Video Library

John reads from his ‘Story of the Buddha’ in honor of Buddha’s birth-day of enlightenment. ‘What’s hidden from us is the nature of our suffering, when we see it, everything changes.’

Yunmen said – “Even after the full moon, every day is a good day!” The light of sesshin infuses us. In a “good day” the light is in you, just how it is. This is not an achievement, you are in the gift of the universe. The tenderness of the good day and our whole lives opening to now. You can’t bully the Tao! it’s bigger than you. Not getting in the way of life, dreams, Linji’s death and more.

Becoming a Roshi, thoughts on the eve of his transmission ceremony.

John’s Monthly talk at SRCZC November – The time of year for ghosts, memories. We’ve just come through another disastrous fire season. Our ancestors survived fires , plagues, famines great crossings. John reads the teaching on the great zen temple fire of 1374 in which hundreds of thousands of precious texts were incinerated – and yet the temple master told them all had survived – this principle of teachings that nourish us beyond scripture is the core of Zen.

John Tarrant introduces the Queensland Magpie singing fire sirens and walks us through the ancient forests he knew as a child. How do we live the life we live in the face of this vast change? What is this?

Revisiting the big koans – What is this? Who is hearing? Who am I ? and others on his personal path: What is being a teacher? What is succession? Jon talks about Linji’s path to enlightenment – His teachers Wangbo and Daiyu conspire to help him. Our ancestors in the Chan lineage. Jon reflects on his recent visit to Japan and the Chan zendo in Kamakura, his warmth and gratitude for Yamada and his teachings.

Allison Atwill talks about transmission from two perspectives – the formal ‘Ikkan’ seal of transmission passed down in the Chan lineage from Bodhidharma; the Mind to Mind transmission. Described as the ‘Legitimate seal of clearly finished practice’, and secondly the transmission the teachings are always conveying to each of us. She relays the story of Chan teacher Ikkyu and his feral path toward awakening.

John Tarrant discusses the surprisingly complex inquiry koan which lies at the heart of Zen practice.

Allison Atwill focuses with us on the core of Baizhang’s fox koan – the moment when the old abbot stays after the talk at the monastery.

Uncertainty allows us to enter life more fully. Zen likes predicaments. The koans are allies in this. The unexpected questions are often those that help the most. All the strategies defend against life – ‘Become more lost’ – a zen entreaty.

John’s SRCZC talk on impermanence and rawness of feeling after the great fires in CA and Queensland. He reflects on the importance of internalizing the teachings and the nourishment of our ancestors within us- outside of our normal paths. Teachings after the great Engakuji fire in Chan koan history. The practice of talking to the ancestors – human or otherwise a source of great knowledge.

John revisits the awakenings and koans of the great teachers, among them Yunmen and his teachings. In the layered quality of the teachings there is a common thread in our lineage: we are all in it together, all held by this great path, we put ourselves in the vessel and see what happens. Each of us holds a piece of the story. Trust the piece you hold.

John talks about the warm intimacy of the ‘the dark’ – the uncolonized zone where koans work with us. Intimacy in teachings is used often as an equivalent for enlightenment. Koans open gates and bring us inside that mystery. Some categories of koans: Predicament koans, Heart Changing koans, Inquiry koans and more.

The great koan NO and dogs in our lives. ‘Reality’ is an edit of everything that is always really going on.

The great Chan teacher Luopu’s deathbed story and his emphasis on the importance of a ‘direct meeting with the source’ outside the teachings – you can’t just read about it. ‘Don’t grasp principles with words’. The story features the Book of Serenity’s compassion for the whole process toward enlightenment for these wonderful teachers.

No merit whatsoever! – Bodhidharma responds to Emperor Wu in Case 2 in the Book of Serenity. David follows the process of practice and Bodhidharma’s path.

John Tarrant, Roshi, Director of PZI and author, talks about the mystery of meditation as he first experienced it in the ancient forests of Queensland; about transformation on the ancient koan path we follow, and the evolution of Pacific Zen Institute as a community, and koan school with a new online resource center, the KALPA (Koans and Liberation Project Archive) Library. Your support helps produce PZI’s ongoing retreats and dharma talks, John’s writing projects, and spreads the teachings.

Steve Lucas talks about the synchronicities of winning and losing from his perspective as a financials trader and a concerned father.