
Creating a Good Future
Linji Plants Pines
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About this listen
Zen Buddhism emphasizes zazen, or seated meditation, as the means to study the self and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training and take place in the context of zazen. Said to be "dark to the mind and radiant to the heart", a dharma talk is one of the ways in which a teacher points directly to the heart of the teachings of the Buddha. In our meditation practice, it is easy to get lost in self-doubt, fantasy, numbness, and emotional agitation. Dharma talks help to ground our practice, providing inspiration and an essential recognition of exactly where we find ourselves, so that we can learn to face difficulties and obstacles with a free and flexible mind. This talk was given at Zen Mountain Monastery or the Zen Center of New York City of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1980 by the late American Zen Master John Daido Loori, Roshi (1931-2009).
©2007 Dharma Communications (P)2007 Dharma CommunicationsListeners also enjoyed...
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The world is teaching us all the time. Teachings come from rivers, rocks, and mountains, and teachings come from pollution, AIDS, and starvation. But how much of these teachings do we actually hear? Roshi says that we can't possibly experience the world around us if our senses are dulled. Zen practice shows us that it is possible to experience life in a new way, a way that allows us to hear with the whole body and mind.
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Absolute bliss
- By Tim on 07-28-23
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Don’t Believe What You Think
- Yaoshan's Zen
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- Original Recording
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It is a constant practice to not get stuck in the language or forms of Zen training. The precepts, wisdom, higher states of meditation - these are all concepts that need to be let go of. Don’t turn your Zen practice into a nest, a workshop, a medicine cabinet or a make-up kit. True realization is traceless. It has nothing to do with your ideas about it. Even at the top of a hundred-foot pole, there’s nowhere else to go but forward.
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True Intimacy
- Yunmen's Seeing and Hearing
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 44 mins
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Overall
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Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Good talk speaking was difficult
- By Tim on 10-15-22
By: John Daido Loori, and others
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What Are You Waiting For?
- Yantou's Bow and Shout
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- Length: 46 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Exceptional
- By Tim on 12-08-22
By: John Daido Loori, and others
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Let Your Bones Dance
- Dongshan's Dharma Bodies
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- Length: 38 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
There is a music in us, an inner voice which is audible to our teachers, but not always to us. We can’t express this music using other’s words or other’s ways of seeing things. Yet the expression of it is the vital thing; it’s not enough to embody it - we have to be able to communicate that truth. Daido Roshi encourages us to "let our bones dance", to respond, and to sing with others in such a way that it creates a voice that doesn’t belong to anyone - our collective voice. That is true expression, true intimacy.
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Very good talk
- By Tim on 06-25-23
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Dancing with Impermanence
- Yunyan's This Is It
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- Length: 35 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Dogen said: Suchness is the real form of truth. Our life is constantly changing, our minds are constantly changing. This can make us feel helpless and lead us to ask: On what can we rely? Or, this flux can be used to practice and deepen our awareness. To ask what is suchness is to ask how all things exist. Through this question we can become truly intimate, but we have to trust the question, trust the process, and trust ourselves.
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Don't Miss Your Life
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- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 49 mins
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
The world is teaching us all the time. Teachings come from rivers, rocks, and mountains, and teachings come from pollution, AIDS, and starvation. But how much of these teachings do we actually hear? Roshi says that we can't possibly experience the world around us if our senses are dulled. Zen practice shows us that it is possible to experience life in a new way, a way that allows us to hear with the whole body and mind.
-
-
Absolute bliss
- By Tim on 07-28-23
-
Don’t Believe What You Think
- Yaoshan's Zen
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is a constant practice to not get stuck in the language or forms of Zen training. The precepts, wisdom, higher states of meditation - these are all concepts that need to be let go of. Don’t turn your Zen practice into a nest, a workshop, a medicine cabinet or a make-up kit. True realization is traceless. It has nothing to do with your ideas about it. Even at the top of a hundred-foot pole, there’s nowhere else to go but forward.
-
True Intimacy
- Yunmen's Seeing and Hearing
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
-
-
Good talk speaking was difficult
- By Tim on 10-15-22
By: John Daido Loori, and others
-
What Are You Waiting For?
- Yantou's Bow and Shout
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
-
-
Exceptional
- By Tim on 12-08-22
By: John Daido Loori, and others
-
Let Your Bones Dance
- Dongshan's Dharma Bodies
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a music in us, an inner voice which is audible to our teachers, but not always to us. We can’t express this music using other’s words or other’s ways of seeing things. Yet the expression of it is the vital thing; it’s not enough to embody it - we have to be able to communicate that truth. Daido Roshi encourages us to "let our bones dance", to respond, and to sing with others in such a way that it creates a voice that doesn’t belong to anyone - our collective voice. That is true expression, true intimacy.
-
-
Very good talk
- By Tim on 06-25-23
-
Dancing with Impermanence
- Yunyan's This Is It
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 35 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dogen said: Suchness is the real form of truth. Our life is constantly changing, our minds are constantly changing. This can make us feel helpless and lead us to ask: On what can we rely? Or, this flux can be used to practice and deepen our awareness. To ask what is suchness is to ask how all things exist. Through this question we can become truly intimate, but we have to trust the question, trust the process, and trust ourselves.
-
Don't Bend Your Heart
- Yaoshan's Precious Treasure of the Way
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
By: John Daido Loori, and others
-
Unblocking the Sun
- A Nun Questions Master Longshan
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 45 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Student teaching dharma
- By Kelly on 10-05-20
By: John Daido Loori, and others
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Spirited and Splendid Nature
- Wumen's Who Is the Other?
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 40 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
By: John Daido Loori, and others
-
Arriving Where You Are
- Jinshan Asks About Nature
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
By: John Daido Loori, and others
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Who's Punishing You?
- The Diamond Scripture's Revilement
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
-
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Not John Daido Loori Roshi
- By Kelly on 09-26-20
By: John Daido Loori, and others
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Alive to the Moment
- Zhaozhou's Flower of Awakening
- By: Roshi, John Daido Loori
- Narrated by: Roshi, John Daido Loori
- Length: 42 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
-
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Zen teaching
- By Shara on 03-02-15
By: Roshi, and others
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The Power of Thought
- Changquing's Seeing Form, Seeing Sound
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
All societies have laws to prevent physical and verbal violence, but what about the violence we create with our thoughts? Daido Roshi states that our minds are incredibly powerful, and they create a force that shapes the reality around us. We can only bring peace and healing to ourselves and others if we first have peace in our minds. But we can't quiet the mind until we see how much time we spend talking to ourselves, and until we let go of our almost constant inner chatter.
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Brilliant
- By Marty on 12-27-07
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Clear as a Bell
- Dongshan's How Dirty Is the Water
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
By: John Daido Loori, and others
-
Spiritual Power
- Exploring Spiritual Powers
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 57 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When we think of spiritual powers, we usually imagine walking on water or performing some kind of miracle. However, Roshi points out that true mystical power resides within the simple actions of our everyday lives, whether we are cooking a meal, washing the dishes, or driving a car. These activities seem ordinary, but they have an extraordinary aspect as well.
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A New Point of View
- Guishan Brings a Mirror
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 47 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Our ordinary point of view divides the world in two. Me and you, right and wrong, success and failure, life and death, practically all of our daily encounters are about divisions. We separate ourselves from the world around us, and this separation is the cause of our pain and suffering.
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Where Are You Running?
- Baizhang's Wild Geese
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Many of us are haunted by the past. We try to make painful memories go away by numbing ourselves with food, alcohol, and entertainment, but the past is still there and it's still eating away at us. Ironically, our obsessive thoughts about the past occur because we haven't fully processed it yet.
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Between Speech and Silence
- World Honored One Did Not Speak
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 39 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Our world is full of words, whether we are listening to others, watching T.V., or talking to ourselves. In a religion like Zen Buddhism, where so much emphasis is placed on silence and meditation, what is the place of words and literature? Zen practice doesn't mean abandoning language, but rather using it to our advantage. The truth isn't found in either words or silence; it encompasses both.
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wonderful as always
- By Roxanne Neri on 08-15-17