PZI Teacher Archives
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Allison Atwill -
David Parks -
David Weinstein -
Eduardo Fuentes -
Jesse Cardin -
John Tarrant -
Jon Joseph -
Michelle Riddle -
Tess Beasley
the self
Summer Sesshin: The Realm of the Self
A dharma talk by Allison Atwill in Summer Sesshin on June 16, 2022. Complete session. 46 minutes.
Separation in the Realm of the Self
The exhaustion and effort of “making a me” often brings people to Zen. In retreat, we begin to see the contours of the self that causes us to suffer. From a talk in Summer Sesshin, June 16, 2022. 7 minutes.
We Are What Is Missing from the World
Tess reads Tony Hoagland’s poem, “The Question,” on creation and loosening of the self, during her talk in Summer Sesshin, June 15, 2022. 3 minutes.
Talking to a Rock
Rocks come to everyone’s aid at a gathering, bringing enchantment and connection. From a talk in Summer Sesshin, June 15, 2022. 5 minutes.
What’s Possible if I’m Not Making a Me
Tess talks about how koans ferret out our strategies for making a me, from a dharma talk in Summer Sesshin, June 15, 2022. 2 minutes.
Decorating My Idea of Myself
No being has ever fallen out of the samadhi of Buddha nature. Being in the life you have is your samadhi. Recorded at Summer Sesshin on June 14, 2022. 4 minutes.
The Paradox of Happiness
“Mostly, if a method for achieving happiness is not successful, people think something like, She should have loved me more. Or, I wasn’t trying hard enough. Or, I wasn’t holding my mouth right. Whether the needle on the blame meter points to yourself or to others, that particular machine will always seem to be malfunctioning. You try to do the method better, rather than looking at whether the method works. So let’s look at the method.”
How to Defeat the Enemy
Turning your thoughts upside down is almost always progress, especially with conflicts that seem old and full of certainty. Article by John Tarrant published in Lion’s Roar magazine June 9, 2009.
The Power of Koan Practice
Those who have used koans have described them as a poetic technology for bringing about awakening, a painful but effective gate into the consciousness of the Buddha, an easy method of integrating awakening into everyday life, the most frustrating thing they have ever done, an appalling waste of time, a tyranny perpetrated by Zen masters… Well, you get the idea — about koans, opinions differ. Article by John Tarrant published in Shambhala Sun magazine, May 1 2003.
Offering Condolences
John Tarrant talks about the relationship between student and teacher, as well as the relationship between the student and her self.