Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about the Heart Sutra in more detail and the importance of community. Sensei Kaz discusses the Four Noble Truths and how the Heart Sutra prescribes a freedom from craving. He also explains his four principles for large-scale transformation. Sensei Shinzan relays two stories which illustrate the role of community and the ripple effect of seemingly small acts of kindness.
Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about how zazen is an opportunity for us to deal with the issues that accumulate when we try to avoid them in our day-to day-lives. They also discuss the 16 precepts, and one of Dogen's basic teachings which is that there is no separation between practice and enlightenment.
Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma explore one of the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, the Heart Sutra. This is also known as Prajna Paramita Hridaya, or Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom. This series addresses many questions: What is emptiness? What is awakening? How can we practice without attempting to attain or achieve anything? Senseis Shinzan and Kaz use a well-proportioned blend of humor and lightheartedness to transmit the wisdom of the Heart Sutra. They explore such themes as gratitude, the benefits of practice, existence, awakening, and freedom.
In the first talk of this sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Sensei Shinzan Palma discuss being happy while serving others, the five skandhas, the role of mantras in practice, the three marks of existence, and the importance of experiencing impermanence.
Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Shinzan Palma relays a powerful personal story about feeding the homeless. The story provides insight into the questions of how much is enough and what do we actually need. Shinzan then talks about instructions from Hui-Neng and advice from Roshi Bernie Glassman.
Series Description: In this series, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer, Sensei Shinzan Palma, and Myogestu Jane Steinberg explore the extensive influence of the Platform Sutra on successive Zen teachings, including Zen Master Dogen and the koan tradition. The Platform Sutra is a foundational text in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Shinzan, Kathie and Jane discuss a number of themes including right effort, the correct mentality for sesshin, keeping practice fresh, dealing with pain, trusting your practice, karma and fate, and what it means to possess "just enough." Kathie, Shinzan, and Jane skillfully use stories from their own lives to exemplify the teachings from the Sutra and to relay them to a contemporary audience.
Episode Description: In this episode Sensei Shinzan Palma discusses what it means to practice with right effort. Shinzan reminds us that the most important thing is to be here and not to bring any expectations or agendas to the cushion. Shinzan also reminds us to keep our practice fresh by remembering that we re-start in every moment. He ends with a teaching from Hui-Neng, the 6th Patriarch, which prompts us to stop judging our practice.
Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma answer questions from the audience which include the six gates of sensory experience, the gradual vs. sudden approaches to Buddhist practice, and truth as it relates to cultivating the Way.
Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma invite members from the audience to read passages from the Platform Sutra. In addition to explicating these passages, they discuss notions such as "Sunyata," integrating practice and teachings into everyday life, notions of truth, and the concepts of delusion and enlightenment as they relate to purity and impurity.
Series Description: In this series, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma focus on the verses and stories from the Platform Sutra, a foundational text in the Zen Buddhist tradition. The series includes guided meditation, talks, discussion in whole and small groups, as well as contemplation and journal writing. Themes from the series include conventional and absolute truth, reality, the six gates of sensory experience, the socio-politics of Zen Master Hui-Neng's era, the relationship between meditation and wisdom, and the nature of mind.
Episode Description: In this episode, Sensei Sokaku Kathie Fischer and Sensei Shinzan Palma talk about the beginning of the Platform Sutra which includes the story of a poetry competition between two potential Patriarch successors. Kathie and Shinzan discuss the meaning and relevance of these poems which includes the nature of work practice, meditation and wisdom, mind and thought, and reality.
Episode Description: In this talk, Sensei Shinzan Palma and Sensei Kathie Fischer talk about their reflections on The Platform Sutra and its relation to the simple style of Zen instruction. Shinzan emphasizes the inclusiveness of Zen and the inspiration to practice which he found from reading the life story of Zen Master Hui-Neng. Shinzan continues with his own personal story about deciding to study Zen in Canada even though he spoke almost no English at that time. He explains that Zen often uses non-verbal instruction which is good for "learning how to trust without satisfying the intellect." Kathie complements this with an explanation for why Zen gives instruction for its many detailed "forms," but gives very little instruction for zazen meditation, it's core practice. She concludes with a guided meditation.
Episode Description: Sensei Shinzan Palma begins this discussion by explaining the title of the talk, "The Finger Points at the Moon." This Zen phrase is a commonly used reminder not to be too attached to words and/or teachings and not to confuse either with what they are pointing to. "The teachings are like a finger pointing to the moon, don't confuse the moon with the finger," he says. Shinzan continues on, discussing the importance of bridging the gap between the cushion and everyday activities, and the importance of not bringing any kind of agenda or expectation to the cushion. He also discusses an important teaching from Zen Master Hui-Neng, which explains that we don't contemplate the mind when we sit because this creates a duality between the meditator and the act of meditation.
Series Description: "Walking the way that it is not near and not far." During this sesshin held January 23 – 28, 2018, at Upaya Zen Center, we had the great opportunity to be inspired, practice, and embody the beautiful teachings of Shitou Xiqian which are represented in his poem of the relative and the absolute known as the Sandokai. We chant this beautiful poem during our services and during the sesshin.
Episode Description: Sensei Shinzan picks up where Sensei Irene left off in the previous day's dharma talk by touching on the subject of thought. Shinzan says that we must move beyond thinking. That we are something more than our thoughts. Seeing the nature of all things as as impermanent. Bearing witness to the experience as it is. As with landscapes which are in harmony, so must we be in harmony. Becoming one with everything that we are doing in the moment. Closing the gap between ourselves and everything that we are connected to. Actualizing samādhi. Listening to the sound of incense burning.
Episode Description: Sensei Shinzan approaches the topic of our old friend: the self. In zazen we take inventory of the mind. We work with resistance that arises and purge the mind. We put the self, which is used to running the show, in a corner. Shinzan says we must go beyond trying wholeheartedly. The practice is about being zazen, about being ōryōki. It is not I am doing zazen or doing ōryōki; the self must drop away. Shinzan then discusses trusting our practice and closely examining our aspiration and devotion.
Episode Description: In this, his debut dharma talk as a Sensei, Shinzan addresses the questions: "what is the meaning of practice? What is the meaning of path?" He approaches answering these questions from the very personal perspective of his own life. Offering the story of how he happened upon Zen. How he came to practice with Samu Sunim in Toronto. How he first met Roshi Joan and subsequently decided to come to Upaya. This talk is full of many beautiful gems of insight and wisdom that he picked up along the way. While on one hand Shinzan's journey is "nothing special," on the other it is truly remarkable and definitely inspirational.
Bio: Sensei Shinzan Yoko Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Master Samu Sunim, in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now Head Priest and Temple Coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He received dharma transmission in January, 2015. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: Shinzan offers the first Dharma Talk of 2015 by sharing his and some of the buddha ancestors' wisdom about Ango. Ango means "peaceful dwelling" and describes an intensive period of practice having it's origins in the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. During practice period we create a container as has been created by numerous people throughout the history of Buddhism. Dogen Zenji calls it "to meet the ancestors." Ango is a time for us to sit, walk, work, eat and rest together. The only thing we must do is to follow the schedule and be in the moment with one's body, mind and breath.
Episode Description: On this last full day of sesshin (and Shinzan's birthday), Upaya's Shinzan Palma praises joy in practice and the deep trust that silent illumination requires — like riding in a plane. We seem to be doing quite ordinary things, having quite ordinary experiences; how can we trust statements like Shakyamuni's "I and all beings have attained the Way together," or Roshi Joan's "every rock and tree on the mountain is perfect, without any design"? Everything may be perfect as it is, says Shinzan, but the thing is to embody and express that living knowledge. Awakening itself may be nothing special in a sense. It's like your birthday — everything's the same, but something's different.
Bio: Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma, Dharma Holder. Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Priest and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder in March 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: On the second full day of sesshin, Upaya's Shinzan Palma probes the delicate relationships among effort, concentration, and mindfulness, and how the three might best cooperate to "open the umbrella" or "catch the wind" of silent illumination. He says each of the three has a distinct and definite task, and the ship will not sail if they're unbalanced — concentration without mindfulness, for instance, can lead to trance rather than delicate illumination; while without concentration we're very vulnerable to daydreaming.
Episode Description: Upaya's Shinzan Palma explores two key zazen-related questions: what personal qualities should we cultivate for a truly transformative (vs. accumulation-minded) zazen, and what does Dogen mean when he says "zazen is not learning meditation?" He traces the close-up experience of such supports for a flourishing practice as patience, joy, discipline, appreciation, renunciation. Renunciation, for instance, Shinzan tells us is not a matter of asceticism — it means to have an eye always open for what is extra in our lives, what can be let go.
Episode Description: Upaya's Shinzan Palma embarks on the question, "how do we make difficult decisions?" in his inimitably warm and engaging manner — and in service to answering it, he makes a substantial study of the theory and practice of "wisdom" in Buddhism. Theory-wise, he covers wisdom's place in several classical Buddhist "lists" (the threefold this & seven factors of that); the non-linear feedback loop of ethics/meditation/wisdom; the core Buddhist principle that wisdom and compassion are two expressions of a single thing. Practice-wise, he shares his own journey of hard decisions. He says such moments are deeply creative: they're wisdom moments and wisdom always takes us where we haven't been before, births a new being.
Bio: Shinzan Palma, Dharma Holder. Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Priest and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: This is the third talk offered during the spring sesshin and the second by Shinzan Palma. Shinzan opens this talk with some words of encouragement on this third, and often most challenging, day of sesshin. He then moves into finishing his commentary on Hakuin's poem Song of Zazen, which he began in part 1 of this series. He closes the talk with a guided meditation on five contemplations to "let go" of the self as we move into the final days of sesshin.
Series Description: Sesshin literally means to "gather the heart/mind." It is an intensive zen meditation retreat done in community that allows us to deepen our practice through daily sitting meditation, walking meditation, silent meals, work practice, and dharma talks. In this sesshin, co-led by Upaya priests Shinzan Palma and Joshin Byrnes, we explore in particular the zen practice of sitting, or "zazen," through two texts: Hakuin's poem "Song of Zazen" and Zen Master Dogen's "Recommending Zazen to all People." We engage with the texts through daily Dharma talks and then allow the words to sink in as we practice zazen together.
Episode Description: This is the first of four Dharma talks offered during the spring sesshin, and the only one given to the public as well as to retreat participants. In it, Shinzan briefly explains what "sesshin" means and how the theme of this particular sesshin will revolve around some fundamental teachings on "zazen," or sitting meditation practice. Shinzan will focus on Zen Master Hakuin's (17th/18th C Japan) poem Zazen Wasan or, Song of Zazen. For the remainder of the talk, Shinzan offers his commentary on roughly the first half of the poem. He will comment on the second part of the poem in his second Dharma talk (part 3 of this series).
Bios: Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Priest and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Joshin Byrnes is a novice priest at Upaya Zen Center and president and CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. He worked at the Boston AIDS Action Committee, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and was CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation and Managing Director at Tides Foundation. His nonprofit career spans over twenty years, where he has led complex organizations through profound change processes, organizational growth, and repositioning them for increased social impact, financial sustainability, and organizational learning. Currently, he is involved with a number of of national philanthropic projects including being the chair-elect of CFLeads: Community Foundations Leading Change, and is a member of the Community Foundation Leadership Team at the Council on Foundations. His academic background includes undergraduate and graduate work in philosophy at St. Meinrad College, theology at the Aquinas Institute at St. Louis University, early music performance at New England Conservatory of Music, and medieval musicology at New York University. He has also studied and practiced organizational development with Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline), and has been trained in Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching. He is cultivating a "back and forth" practice, moving between the zendo and the larger world of social service, organizational leadership, and social engagement.
Episode Description: In this final dharma talk of the Fall Practice Period and Fall Sesshin, Shinzan shares about his personal experience with Dogen and the practice of shikantaza, or "just sitting." Shinzan speaks in particular about Dogen's Fukanzazengi or, Universal Promotion of the Principles of Zazen . He also discusses the Genjokoan, which advises, "to study the Buddha way is to study the self, to study the self is to forget the self, to forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things." We often come to Buddhism with the desire to study books, to learn from teachers, to train as residents but sooner or later we see that we simply need to deeply investigate "who we really are." And this requires nothing but silence and intimacy with ourselves. As we investigate we get tired. We begin to forget the self and realize the lack of separation between ourselves and all phenomena. In the end, Shinzan asks, why do we practice zazen? We practice because we are human beings, and because this "endless, profound" practice is an expression of our deepest nature.
Episode Description: In the Fall Practice Period at Upaya, we are exploring the Zen tradition of Silent Illumination through a series of Dharma talks centering on key teachers and teachings from the lineage. We have already considered the importance of Practice Periods and were introduced to the practice of Silent Illumination. We next studied the legend and teachings of Bodhidharma. In this third talk of the Practice Period, Shinzan discusses the life and practice of the 7th Century CE Chinese Zen Master Huineng. Huineng came from a poor family, lost his father early on, was illiterate, and had to work from a young age to support his mother. Despite this difficult beginning, Huineng had an awakening experience and traveled to the monastery of the 5th Zen Patriarch Hungjen to receive teachings. Hungjen recognized Huineng's bright mind and great potential, eventually giving Huineng Dharma transmission. In this way, Huineng became the 6th Zen Patriarch. Huineng's teachings represent the core of our Zen tradition. Some of the main principles of his teaching include: "sudden awakening," the direct experience of the heart/mind, the intrinsic Buddha nature of all beings, and the practice of non-duality, beyond concepts and pairs of opposites. In his life and practice, Huineng embodied the notion that anyone and everyone can awaken. We all contain the seed of Buddha nature, and have the ability to touch the "big mind" beyond suffering.
Episode Descripton: In this Zazenkai Dharma Talk, Shinzan offers an introduction to the most fundamental teaching of The Buddha, The Four Noble Truths. However, do not think that this talk is only for beginners. In explaining The Four Noble Truths, Shinzan covers quite the breadth of Buddhist teaching such as The Three Marks of Existence, Three Levels of Understanding, Nibbana, The Noble Eightfold Path, Four Fundamentals of Mindfulness and the precepts. Shinzan opens with some suggestions for the Zazenkai participants to help their practice and avoid discouragement: "don't worry," "make a vow with yourself," and "inspire each other." He then continues on to explain that The Four Noble Truths are meant to be practiced. According to Stephen Batchelor they are best described as the The Four Noble Tasks. Not a static set of rules, but tasks that we have to perform in our daily lives. The first task is to understand, accept or embrace dukkha. Dukkha is commonly translated as suffering, but according to Buddha, dukkha is birth, death, aging, sorrow, lamentation, distress, despair, the desire for what we don't have, the fear to lose what we do have. Which leads us to the Second Noble Truth, the origin of dukkha. Why do we suffer? Shinzan explains that The Three Marks of Existence are at the core of this truth: impermanence, no-self and dukkha. The Second Noble Task is all about letting go. Letting go of our delusional view of permanence and self. Which in turn guides us to the Third Noble Truth: that there is a cessation to dukkha, a way to stop. And that the way to cease suffering is found in practicing The Noble Eightfold Path which is the Fourth Noble Truth. This Eightfold Path is comprised of Right View, Right Intention, Right Action, etc. As opposed to using the term right, Shinzan prefers saying complete or whole which are closer to the meaning of the original Pali word, sammā. Stephen Batchelor likes the term appropriate, which implies that what is "right" is not an absolute moralistic perspective, but changes based on the circumstances and conditions. Shinzan then describes the Eightfold Path in detail, explaining that it can be divided into three parts. Ethics comprised of appropriate action, appropriate speech and appropriate livelihood. Mental training composed of appropriate effort, appropriate mindfulness and appropriate concentration. Wisdom which is appropriate view and appropriate intention.
Episode Descripton: In this talk from the Beginner Mind Dana Retreat, Roshi Eido and Shinzan offer an excellent introduction to the Zen tradition and practice. Roshi opens the talk by discussing a number of points related to Zen. She mentions that most people come to the practice for their own sake, generally in an attempt to confront their own suffering. However she does not feel that this constitutes a "gaining idea." She continues on to talk about The Four Noble Truths and how a great deal of suffering is derived from our appetite. Roshi prefers the term appetite over craving or desire as it seems more natural or inherent to our nature. Roshi then turns her attention to zazen, stating that "zazen resonates in our lives, in our reality that is prior to our thinking, prior to any gaining idea, prior to us being able to find words." he discusses what it means to make a vow and the role of Sangha in zazen as well as in our lives. Roshi concludes by stating that our job is to investigate zazen, to not waste our precious time, to investigate deeply why we have come to this practice.
Bio: Roshi Eido Frances Carney received Dharma Transmission from Niho Tetsumei Roshi in 1997 at Entsuji Temple in Kurashiki, Japan. She founded Olympia Zen Center in 1995 when she returned to Olympia after priest training at Shoboji in Iwate Prefecture. She was the first woman and first foreigner to train at this temple founded in the 13th Century. She had been a long-time student of Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi beginning practice in the early 70′s. Kobun Roshi died in 2002.
Episode Description: In this joint talk given at the close of a half day retreat with the local sangha, Ray and Shinzan discuss the practice of the Six Paramitas. Ray begins by situating the Paramitas as positive practices (in contrast to the more restrictive practice of the Precepts) that developed within Mahayana Buddhism, which focus not on individual awakening but rather on the awakening of everyone. He explains that the word "paramita" literally means "crossing over," and that these practices serve as a "raft" to help us cross over the river of our suffering to the shore of liberation. Ray finally touches upon the first three Paramitas, those of Generosity, Moral or Ethical Conduct, and Patience. Shinzan then further elaborates on the place of the Paramitas in Buddhist practice, explaining that they can be viewed as an alternative perspective on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. After reviewing the first three Paramitas, he discusses in detail the last three practices of Energy or Effort, Meditation, and Wisdom. He explains that the first three Paramitas center on our external relations with each other and the world, while the final three Paramitas are more about our internal, subjective experiences. The talk concludes with several comments from the retreat participants.
Episode Description: In this dharma talk Shinzan discusses the origins and purpose of work practice, or samu, in Zen. Samu literally means "work service;" service to the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. We bring the same mindfulness we practice on the cushion during zazen into our work activities. Especially important to those that are lay practitioners, samu is a way of finding Buddha-nature in our everyday lives.
Bio: Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Monk and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: This dharma talk took place during a Zazenkai at Upaya Zen Center. Brian, Peg and Shinzan share their thoughts on the bodhisattva tradition and compassion by exploring, history, the brahma viharas and their own personal stories.
Teacher Bio: Joshin Byrnes is a student of Roshi Joan Halifax and is currently preparing for Zen novice priest ordination (tokudo) in March, 2013. He has a long history of service and social justice work in nonprofits and philanthropic organizations and is currently the president and CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. He worked for many years in the AIDS epidemic and now focuses his professional work on building courageous nonprofit and philanthropic leadership. He is cultivating a "Back and Forth" practice, moving between the zendo and the larger world of social service, organizational leadership and social engagement. Bearing witness to human suffering and taking loving action toward creating a better world is at the heart of his practice.
Peg Reishin Murray is a student of Roshi Joan Halifax and has lived at Upaya Zen Center since May, 2007 where she serves as Roshi's assistant. Prior to coming to Upaya, Peg studied with her root teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Community for Mindful Living for many years, taking the 5 Mindfulness Trainings in October, 1997 and the 14 Mindfulness Trainings (lay ordination) of the Order of Interbeing in September, 2007. She has also done retreats in the Vipassana tradition with John Travis and teachers at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA.
Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Monk and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: This Dharma talk was given to the guests who came for a half-day meditation retreat. Shinzan and Ray address "the point of Zazen," referring to Dogen's teaching from Genjo-koan. An inspiring and pastoral talk for anyone looking for encouragement to practice.
Teacher Bio:Ray Olson, an internist by training, was a longtime Professor of Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He has been a Zen student for over 30 years and received Jukai in 1989. He was ordained Novice Priest by Roshi Joan Halifax in 2009 and was made Dharma Holder at Upaya Zen Center in 2010. Ray serves as coordinator of Upaya's Prison Outreach Project, and in that capacity he corresponds with many inmates in prisons around the country, offering spiritual guidance to the incarcerated. He also makes weekly visits to inmates in the high security units of the local state penitentiary. Ray is long-married to Nancy; they have three grown children and four growing grandchildren.
Episode Description: Ray Olson and Shinzan Palma offer insight and support for setting intentions and transforming from the inside out.
Episode Description: Shinzan Palma, head monk at Upaya Zen Center, shares the story of his ordination on its anniversary: July 4th. Weaving story and Zen practice, he teaches how the intentions we set enable us to live more and more into the freedom that is our birthright.
Bio: Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Temple Coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Episode Description: A daylong silent meditation retreat provides us with the experience of deep periods of uninterrupted meditation. We do sitting and walking meditation throughout the day, one hour of work practice, three informal meals and dharma talk by the teacher in the afternoon. In this dharma talk Shinzan provides motivation and direction for our day.
Bio: Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Monk and Tenzo, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.
Upaya's head monk Shinzan Palma outlines the purpose of classical buddhist concepts and precepts.
Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004 and was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. He is now the Head Monk and Tenzo, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010.
Along with humourous stories and personal anecdotes, Shinzan offers a guided meditation to help listeners return to the simplicity of the first time watching the breath and body, letting go of thoughts.
Shinzan Palma shares the intimate story of how a near-death experience brought him to feel truly alive, and influenced him to begin searching for a path, ultimately leading to Zen. Shinzan invites us to listen deeply to our voice, to allow the crossroads we encounter on the path to be enriching and transformative. He closes with discussion about "right effort" and discernment along the path.
Shinzan's talk tonight is inspired by the words of the Buddha who states: "If, by giving up lesser comforts, one will find a true happiness, the wise should give up the lesser comforts and pursue the true happiness." Palma explores this notion of renunciation in the context of the Buddhas's life, our own spiritual path, habits, and our relationships with others.
Shinzan Palma, Upaya's head monk, gives his first dharma talk entitled "The Language of Zen". Shinzan explores through his own experience how language barriers allowed him to deepen his practice and connect with others. He explains that the language of Zen is beyond words, it is the language of the heart. Zazen allows us to listen to our heart and connect to ourselves once again.