interconnectedness through Zen's Doubtful Vision

Serial: RB-00960 Seminar_Zen-Dharma,_Its_Teaching_and_Practice The talk examines Zen Buddhism as both a religion of faith and vision, contrasting with Western religions, and places emphasis on the unique role of existential doubt in Zen practice. It delves into the concept of...
Buddha, Faith, Practice
Jun 30 1996

Mindful Interconnection in Zen Practice

Serial: RB-00958 Talk The talk discusses the foundations of morality in Buddhism, emphasizing how personal experience and non-duality influence ethical behavior, rather than strict adherence to societal rules. It further explores the concept of...
Practice, Time, Buddhism
Jun 29 1996

Zen Posture: Gateway to Mindfulness

Serial: RB-00957 Talk The talk focuses on Zen meditation posture and breathing techniques to deepen mindfulness and stabilize consciousness. Emphasis is placed on the interconnectedness of posture and mental states, the importance of accepting one's...
Practice, Posture, Breath
Jun 29 1996

Zen's Stillness in Western Minds

Serial: RB-00956 Talk This talk explores Zen practice within the broader framework of Buddhism and its adaptation in Western cultures. It emphasizes the distinction between Zen as a complete meditation practice and other schools of Buddhism, and...
Practice, Buddhism, Meditation
Jun 29 1996

Zen Moments: Living the Present

Serial: RB-00955 Talk The talk delves into the practice of Zen Buddhism, highlighting the experience of living directly in the present moment, devoid of theological constructs, by reflecting on ordinary activities and relationships, such as engaging...
Posture, Practice, Buddhism
Jun 28 1996

Zen Stillness Amidst Western Rhythms

Serial: RB-00954 Talk This talk addresses the challenges and philosophies of establishing and maintaining a Zen practice center, Johanneshof, in a Western cultural context. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the physical embodiment of practice,...
Practice, Karma, Stillness
May 16 1996
Crestone Zen Mountain Center

Unstructured Mind, Limitless Reality

Serial: RB-01589 Seminar The talk explores the concept of an "unstructured mind" in Zen practice, emphasizing the distinction between cognitive perception of oneself and the surrounding world and experiencing reality through a continuum that does not...
Consciousness, Time, Buddhism
May 1996
Münster

Embracing the Unstructured Zen Mind

Serial: RB-01590 Seminar The main focus of the talk involves the concept of "unstructured mind" in Zen practice, emphasizing the transition from structured, conceptual intention to realizing an unstructured state of mind. It explores the role of the...
Practice, Stillness
May 1996
Münster

Blissful Cognition in Zen Practice

Serial: RB-01591 Seminar The seminar delves into the concept of "Blissful Cognition" within Zen practice, examining how intellectual analysis can lead to valid cognition and deep bliss in the Yogacara Buddhist tradition. The discussion highlights the...
Buddha, Consciousness, Work
May 1996
Münster

Awakening: Cultivating Unconstructed Consciousness

Serial: RB-01592 Seminar The talk emphasizes the concept of Buddha-awareness as a continuum that exists within individual experiences, asserting that this awareness surfaces in varying degrees depending on one's ability to move beyond habitual mental...
Buddha, Intention, Consciousness
May 1996
Münster

Zen Reality: Engaging Mindfully with Life

Serial: RB-01588 Seminar This talk explores the concept of "the pure body of reality" and its profound implications within Zen Buddhism. The discussion focuses on understanding reality as an experiential series of acts, distinct from any external...
Stillness, Koan, Practice
May 1996
Münster

Finding Stillness Within Activity

Serial: RB-00953 Talk_The_One_Who_Is_Not_Busy The talk analyzes the koan involving Yunyan and Daowu, exploring the theme of "The One Who Is Not Busy" as both a practical resource and a profound Zen teaching. It emphasizes the simultaneous presence of stillness amidst...
Stillness, Practice, Time
Apr 29 1996
Hamburg

Mind Beyond Boundaries: Zen's True Essence

Serial: RB-01616 Sesshin The talk explores the essence of sesshin, focusing on the gathering and sustaining of a non-discriminating, objectless mind—a state free from the mental clutter of likes, dislikes, and habitual self-observation. Emphasis is...
Practice, Dharmakaya, Koan
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Embracing Bliss Through Zen Meditation

Serial: RB-01612A Sesshin The talk explores the practice of Zen meditation, focusing on achieving meditative stabilization or Samadhi, and using it as a key to unlocking insight (vipassana) and experiencing an innate condition of bliss. Through insights...
Buddha, Practice, Concentration
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Zen Symbols: Pathways to Direct Insight

Serial: RB-01612B Sesshin The talk explores various symbolic objects in Zen practice, such as staffs and fans, emphasizing their metaphorical significance in representing different aspects of teaching. The core theme revolves around the concept of "...
Buddhism, Time, Practice
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Embodied Dignity Through Zazen Practice

Serial: RB-01613 Sesshin The talk addresses the concepts of "basic dignity" and the "energy of basic dignity" as it relates to Buddhist practice, particularly in zazen. It elaborates on the enacting of the Buddha through meditation, referencing Dogen's...
Buddha, Practice, Consciousness
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Unifying Mind, Speech, and Action

Serial: RB-01614A Sesshin This talk discusses the Zen practice of aligning body, speech, and mind, emphasizing the integration of daily actions with spiritual practice. It highlights the symbolic nature of speech as a unifying force and explores direct...
Practice, Time, Faith
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Beyond Traditions: Zen's Hidden Nourishments

Serial: RB-01615 Sesshin The talk discusses the parallels between ritual behaviors of animals and human actions, focusing on the concept of the "four foods" in Zen practice, which are forms of nourishment beyond physical food, incorporating aspects of...
Buddha, Practice, Koan
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Zen Flow: Integrating Practice in Life

Serial: RB-01614B Sesshin The talk focuses on integrating Zen practice into daily life, emphasizing the metaphor of water as the practice field and exploring the Bodhisattva spirit of friendliness. It discusses how lineage in Zen entails inheriting the...
Practice, Daily Life, Study
Apr 1996
Roseburg

Zen Path to Self-Discovery

Serial: RB-00952 Seminar_Become_Who_You_Are The seminar addresses the philosophical inquiry "becoming who you are," exploring the differences and connections between concepts like "who you are" and "what you are" within the context of Zen practice and Western psychology....
Buddhism, Practice, Religion
Oct 1995
Kassel

Zen Pathways: Embracing Present Practice

Serial: RB-00951 Interview_Paths_to_Living The discussion focuses on the role and importance of the Sangha, particularly in Germany, highlighting the German openness to Buddhist practice due to recent historical contexts. The talk explores the uniqueness of Zen within...
Meditation, Practice, Sangha
Sep 10 1995
Berlin

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