Upaya Zen Center

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Monshin thoughtfully guides us into an embodied practice of wisdom and compassion, inviting us to examine the misunderstandings that shape our perception of self and reality. […]

In this heartfelt Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Hoshi Chris Senko Perez weaves together his personal journey to Zen practice with reflections on the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Sharing the path that led him from a […]

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Kodo brings his characteristic warmth and curiosity to an exploration of classic Mahayana literature. With equal parts scholarly enthusiasm and playful inquiry, he delves into this […]

In this final talk of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Senseis Wendy Johnson, Kozan, Kodo, and Roshi Joan Halifax weave together teachings on practicing with sincerity and innocence. Beginning with reflections on practicing “without aiming,” they […]

In this talk from the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Kozan explores Case 24 of Dogen’s collection, “The Great Kalpa Fire,” where Zen Master Dasui teaches about the nature of impermanence and attachment. […]

In this talk from the third full day of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Wendy Johnson explores Yunmen’s teaching “rice in the bowl, water in the bucket” through Case 158 of the […]

In this talk from the second full day of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Sensei Kodo explores the nature of non-conceptual presence through Case 249 of the Shobogenzo, “The Dharma That Has Never […]

In this teaching from the first full day of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Roshi Joan Halifax explores the profound wisdom found in everyday practice through the lens of the koan “Wash Your […]

In this compelling Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, writer and activist Rebecca Solnit explores how the Buddhist understanding of interconnection and interdependence offers a vital antidote to what she calls “the ideology of isolation,” […]

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Kozan takes a Buddhist stance on the current barrage of political actions and cultural chaos we are sitting in. Pulling form Buddhist wisdom and contemporary […]

In this powerful talk from the Awareness in Action series, diplomat and climate activist Christiana Figueres speaks directly to the interconnected nature of the climate crisis. Amid the overwhelming climate and ecological challenges facing […]

In this profound dharma talk from the Awareness in Action series, meditation teacher and scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn explores how mindfulness practice can help us navigate our current global poly-crisis. Through guided meditation and dialogue […]

In this session of Awareness in Action, Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Kozan, and Dr. Wendy Lau explore how direct engagement with social issues emerges naturally from Buddhist practice. The discussion examines Buddhist practice not as […]

In this zazenkai day talk during the Winter Practice Period, Senseis Kozan and Kodo explore and clarify the meaning of “not knowing” through Case 171 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo, also known […]

In their first talk as Senseis, Fushin and Dainin offer a collaborative talk on Silence and Gathering the Heart/Mind. Fushin begins by talking about his lifelong relationship with silence, from […]

In this moving Dharma talk, Wendy Johnson commemorates the third anniversary of her teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s death, celebrating his legacy as a peace activist and founder of the Order of […]

In this intimate Winter Practice Period talk, Sensei Kozan examines of Case 172 from Dogen’s Shobogenzo, where a monk asks “what is Buddha” and Dongshan responds “three pounds of flax”. Through […]

In this Winter Practice Period talk, Roshi Joan Halifax explores the rich intersections of everyday life and deep practice, using the evolution of Buddhist monastic traditions as a lens to […]

In this Winter Practice Period talk, Roshi Joan, and Senseis Wendy, Kodo, and Kozan explore Dogen’s life and the Shobogenzo through a lens of commitment to authentic practice. Roshi Joan […]

In this opening session of the Winter Practice Period, Roshi Joan Halifax and Senseis Wendy, Kodo, and Kozan welcome practitioners to the month-long immersion in Zen practice. The session focuses […]