Hiro Ikushima explores Becoming Yourself, a newly published book of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s talks. He reads and reflects on a few selections that center on themes such as zazen, self and no-self, and how Zen meets everyday life. These timeless teachings offer both clarity and encouragement for practice in the midst of our busy modern lives.
No More Words
Zach discusses the long-standing debate about the utility of the written and spoken Dharma in the context of a practice that claims to go beyond words and concepts. People have literally been arguing about this for millennia and we’ll take it up as well.
Virya
It sometimes seems like the world is falling apart and we can feel overwhelmed and isolated and sapped of energy. In this talk, Tim discusses strategies for building energy, Virya in Sanskrit, and how to work with it as one of the central elements in our Zen practice.
No One to Be, Nowhere to Go
What if there’s nothing to fix, improve, or figure out? What if this moment, just as it is, is enough? In the preceeding session, Hiro explored the conceptual foundation of self and no-self—how our sense of “I” is formed and sustained.
Building on that understanding, we shift into direct, experiential practice, allowing presence to reveal itself through shikantaza and mindfulness-based meditation.
This talk about living with presence is centered more around guided and silent meditation, with less emphasis on talking.
Awakening from the Dream of Self
Hiro speaks about the notion of awakening from the dream of self.
Much of our suffering arises from clinging to a fixed sense of self—a mental construct shaped by memory, identity, and striving. When we begin to see through this illusion, we may discover a quiet, open presence that has always been here.
Self, One Self, Not-Self
It sure seems like I have a self—an agent of action, one who makes choices, does work, gives gifts, harms others, apologizes... So what do we make of this teaching of No Self of not-self? If Zen says I don't have a self, how could my life possibly work out? Kodo takes a clear-eyed look at some teachings on not-self to bring this liberating view to life, without the confusion.
How The Somatics of Meditation Practice Can Help Us
Rev. Shosan Victor Austin, a senior priest at City Center, speaks about how the somatics of meditation practice can help us in our stressful busy lives.
Note to Self
On an anniversary of when he first came to practice, Eli Brown-Stevenson shares some of the choices he made—and a few things he wishes he had paid closer attention to—in a reflection for his younger self and, maybe, for anyone else finding their way into practice too.
The Intersection of Leadership and Zen Principles
Michael McCord discusses the intersection of leadership and Zen principles. Whether you have a formal leadership role at home (parent), school (resident assistant; teachers assistant) or work (managing, mentoring), we all impact each other and also take on many undefined roles where others look to us directly or indirectly.
What we find in looking at this is that relationships are the core of our existence and how we hold our trauma, stress, fears and narratives have a significant impact on those around us. And for those we are in a leadership role with (even if informal), we have a greater impact. We consider the Bodhisattva vow which is central to Soto Zen practice. That, as a key part of our intention, we are attempting to tidy up our house in order to be able to better help others, less encumbered by our difficulties and focused on how we can be a gift to the world, helping those around us suffer less and thrive more.
Mistakes
Kōgetsu Mok talks about the koan of our lives as we meet impossible situations, difficult conversations, the mountains of uncertainty, and challenging times.
How can Zen practice help train us to meet these moments with better self-awareness, skillful action, grace, and integrity?
Can we be kind to ourselves in the process, forgive the mistakes of others and ourselves, and see that the mess is beautiful and wholly included in practice?
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional
Michael McCord references a quote by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami: Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.
This is very much in alignment with the basic noble truths of Zen and yet can be so elusive in the moments we inhabit.
How do we live into a future where we hold the discomforts, annoyances, turmoil and pain of our existence in altogether different way? What can I do today or tomorrow?
Way Seeking Mind Talk
Tim Wicks, the City Center Head of Practice, gives a brief way seeking mind talk telling the story of how he came to practice Zen. He also speaks about three basic tenets of Buddhism and how they are practiced in community.
Kindness
Kōgetsu Mok discusses Suzuki Roshi's "Not Always So"—Be Kind with Yourself.
Our practice has an emphasis on warm heart and warm zazen. This kind of practice shows us how to take care of ourselves, our lives and others. When we're kind with our breathing, true practice can emerge as we learn to manage our impulses and busy lives.
Pausing
Hiro Ikushima speaks on the theme of pausing.
In a world that moves swiftly and often without mercy, the simple act of pausing can feel revolutionary. A single breath, a quiet moment of stopping, can open a doorway back to our own hearts. We explore how pausing allows us to meet life with greater tenderness, clarity, and courage — how it invites us to respond rather than react and move through the world with more spaciousness and care.
Case 5 of the Blue Cliff Record
Zachary Smith addresses Earth Day in the form of Case 5 of the Blue Cliff Record, in which Xuěfēng seems to be claiming that the Great Earth is no bigger than a millet seed.
Painting
Eli Brown-Stevenson offers a talk titled The Art of Just This.
Inspired by art and this quote from Suzuki Roshi, Eli talks about the importance of being with the process and not just focused on outcomes and results.
“A wonderful painting is the result of the feeling in your fingers. If you have the feeling of the thickness of the ink in your in your brush, the painting is already there before you paint.”
Stopping Burnout
Michael McCord discusses how one might stop the momentum of burn out.
The Buddha lived a life of extreme luxury and then dove head-long into asceticism for many years, only to come to the realization that a balanced life was where harmony could be found. His story is a road map for modern life full of pursuit, accomplishment and acquisition. Even when a person buys-in to the concept of equanimous living, it doesn't mean that the momentum of a life will change that much. Since we live in our bodies and minds (actually these are joined but appear different much of the time), second by second, and that IS our life, how does the way I have put my life together actually work for me?
The 5 Remembrances
Kōgetsu Mok talks about the 5 Remembrances, a very powerful Buddhist teaching on impermanence and on owning our karma and actions.
Resentment
Resentment often lingers quietly, heavy, unspoken, and rooted in pain. But it can be your teacher, showing you where you are still holding on. In this talk, Hiro Ikushima explores how Zen practice invites us to meet resentment with tenderness and curiosity. By turning toward it, we may uncover the hurt beneath and open the way to healing, compassion, and freedom. Even our hardest emotions can become gateways on the path of practice.
Patience
As children, many of us were raised by parents who told us to “be patient—and yet, few of us learned exactly what patience is or how to cultivate it. Mei Elliott explores what patience looks like, and how we can manifest it in our life and practice. If we're experiencing any form of suffering—large or small—patience can provide a doorway to freedom amidst difficulty.