A True Person of No Status by Stephen Batchelor

The following is another talk by Stephen Batchelor from a series on Zen meditation given at Gaia House.






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The Two Wings of the Dharma by Kamala Masters

This talk received a mixed reception. It is by Kamala Masters, she is a co-founder and guiding teacher of the Vipassana Metta Foundation on Maui in the Hawaiian islands and is currently developing Ho'omālamalama, a sanctuary-hermitage for long-term practice.



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Starting All Over Again Part One by Stephen Batchelor

The first two of this series of three talks by Stephen Batchelor are somewhat longer than is usual for Thursday evening talks but the series was so popular time was made available (we had our tea earlier!)



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Starting All Over Again Part Two by Stephen Batchelor

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Starting All Over Again Part Three by Stephen Batchelor

In this talk Stephen Batchelor examines the "middle path" of the Buddha's teaching. Taken from a Zen retreat at Gaia House.



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The Hindrances by Bhante Bodhidhamma

In the late seventies Bhante Bodhidhamma began to meditate in the Soto Zen tradition with his first Buddhist teacher, Vajira Bailey in Birmingham. In August 1979 he underwent Jukai and committed himself to Buddhism as a Zen Buddhist at Throssel Hole Priory in Northumberland.

During this period he was living in Birmingham where a Burmese monk, Ven. Dr. Rewata Dhamma, had set up a Vihara. He began to visit and out of interest joined a course of meditation in the vipassana technique with Achaan Sumedho, now the Chief Monk of the Thai Forest Tradition based at Amaravati Buddhist Centre near Hemel Hempstead. That experience convinced him that Vipassana was to be the technique that most serviced his needs.

Soon after he met his core teacher, Sayadaw U Janaka of Burma (Myanmar). He is one of the main teachers in the Mahasi Tradition. Bhante went to spend six months with him in Yangon. It had a deep and lasting effect upon him.



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The Hindrances part II

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Creative Engagement by Martine Batchelor

MARTINE BATCHELOR was born in France in 1953. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in
Korea in 1975. She studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of the late Master Kusan at Songgwang Sa monastery until 1985. Her Zen training also took her to nunneries in Taiwan and Japan. From 1981 she served as Kusan Sunim's interpreter and accompanied him on lecture tours throughout the United States and Europe. She translated his book 'The Way of Korean Zen' and has written an unpublished manuscript about the life of Korean Zen nuns.

She returned to Europe with her husband, Stephen, in 1985. She was a member of the Sharpham North Community in Devon, England for six years. She worked as a lecturer and spiritual counsellor both at Gaia House and elsewhere in Britain. She has also been involved in interfaith dialogue. Until recently she was a Trustee of the International Sacred Literature Trust.

With her husband she co-leads meditation retreats worldwide. They now live in France.



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The Importance of Problems in Practice by Edward Brown

Edward Espe Brown is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest. Edward was ordained in 1971 by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who gave him the Dharma name Jusan Kainei, which means "Longevity Mountain, Peaceful Sea." He is famous for also being a chef, co-founder Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, has written many books on "Zen cooking" and in 2007, was the subject of a critically acclaimed feature-length documentary film entitled "How to Cook Your Life", directed by Doris Dörrie. So this talk is a good follow on from Larry Rosenberg's talks on Dogen's  instructions to the cook.




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Dogen's Instructions To The Cook - Part I by Larry Rosenberg

This is the first in a series of talks around the themes raised in Eihei Dogen zenji's famous "Instructions for the Tenzo", the Tenzo being the head cook in a Zen monastery. In this first talk Rosenberg addresses the issues around "just doing your job" as a yogi (student) on retreat.

(the first 30 seconds are silent)



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Dogen's Instructions To The Cook - Part II by Larry Rosenberg

In this talk Larry Rosenberg continues with the theme of daily life being practice and practice being daily life. When you cook "just" cook, put your whole attention and being into the work of the moment.



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Dogen's Instructions To The Cook - Part III by Larry Rosenberg

There's a lot of ground covered in this one, good talk.



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Dogen's Instructions To The Cook - Part IV by Larry Rosenberg

In this final talk of the series Larry Rosenberg offers advice on how to take the practice of the retreat with us back into the "world" of our everyday lives, pointing to the teaching to the cook that it's all the same; the moment is the moment.



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Independence Day, True Independence and Its Wider implications by James Baraz

A talk given in the lead up to the 4th of July Independence day celebrations. James Baraz speaks of how true independence is freedom from the idea of self and how such freedom brings insight into the essential interdependence of everything.



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Knowing Attachment by Ajahn Santacitta

Ajahn Santacitta is a senior nun at Aloka Vihara which with the blessing of the Forest Sangha monastic communities in Europe, was established as a branch monastery for training women in the United States.



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The Heart Based on the Brahma Viharas by Ajahn Thitamedha

This is a talk by Ajahn Thitamedha, the Russian nun who lead the lay forum the first time we visited Chithurst monastery. You need to listen carefully as she has a strong accent but it's well worth it for this beautiful teaching and fresh take on the four Brahma Viharas or "Divine Abidings".



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The Buddhist Atheist, interview with Stephen Batchelor

In this interview with Vince Horn of Buddhist Geeks, Secular Buddhist teacher Stephen Batchelor explores some of the ideas presented in his newest book, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist. They start off by examining the two Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth, using the original teachings of the Buddha, especially the “imponderables” as a touchstone for the conversation. Stephen’s basic claim being that the belief in rebirth doesn’t have sufficient evidence behind it, and it actually takes away from the core practices and teachings of the Buddha.



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Selves and Not-Self, Part I by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

First in a series of 3 talks: The Buddha viewed perceptions of self and not-self as a form of karma, or action. Thus the question is not, “Do I have a self?” or “What is my true self?” Instead, it is “When is it skilful to perceive a self, and when is it more skilful to series of three talks will explore this last question. Part I explores the issue of why the Buddha refused to take a position on the question of whether or not there is a self.



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Selves and Not-Self, Part II

Number two in this series of 3 Talks: The Buddha viewed perceptions of self and not-self as a form of karma, or action. Thus the question is not, "Do I have a self?" or "What is my true self?" Instead, it is "When is it skilful to perceive a self, and when is it more skilful to perceive not-self?" This series of three talks will explore this last question. Part II explores ways in which a healthy, mature sense of self is essential to the practice.



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Selves and Not-Self, Part III

Last in a series of 3 talks: The Buddha viewed perceptions of self and not-self as a form of karma, or action. Thus the question is not, "Do I have a self?" or "What is my true self?" Instead, it is "When is it skillful to perceive a self, and when is it more skilful to perceive not-self?" This series of three talks will explore this last question. Part III explores the function of the perception of not-self as a means to true happiness.



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Direct Teaching Of Zen Master Soen Sa Nim by Larry Rosenberg

Reflections on some lessons in letting go of a Korean Zen Master, told with depth and wit.



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Golfing With Monkeys by Tara Brach

The Buddha taught that in any moment that we have an argument with life, we suffer. This talk explores the ways we are conditioned to think life should be different, and how the natural arising of unpleasant experience becomes locked into suffering. An experiential reflection guides us in how to respond, rather than react, to life's challenges...inhabiting a wise heart.

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Your Self Has No Shadow by John Daido Loori

John Daido Loori, author, artist, Zen Master was the founder and abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper, New York. Under Daido Loori’s direction, Zen Mountain Monastery has grown to be one of the leading Zen monasteries in America, widely noted for its unique way of integrating art and Zen practice.



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Miscellaneous posts below