This talk weaves together the joy of smiling in meditation, the vow of Jizo Bodhisattva, and a timeless folk story about learning patience. Through the tale of Little Rabbit and her journey of sitting still with Jizo, we’re reminded that patience is not given from outside but grown from within. Reflections on impatience, practice, and the flow of dharma show how slowing down opens us to presence and timelessness. Ultimately, we are invited to discover patience as both a personal gift and a path into boundless awareness. This talk was given during the 2025 Jizo Sesshin in September 2025 at Great Vow Zen Monastery.

In this talk, Jomon introduces the Three Pure Precepts—vows to refrain from harm, to cultivate goodness, and to benefit others—as the foundation of Buddhist ethics. Through stories of Zen ancestors, the work of the Sangha Harmony Committee, and contemporary reflections, he shows how these simple yet profound commitments guide both personal practice and community life. Drawing on Dogen, Thich Nhat Hanh, and modern Chan teachers, we see how these precepts foster compassion, stability, and the recognition of interconnection. Rather than rigid rules, they are living vows that orient us toward wisdom, responsibility, and the well-being of all beings.
This talk was given at the Vancouver Zen Group on August 19th 2025.

In this talk, Jogen explores the intimate relationship between Zen practice and creativity, drawing on Dogen’s teaching that practice, realization, and expression form a complete circle. He shows how every moment of experience is a creative act—whether in the stories we tell ourselves, the identities we shape, or the way culture and attention sculpt who we become. Mind itself is a boundless, neutral space of possibility, able to generate beauty, delusion, and freedom alike. By illuminating this creative power and infusing it with compassion, we discover how to use the twenty-four hours of each day, rather than be used by them.
This talk was given on August 6 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

In this talk, Hogen draws on Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Art of Living to explore the practice of aimlessness—the invitation to rest in the present moment rather than chase after a future that never arrives. Through reflections on loss, illness, mosquito bites, and the everyday struggles of sangha members, he shows how freedom is found not by solving problems with thought but by anchoring attention in direct experience. To live without a subtle sense of inadequacy is to recognize that this very life, with all its imperfections, is already a miracle. The practice of aimlessness reminds us that we are enough, and that mindful awareness is our most potent tool.
This talk was given on August 24 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.

In this talk, Kisei reflects on the rare gift of meeting in practice and the simple, yet profound, invitation of the Buddha: “try it out for yourself.” From the experience of sesshin and mountain practice, to Dogen’s teaching that enlightened and deluded beings share the same boat, we are reminded of the stillness and stability always present within us. Through the story of the Zen ancestor Fa Chung, who devoted thirty years to practice in the mountains, we explore what it means to have faith, to make vows, and to let the way be endless. This is a call to trust in the continuity of practice—moment by moment, year by year, and even for the next thirty years.
This talk was given during Sunday Program at the end of 2025 Grasses and Trees Sesshin on August 17.

In this talk, we explore the meaning of vow and how it shapes the direction of our lives. From the Buddhist teaching of bodhichitta—the awakened heart-mind of compassion and wisdom—to personal stories of exemplars and inherited vows, we reflect on how intention becomes the fuel for practice. Through poetry, lived experience, and the reminder that even life itself carries a vow to endure and transform, we discover that vows are not rigid goals but guiding stars. This conversation invites us to discern our own vows and orient our lives with clarity, humility, and openness.
This talk was given during the Tuesday night meeting of the Vancouver Zen group on July 29th, 2025.

In this talk, Jogen explores the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh on signlessness and interbeing, reminding us that calmness alone is not true liberation. Through vivid examples and guided contemplations, he invites us to look beyond labels like life and death, self and other, to experience reality more directly. Weaving together insights from zazen, koans, and daily life, Jogen emphasizes the importance of inquiry and wonder in practice. Ultimately, he shows how these explorations open us to a deeper flow with existence and a more boundless sense of being. This talk was given during the Sunday Night Program at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple on July 27th 2025.

This talk explores how boredom and fear of missing out often derail meditation practice and how facing them directly can deepen our path. Jogen emphasizes the unique value of sustained practice in bringing clarity of mind, calming the nervous system, and reshaping our habitual patterns. Through stories, reflections, and humor, he shows how boredom may actually signal progress rather than failure. We are invited to stay steady, embrace stillness, and rediscover the diamond-like clarity hidden beneath busyness and distraction.
This talk was given by Jogen during the Wednesday night program at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple in Portland, OR on July 30th, 2025.