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 She translated his book 'The Way of Korean Zen' and has written an unpublished manuscript about the life of Korean Zen nuns.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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