Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Episode Description: At the conclusion of the first day of the program, Stephen and Roshi Joan address a range of questions and comments submitted by program participants. Topics include: Boredom, possible translations of the Pali and Sanskrit word "vihara," the concept of God as the "ground of being," how we might live authentically and fully in a universe that may be indifferent to our existence, the language(s) the buddha may have spoken, and the ways in which we become inspired to take up spiritual practice. For Series description and Teacher BIOs, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: A Culture of Awakening: All 18 Parts

Episode Description: Discussion session following the second lecture. Topics include: The buddha's final words, the preservation of oral teachings over time, and the relative importance of the sangha refuge. For Series description and Teacher BIOs, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: A Culture of Awakening: All 18 Parts

Episode Description: This second lecture of the program is entitled The Elephant's Footprint. In it, Stephen discusses how the word "care" can be thought of as a key ethical guiding principle in buddhist practice. He frames the discussion around a series of dialogues in the Samyutta Nikaya between the buddha and King Pasenadi of Kosala, the region of ancient India in which the buddha was born and in which he taught. King Pasenadi asks the buddha if there is "one thing that secures both kinds of good," the good we can bring to this present life and the good that reverberates beyond this life. The buddha responds that "care" is the one thing that secures both kinds of good. The buddha likens care to an "elephant's footprint," a footprint large enough to include within it all other footprints. Likewise, care can be thought of as an all-encompassing value with which to dwell in the world. Care is Stephen's translation of the term "appamada," a negative term which means something like not negligent, not indolent, or not drunk. It refers to the opposite of a sort of swerving, drunken befuddlement, a state of mind to which we are often "enslaved." In English, care refers both to being careful, of what we do and how we do things, and also to caring, of ourselves, our communities, and the world. So, what does it mean to live with care? Referring back to the first lecture (part 2a of this series), to live with care means to live from a "deathless" perspective, to live free of "aridity." It also crucially involves relating to others. Care is not an isolated practice. Rather, it is a public act. Care, for Stephen, must be the ground from which we engage with all of life. We must care for ourselves, for each other, and "extend our care to the whole world." For Series description and Teacher BIOs, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: A Culture of Awakening: All 18 Parts

Episode Description: Discussion session following the first lecture. Topics include: Language and poetry, trust and faith, the role of artistic expression in practice, risk taking, and fear. For Series description and Teacher BIOs, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: A Culture of Awakening: All 18 Parts

Episode Description: This first lecture of the program is entitled Religion, Faith, and the Sublime. Stephen begins by offering some Western perspectives on the words "religion" and "faith." Anglican theologian Don Cupitt feels that a religious activity is one in which "we seek to come to terms with our birth and death," and that religion is "how we reconcile ourselves with having to be born and having to die." For philosopher and theologian Paul Tillich, faith is "a state of being ultimately concerned," and God is "that about which one is ultimately concerned." The historical buddha, Siddattha Gotama, used the words "deathless," "unconditioned," and "nirvana" to refer to "that about which one is ultimately concerned." Rather than using these words to refer to something transcendent, however, the buddha infused them with new meaning. The buddha defined all three of these words as the "ending of greed, the ending of hatred, and the ending of moha," a term variously translated as confusion, delusion, ignorance, and perhaps most appropriately, a kind of bored inner fog. In order to free ourselves from this "arid" state of being, a state "lacking vitality," and to live life fully, the buddha prescribes first and foremost a meditation practice grounded in mindfulness of breathing. The buddha describes "dwelling" in mindfulness of the breath and body as a dignified, upright, sacred, and authentic practice. The clear indication is that we are to translate the authenticity we tap into during meditation into a way of life in which we dwell in the world with a quality of lucid courage and fearlessness. For Series description and Teacher BIOs, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: A Culture of Awakening: All 18 Parts

Series Description: Throughout its history, Buddhism has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to re-invent itself in response to new historical and cultural conditions. This four day workshop will explore how the interaction of traditional Buddhist ideas and practices with the worldviews and values of modernity may be giving rise to yet another "culture of awakening." The talks and discussions will focus primarily on a critical reading of the teachings attributed to the historical Buddha in the Pali Canon. Throughout the day there will be periods of formal meditation and instruction, when we will seek to put these ideas into practice. Episode Description: In this opening session of A Culture of Awakening, Stephen discusses how he sees the dharma at the heart of a specific way of life that integrates spiritual practice, literature and the arts, architecture, the environment, and so on. For Stephen, there is a danger today of taking Buddhism solely as a set of introspective meditation techniques, rather than the "culture of awakening" he envisions it becoming. Before concluding the evening, program participants share their intentions and aspirations for the retreat. Bios: Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. Stephen considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. In particular, he regards the doctrines of karma and rebirth to be features of ancient Indian civilisation and not intrinsic to what the Buddha taught. Buddhism has survived for the past 2,500 years because of its capacity to reinvent itself in accord with the needs of the different Asian societies with which it has creatively interacted throughout its history. As Buddhism encounters modernity, it enters a vital new phase of its development. Through his writings, translations and teaching, Stephen engages in a critical exploration of Buddhism's role in the modern world, which has earned him both condemnation as a heretic and praise as a reformer. Stephen was born in Dundee, Scotland, on April 7, 1953. He grew up in a humanist environment with his mother Phyllis (b. 1913) and brother David (b. 1955) in Watford, north west of London. After completing his education at Watford Grammar School, he travelled overland to India in February, 1972, at the age of eighteen. He settled in Dharamsala, the capital-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, and studied at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives with Ven. Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. He was ordained as a novice Buddhist monk in 1974. He left India in 1975 in order to study Buddhist philosophy and doctrine under the guidance of Ven. Geshe Rabten, first at the Tibetan Monastic Institute in Rikon, Switzerland, then in Le Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, where Geshe Rabten founded Tharpa Choeling (now Rabten Choeling). The following year he received full ordination as a Buddhist monk. In 1979 he moved to Germany as a translator for Ven. Geshe Thubten Ngawang at the Tibetisches Institut, Hamburg. In April 1981 he travelled to Songgwangsa Monastery in South Korea to train in Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Ven. Kusan Sunim. He remained in Korea until the autumn of 1984, when he left for a pilgrimage to Japan, China and Tibet. He disrobed in February 1985 and married Martine Fages in Hong Kong before returning to England and joining the Sharpham North Community in Totnes, Devon. During the fifteen years he lived at Sharpham, he became co-ordinator of the Sharpham Trust (1992) and co-founder of the Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies and Contemporary Enquiry (1996). Throughout this period he worked as a the Buddhist Chaplain of HMP Channings Wood. From 1990 he has been a Guiding Teacher at Gaia House meditation centre in Devon and since 1992 a contributing editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.
 In August 2000, he and Martine moved to Aquitaine, France,

Episode Description: In this Dharma talk, Stephen discusses several verses from a poem from the Atthakavagga, or Chapter of the Eights. The Atthakavaga is considered one of the oldest examples of canonical Buddhist literature. This talk centers around two themes: the "idea of solitude," and the "notion of the sage." What is genuine solitude? Does it mean being somewhere remote, meditating in a cave, away from the turmoil of the world? For Stephen, the Atthakavaga suggests that true solitude refers to a place within our awareness where we find stillness and clarity in the midst of both outer and inner turmoil. Solitude is an aspect of consciousness that "can see what is going on" in the mind but "is not of it." Who is a sage? Again, according to Stephen and the Atthakavaga, a sage is one who is not "drawn in" to the "aridity," or lifelessness, of opinions, views, and certainty. A sage is one who is no longer concerned with "truth," or "getting things right." Being caught up in views represents a certain kind of "inner death" that all Buddhist schools, and particularly Zen, caution against. Zen encourages us to "lean on nothing," to give the mind "nowhere to rest," and to embody a life of uncertainty, or "not-knowing." In this way, free from the deadening effects of views, we become "vibrantly alive," which is "what the Dharma is all about." Stephen concludes the talk with a Q&A. Bio: Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. Stephen considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. In particular, he regards the doctrines of karma and rebirth to be features of ancient Indian civilisation and not intrinsic to what the Buddha taught. Buddhism has survived for the past 2,500 years because of its capacity to reinvent itself in accord with the needs of the different Asian societies with which it has creatively interacted throughout its history. As Buddhism encounters modernity, it enters a vital new phase of its development. Through his writings, translations and teaching, Stephen engages in a critical exploration of Buddhism's role in the modern world, which has earned him both condemnation as a heretic and praise as a reformer. Stephen was born in Dundee, Scotland, on April 7, 1953. He grew up in a humanist environment with his mother Phyllis (b. 1913) and brother David (b. 1955) in Watford, north west of London. After completing his education at Watford Grammar School, he travelled overland to India in February, 1972, at the age of eighteen. He settled in Dharamsala, the capital-in-exile of the Dalai Lama, and studied at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives with Ven. Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. He was ordained as a novice Buddhist monk in 1974. He left India in 1975 in order to study Buddhist philosophy and doctrine under the guidance of Ven. Geshe Rabten, first at the Tibetan Monastic Institute in Rikon, Switzerland, then in Le Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, where Geshe Rabten founded Tharpa Choeling (now Rabten Choeling). The following year he received full ordination as a Buddhist monk. In 1979 he moved to Germany as a translator for Ven. Geshe Thubten Ngawang at the Tibetisches Institut, Hamburg. In April 1981 he travelled to Songgwangsa Monastery in South Korea to train in Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Ven. Kusan Sunim. He remained in Korea until the autumn of 1984, when he left for a pilgrimage to Japan, China and Tibet. He disrobed in February 1985 and married Martine Fages in Hong Kong before returning to England and joining the Sharpham North Community in Totnes, Devon. During the fifteen years he lived at Sharpham, he became co-ordinator of the Sharpham Trust (1992) and co-founder of the Sharpham College for Buddhist Studies and Contemporary Enquiry (1996). Throughout this period he worked as a the Buddhist Chaplain of HMP Channings Wood.

Episode Description: In this final segment of the program, Alan completes his teaching on Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path and offers some final comments. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: In this first segment of the final session, Alan leads the participants in one final guided meditation before continuing to teach from Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: Alan engages with program participants in a lively discussion in this fourth session of the program. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: In this second segment of the third session of the program, Alan continues teaching from Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: In this first segment of the third session of the program, Alan begins with a discussion of lucid dreaming and also offers several suggestions for the practice of settling the mind in its natural state before leading a guided meditation. He then continues his commentary of Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: After beginning this second segment of the second session with another guided meditation, Alan, having completed his commentary on the core teaching of Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path, now begins to expand on this teaching. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Episode Description: In this first segment of the second session of the program, Alan again begins with a brief guided meditation before continuing his exposition of Dudjom Lingpa's Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path. For Series description and Teacher BIO, please visit Part 1. To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts

Series Description: The meditative practice of "settling the mind in its natural state" is foundational for both the Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, which are centrally focused on realizing the nature of consciousness. This practice lies right at the cusp between shamatha (the cultivation of highly focused attention) and vipashyana (the cultivation of contemplative insight). It consists essentially of focusing single-pointedly on the space of the mind and on whatever thoughts, images, and other mental events arise within that field of experience. The quality of mindfulness cultivated in this practice is focused, spacious, discerning, and non-reactive. Through such practice, the activities of the mind gradually subside so that the mind comes to settle in its "natural state," which manifests three core qualities: bliss, luminosity, and nonconceptuality. We explore this practice with teachings and commentary from B. Alan Wallace, as well as experientially through guided meditations and daily group practice. Episode Description: In this first session of the program, Alan introduces participants to the practice of "settling the body, speech, and mind in their natural states" through a guided meditation. He then discusses his views of what "practicing Dharma" and being "on a path" to liberation mean in terms of a long-term spiritual aspiration. He also touches briefly upon the idea of continuity of consciousness. Finally, Alan introduces and delves into the root text from which he will teach during the program: Taking Aspects of the Mind as the Path, from the Sharp Vajra of Conscious Awareness Tantra, by Dzogchen master Dudjom Lingpa (19th C). B. Alan Wallace began his studies of Tibetan Buddhism, language, and culture in 1970 at the University of Göttingen in Germany and then continued his studies over the next fourteen years in India, Switzerland, and the United States. Ordained as a Buddhist monk by H. H. the Dalai Lama in 1975, he has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy worldwide since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including the Dalai Lama. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he returned his monastic vows and went on to earn his Ph.D. in religious studies at Stanford University. He then taught for four years in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and is now the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. He has edited, translated, authored, and contributed to more than thirty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and religion.” To access the entire series, please click on the link below: Settling the Mind in its Natural State: All 8 Parts