PZI Teacher Archives

Shitou

Video November 3, 2023

Fall Sesshin: Bright Virtue – Bankei’s Awakening

Tess Beasley

Bankei’s awakening came through facing his aversion to death. His question, “What is bright virtue?” brought him to Zen early in life. Later, he became one with the field and could fully see whatever he encountered. As your life becomes more whole, everything comes to belong.

45' 2"
Audio November 1, 2023

Fall Sesshin: Bright Virtue – Bankei’s Awakening

Tess Beasley

Bankei’s awakening came through facing his aversion to death. His question, “What is bright virtue?” brought him to Zen early in life. Later, he became one with the field and could fully see whatever he encountered. As your life becomes more whole, everything comes to belong.

45' 2"
Text June 23, 2023

We Are Interwoven

John Tarrant

It’s a noble thing to gather together for the Dharma. It has hidden effects, that if we thought about it from afar, we’d think, Ah, I don’t know. But when we’re together, we can feel, Oh, yeah, it’s happening. I can feel it in my heart and my soul and my fingers.

3004 Words

*

Dharma Theme June 9, 2023
43 Words
Audio February 14, 2023

Taking Part in the Gathering: Opening Talk

John Tarrant

John Tarrant’s opening dharma talk in Summer Sesshin at Santa Sabina. Recorded June 13, 2022.

33' 34"
Video August 25, 2022

Summer Sesshin: We Are Interwoven – Welcome to Sesshin

John Tarrant

John Tarrant welcomes Summer Sesshin participants and introduces a stanza of Shitou’s long poem: Taking Part in the Gathering, as an opening koan. The poem comes from the inception of Chan and is described as a Daoist current on the nature of reality – how emptiness pervades form. Koans, Art, Meditation & Conversation are part of waking up together in PZI Culture. June 13, 2022.

26' 48"
Audio August 25, 2022

Summer Sesshin: We Are Interwoven – Welcome to Sesshin

John Tarrant

John Tarrant welcomes Summer Sesshin participants and introduces a stanza from Shitou’s song-poem, Taking Part in the Gathering, as an opening koan. The poem comes from the inception of Chan as a Daoist current on the nature of reality. Koans, art, meditation & conversation are part of waking up together in PZI culture. June 13, 2022.

26' 48"
Audio August 11, 2022

Summer Sesshin: Shitou’s Teachers

David Weinstein

David tells the story of Jiashan’s awakening, after being sent by Daowu to find the Boat Monk. David also guides a revealing exercise in picking and choosing. Complete talk given in Summer Sesshin, June 16, 2022. 37 minutes.

38' 51"

*

Dharma Theme August 11, 2022

Dharma Theme: Taking Part in the Gathering – Summer Sesshin 2022

John Tarrant, PZI Cantor & Musicians, PZI Teachers

Here is our curation of full-length Summer Sesshin dharma talk audios on a single page, for easy finding and listening. A sesshin is more than the sum of its parts or recorded talks—there are personal interviews and deep meditation, teaching talks and conversations, old friends and new, ceremonies, brilliant teachers, music, great enlightenment, mistakes, and delight. The play of the universe. Recorded at Santa Sabina Center, June 13-19, 2022.

385 Words
Audio August 8, 2022

Summer Sesshin: Front Foot & Back Foot Walking

John Tarrant

John Tarrant’s dharma talk on June 17, 2022, in Summer Sesshin. Complete session. 45 minutes.

44' 21"
Video July 29, 2022

Forms of Awakening

John Tarrant

Kensho is a real thing—and you can’t pin it down. Awakening takes many and varied forms. Long to really understand reality, and have the joy of that. From a talk given during Summer Sesshin on June 17, 2022. 12 minutes.

12' 7"
Video July 15, 2022

Noticing What Is Sharp & What Is Round

David Weinstein

We are more interwoven when noticing and appreciating the particular qualities of things. When you see yourself in all things, you are seeing with your ears and hearing with your eyes. From a talk in PZI’s Summer Sesshin, June 16, 2022. 11 minutes.

11' 22"
Video July 14, 2022
27' 26"
Video July 13, 2022

What Is It To Be Here?

Allison Atwill

Video clip: What is it to be here? Weaving and interweaving go on and on, while each thing stands in its own place. From a talk in Summer Sesshin, June 16, 2022. 3 minutes.

2' 15"
Video July 12, 2022

Our Part in the Gathering

Tess Beasley

It’s all here—we’re already taking part in the gathering. We each hold our part so we can experience it together. Recorded during Summer Sesshin on June 15, 2022. 4 minutes.

3' 53"
Video July 11, 2022

What It Is to Take Part in the Gathering

Michelle Riddle

Sesshin is an opportunity to experience your own true nature, to help hold the retreat vessel for yourself and everyone else, and for not skipping out on what is troubling you. From a talk on the first day of Summer Sesshin, June 14, 2022. 10 minutes.

10' 37"
Video July 11, 2022

The Mysterious Source of the Bright

John Tarrant

John Tarrant talks about the mysterious source of things at Summer Sesshin. Recorded on June 14, 2022. 3 minutes.

3' 53"
Video July 8, 2022

On Shitou’s Life & Poem: What Is in the Way of Freedom?

John Tarrant

From John Tarrant’s opening talk on Taking Part in the Gathering, Shitou Xiqian’s song-poem on the nature of reality. Recorded at Summer Sesshin on June 14, 2022. 9 minutes.

9' 13"
Video June 15, 2022

Summer Sesshin: Opening Dharma Talk

John Tarrant

Great Summer Sesshin, opening eve: Our first in-person sesshin in over 2 years, due to Covid. John Tarrant introduces Shitou’s song, Taking Part in the Gathering, his translation together with Joan Sutherland. In this sutra, Shitou is trying to say what reality actually is. The myriad things are your own self—you look at the world and the world looks back. Whatever appears, enter there! No being for countless eons has ever fallen out of Buddha nature. Recorded June 13th, 2022, at Santa Sabina Center.

26' 48"
Text February 26, 2021

Taking Part in the Gathering

Joan Sutherland, John Tarrant

This is 8th century Zen ancestor Shitou Xiqian’s great song, the Sandokai—or Taking Part in the Gathering, as translated by Joan Sutherland and John Tarrant. This foundational text is often read at Winter Solstice. “When you let these words in, you encounter the ancestors.” Winter Sesshin January, 2020.

455 Words
Audio June 11, 2020

What Is Your Response? A Butterfly Flies up!

Michelle Riddle

PZI Zen Online: The moment you are doing nothing the universe is doing you! What is your response? Responses, readings from Atlanta Mayor Bottoms, Yunmen, William Stafford, Joan Sutherland. Koans for troubled times. Each moment is new. Where is the source of your response? No guarantees, anything can happen. As recorded June 5, 2020.

80' 18"